Chainsaw Safety - Should the use of PPE be legislated?

[heathydee]

There are too many laws and restrictions anyway .
Any legal restrictions will just give the government an excuse to create another department to spend our money for us.
I fervently  believe Ringo Starr's first and only law ; "Anything a government touches turns to s##t" and I cannot think of an  example to disprove that.
A couple of thoughts :
Fools cannot be helped .
Anytime something is made idiot proof , a better idiot comes along .

[D4D]

Whilst on the topic of PPE, I bought these the other day and they crap all over the stihl ear muffs I have
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/John-Deere-Earmuff-Class-5-Hearing-protection-protector-/290626818980

[carinya]

There are too many laws and restrictions anyway .
Any legal restrictions will just give the government an excuse to create another department to spend our money for us.
I fervently  believe Ringo Starr's first and only law ; "Anything a government touches turns to s##t" and I cannot think of an  example to disprove that.
A couple of thoughts :
Fools cannot be helped .
Anytime something is made idiot proof , a better idiot comes along .

  And you can't always engineer your way out of stupidity.  The managers at my job have tried.

[9775Andrew]

Like political correctness, the safety gods have gone to the ridiculous,

Gee I wonder why Australia can't compete with Asian production costs?

I'm sure that 20 page risk assessment will come in very handy when the chain slices through your safety glove and then steel cap boot after you drop the saw.

Imagine the risk assessment for winching or simply driving across a river!

Once upon a time we just got on with the job

[HEM19X]

Like political correctness, the safety gods have gone to the ridiculous,

Gee I wonder why Australia can't compete with Asian production costs?

I'm sure that 20 page risk assessment will come in very handy when the chain slices through your safety glove and then steel cap boot after you drop the saw.

Imagine the risk assessment for winching or simply driving across a river!

Once upon a time we just got on with the job

Well said, personal safety should be the responsibility of that person. If someone wwants to use a chainsaw/power tool in a T shirt & thongs, then that is their choice...as stupid as it is.

[Crisp Image]

I don't think this is limited to chainsaws. Any angle grinder, circular saw etc can inflict the same damage. I wonder how the power tool companies and Bunnings can get away without a duty of care...

This  is a no brainer.
 Now fellas there is the book in the box called an instruction book. I know most of us just throw it away with the box but the first pages contain the safety information and warnings.
Next time you get a power tool or anything for that matter take the time to read this little book and find out all the things that it has to offer.
This is how the tool manufacturers get away with their Duty of Care. "we wrote it in the instructions of use your honor. It is not our fault they did not read the instructions BEFORE they used/built it"

Regards
Crisp Image

[DANBRI]

Like political correctness, the safety gods have gone to the ridiculous,

Gee I wonder why Australia can't compete with Asian production costs?

I'm sure that 20 page risk assessment will come in very handy when the chain slices through your safety glove and then steel cap boot after you drop the saw.

Imagine the risk assessment for winching or simply driving across a river!

Once upon a time we just got on with the job

Fact is, there are less people injured or killed in the workplace today.

Look at it this way, would you rather send your kids to a workplace that conduct "20 page" risk assessment, and does their best to manage the safety of your precious offspring? Or would you prefer to send them to a workplace that just wanted the job done quickly, taking unnecessary risks is a part of the job.

All whilst you are getting paid an hourly rate. Think about it.

[Alloy C/T]

20 page risk asessment each time you fire up the chainsaw and get paid for the hurry up and wait , don't think so ? Far Far to much OHS now allready that a 1hr job now takes 2+ hrs because of 'paperwork' , we as a country are turning into the most UNPRODUCTIVE nation because of OHS !!!

[DANBRI]

20 page risk assessment each time you fire up the chainsaw and get paid for the hurry up and wait , don't think so ? Far Far to much OHS now allready that a 1hr job now takes 2+ hrs because of 'paperwork' , we as a country are turning into the most UNPRODUCTIVE nation because of OHS !!!

You're right, we should be like China and kill people daily.

Our organisation has mines in China, you would be amazed how keen they are to learn our western methodology to manage safety and reduce the 'killing' they do in their workplaces... Kinda strange eh?

