Chainsaw Safety Considerations for Farm Use

Learn about chainsaw safety like using chainsaw chaps and keeping both hands on the saw at all times to reduce injuries by at least 75%.

By Bradley Rankin
Updated on October 5, 2021
article image
by Unsplash/Abby Savage

The first chainsaw I purchased was for storm-related, light-duty work at my home. With no previous experience and without much forethought, I bought it during a lunch break, because I had read it was the right thing to do. This chainsaw was a gas-powered Stihl MS 170 with a 16-inch bar and a 30cc engine with 1.3 kW of power — a perfect choice for the job.

My second purchase for the farm was a Stihl MS 250 with an 18-inch bar and a 45cc engine with 2.2 kW of power — which is quite a jump.

In this post, I am going to discuss chainsaw safety and give you my observations from my use of a chainsaw. Finally, I will tell you one of my typical stories regarding an experience with my MS 250 on the farm.

Safety First, Second, and Last

Whenever I mention using a chainsaw on the farm, the listener almost without fail says “be careful.”  In my manual, safety issues started on Page 4 and didn’t end until Page 22.

Are chainsaws that dangerous? Well, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, 36,000 individuals are treated annually for chainsaw injuries. According to the Davis Garvin Insurance Agency, such injuries require an average of 115 stiches. And OSHA states that among 243 deaths in 2014, the four major causes from tree-trimming activities were trees and other items falling on them (see my story below!), workers falling out of trees, workers getting caught in equipment such as wood chippers, and electrocution from contact with power lines.

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