Tree Farmer - November/December 2009 - (Page 31)

6. 7. 8. control the saw. Starting the saw on the ground (with chain brake engaged), keeping a firm grip with arms locked and thumbs wrapped around both handles, and maintaining stable footing will help control the saw. Avoid the tip. Many loggers are seriously injured when the upper forward tip of the chainsaw touches another object, causing a kickback where the saw violently reacts in the opposite direction, often toward the chainsaw operator. Hopefully, the chain brake will stop the chain before it hits the operator. Stand to the side of a projected kickback as an added precaution. use a hinge. OSHA requires professional loggers to plan for the direction of fall of each tree by making a notch (front side of tree near the ground) in the desired fall direction, a back-cut (back side of tree just above the notch) and leaving a hinge that will help hold the tree on the stump the entire way to the ground. OSHA’s Logging eTool has an excellent diagram in the section on manual felling that features the “open-faced” technique that is taught by Game of Logging instructors. Remember: Learn these techniques from a professional! 9. Plan your escape. Before you cut into the tree, plan and clear a path away from the tree in a 45-degree angle back from the tree’s intended fall direction. After you complete your back-cut, engage the chain brake and retreat 20 (or more) feet away from the falling tree just in case it jumps backward off the stump or knocks down some unexpected limbs or other debris. and carefully releasing the tension of “spring poles,” which are limbs and trees bent under the tree that you are limbing and bucking. Never use a chainsaw over your head! After the tree is felled and the limbs are removed and bucked into logs, another piece of logging equipment is needed to move the logs to the roadside or landing (the place where the logs will be processed or loaded onto trucks for delivery to a processing facility). Tree Farmers may use either a skidder to drag logs or a forwarder to carry logs to the landing. Skidding logs by small woodlot owners is typically done using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), farm tractors, or dozers. Of course, some skidding is still done using draft animals, but I will focus my safety tips on the mechanized equipment options. Unless you already own a farm tractor or dozer, purchasing an ATV is the most costeffective option. Consider an ATV that has four-wheel drive, front and rear winches, and a large-capacity (700 cc or better) engine. The ATV will need a skidding arch attachment that is pulled behind the ATV. Logs are then manually attached under the skidding arch with a choker chain or strap. Advantages of using an ATV as a skidder are great maneuverability, low initial cost, and additional, 10. Don’t work alone. As much as you may be tempted, don’t work alone. Despite the best efforts to prevent them, accidents do happen — especially during tree felling. Always maintain at least “two tree lengths” distance between you and others who might be on your property, just in case. While removing limbs and bucking the tree into logs with a chainsaw, some other safety precautions include standing on the uphill side of the tree, keeping the trunk of the tree between you and the saw, standing off to the side of the saw so that any kickback will be directed over your shoulder, Tree Farmer NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tree Farmer - November/December 2009

Tree Farmer - November/December 2009
Contents
Safety 101: Using Small Woodlot Equipment
Buyer’s Guide & Resource Directory
Consulting Foresters & Managers
Associations
Fertilizers, Herbicides & Repellents
Forest Appraisal, Analysis & Management
Forest Measuring Instruments & Software
Insurance
Resources
Land Sales
Seeds & Seedlings
Real Estate Brokers
Timber Buyers & Loggers
Supplies, Gifts & Apparel
Timber Pricing Services
Tax Advice & Timber Taxes
Tools & Equipment
Tree Paint & Markers
Tree Protectors & Shelters
Wood Manufacturers
Agencies
Associations & Organizations
Tree Farm State Contacts
Grant, Loan & Cost-Share Programs
Cooperative, State Research, Education & Extension Services
State Foresters
Make Your Home and Forest Fire Resistant
Taxing Issues
Ties to the Land
A Safe Harbor for Two Threatened Species
Tools & Techniques
Timberland Liability - Are You at Risk?

Tree Farmer - November/December 2009