PS: a 20 page risk assessment is ridiculous, and missing the point entirely, 5 pages max! 

[D4D]

[kylarama]

I sat for months turning simple safe work method statements into 20 page novels because the ofsc got on this bandwagon. Also scared away good subbies because of our company requirements in regards to this." Duty of care" is legislated but **** you have to do some paperwork to satisfy these 3 words!

Our company did the same...  Now we're going to introduce a  'Sub-contractor prequalifcation' booklet  to get rid of the loyal ones who were stupid enough to hang around.  LOL!


Back on topic.  We all need to remember one important thing.

YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID....




















IT'S FOREVER!



.

[FJWALLY]

I think a lot of the problems with chainsaw injuries come from misinformed or uninformed people who just wander down to bunnings and grab a saw - no idea how to use it and the only training they get from bunnings(if any) is how to start it and where to put the fuel(although plenty I know F454k that up also).

A classic example was in a movie from not long ago (tomorrow when the war began)- starring several young aussie actors(representing aussies from the BUSH) -one of the lead characters a young lass was filmed using a STIHL chainsaw of all brands and have a guess where she was holding the thing?
Thats right - she had her right hand on the trigger as you do and her left hand was holding the chain break lever while she was cutting.

I have been doing some work for Stihl for a long time and mentioned it to the guys at head office - they nearly had a heart attack as they had endorsed the use of their brand in the movie but obviously no-one had checked to make sure all the boxes were ticked - I bet that some nob has gone out and bought a chainsaw and started cutting holding the chain break at some point.

[Snow]

Thanks for everyones imput, this thread has been a goldmine of comment, information and OH&S'ness. 

Currently I will not use a saw as I have no experience with them so I am looking forward to giving it a go.

When I purchase my first saw I will also get the safety gear with it and use it. I also have a mate who teaches safe use so I will hit him up for some instruction time.

 

[Rowanb]

IMHO we have become a risk averse nation, cant do that might get hurt etc. Aussie pride themselves on having a crack at anything (instructions are for women lol).
The more people check out through stupidity the better our world becomes.

Be smart work smart think I seen or heard this somewhere.

Can see it now 1 Billion years ago look I have this thing called a wheel what ya think? No way man, do a risk assessement and ill see if it is to dangerous, the last thing we need around here is that thing rolling down a hill and hurting somebody.

[DeLuxHiLux]

Bunnings dont give instructions on how to use a chainsaw, But guess what? When you brought your last Car, did the Dealer run you through a 5 day course on safe operation of the car? If you crash said car, Can you sue the Dealer for not showing you the safe operation of the car? Lets get real hear. Natural Selection has gotten us to where we are today, the preeminant species on the planet, and losing a few people to Natural Selection wont hurt the gene pool.........

Ok - in complete seriousness now.......there is no way that it would be feasible, let alone right, for a governement to regulate this type of activity in PRIVATE use!! This is Australia, not Communist China or the USSR!!! We have enough fun Police as it is!!!! Smoking kills more people than chainsaws, smoking causes more admissions to Hospital and costs way more taxpayer dollars than chainsaws, yet Smoking is not only legal, you dont need to do a course on how to do it safely, or have to have a "ticket" to do it, thus lining the pockets of Training insitutions, who then, in an effort to raise more cash, change the course so your "old ticket" is no longer valid, and now you need to get a new one, which is now x3 the price it was last time.........

what we do to ourselves is our problem. We need to be responsible for our own actions. Should i choose to use a saw without chaps and cut my leg: Guess what? MY Problem. I am to blame. Not Stihl, Not "the Government", not Karma, but ME.  That being said, in an workplace setting, yes, an employer should provide appropriate gear and training in avoid their workers getting injured. Private use - Thats your own problem.

[koshari]

.there is no way that it would be feasible, let alone right, for a governement to regulate this type of activity in PRIVATE use!! This is Australia, not Communist China or the USSR!!!

I dont know if thats a real good analogy, i would be less surprised to see the Australian government pass this sort of legislation than a Chinese or Russian one.

[grizzly]

Little story for your thread.
An older RFS Captain was spewing about being asked to attend an instruction course on Chainsaws( he had used saw's since he was a boy) and cosequently refused to attend.
A few months later he turned up at the monthly Brigade meeting with a bandage around his shin, when asked what had happened he mumbled an obsentiy or something changed the subject and walked of to talk to someone else, another brigade member informed me quietly he had had a little more than a close call with his chainsaw.
Moral to this story is; you are never to old to learn and just because it hasnt happened yet does not mean you are an expert, only it hasnt happened YET.
PPE if for people who realise they have off days and want the best possible out come when Mr Murphy and that day overlap :'(
In my opinion Chainsaws should only be sold to people with a appropriate certificate and a full PPE kit
Grizzly

[Burnsy]

Whilst on the topic of PPE, I bought these the other day and they crap all over the stihl ear muffs I have
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/John-Deere-Earmuff-Class-5-Hearing-protection-protector-/290626818980

If you want good ear muffs get some Peltor H10A ones, they are it when it comes to muffs.  Spewing I dropped mine off the back of my timber mill somewhere along the feeway

While you are at it get your kids some kids peltors as well.  My daughter loves wearing her pink ones when I am mowing the lawn or using power tools.  It is good a good habit that you can get your kids into early.  I never new what a pair of earmuffs (or safety glasses for that matter) were until I got my own shed and tools.  Grew up with bad OHS habits learned from my dad and my hearing is worse for it.  It scares me these days when he comes over to use my shed as he seems to have no healthy fear of tablesaws, routers or anything else capable of ripping half his hand off.

[heath74]

Burnsy,  I reckon you are on to something there, kids are very good at copying us.  I would never have seen my old man with a piece of PPE.  I'm pretty good with the peeper protectors, but do need to lift with the rest. 

[briann532]

Bunnings dont give instructions on how to use a chainsaw, But guess what? When you brought your last Car, did the Dealer run you through a 5 day course on safe operation of the car? If you crash said car, Can you sue the Dealer for not showing you the safe operation of the car? Lets get real hear. Natural Selection has gotten us to where we are today, the preeminant species on the planet, and losing a few people to Natural Selection wont hurt the gene pool.........

Ok - in complete seriousness now.......there is no way that it would be feasible, let alone right, for a governement to regulate this type of activity in PRIVATE use!! This is Australia, not Communist China or the USSR!!! We have enough fun Police as it is!!!! Smoking kills more people than chainsaws, smoking causes more admissions to Hospital and costs way more taxpayer dollars than chainsaws, yet Smoking is not only legal, you dont need to do a course on how to do it safely, or have to have a "ticket" to do it, thus lining the pockets of Training insitutions, who then, in an effort to raise more cash, change the course so your "old ticket" is no longer valid, and now you need to get a new one, which is now x3 the price it was last time.........

what we do to ourselves is our problem. We need to be responsible for our own actions. Should i choose to use a saw without chaps and cut my leg: Guess what? MY Problem. I am to blame. Not Stihl, Not "the Government", not Karma, but ME.  That being said, in an workplace setting, yes, an employer should provide appropriate gear and training in avoid their workers getting injured. Private use - Thats your own problem.

Surely your kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can't be serious........

It sounds like you're suggesting humans become accountable for their own actions and or exercise common sense......

Oh hang on I'll retract my statements, I didn't realise it was supposed to be funny!!!!

On a serious note now - I reckon you're spot on.

Brian

[D4D]

PPE extends to equipment such as tractor roll over bars
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/man-dies-as-tractor-rolls-over/story-e6frf7jx-1226187008208

[koshari]

just on the subject of PPE why do most people automatically decide to wear a helmet when riding a motorbike but when it comes to quad bikes on farms it appears to be accepted practice to just wear a helmet if you please?

[Heiny]

I think common sense should be legislated, then we do away with all the BS legslation

bubba

[koshari]

I think common sense should be legislated, then we do away with all the BS legslation

bubba

if that was the case we would need a prison next to every boatramp,

mmmm boatramps where stupidity is fashionable and common sense is far to uncommon.

[Robbo]

Different scenario but with serious consequences is hardware stores selling electrical fittings to the DIY brigade and i have even seen bunnings staff showing mr joe public how to wire them up. As a sparky myself, i have seen first hand some potentially lethal attempts at home DIY electrics.