Chainsaw PPE Protects People

- Hi, Sanford Smith here from Penn State Cooperative Extension.

In this video today, we're going to talk about chainsaw PPE and I have Mike Powell with me from Penn State University and he's a chainsaw safety instructor and expert.

And he's gonna fill us in on what we need to know.

Mike, what is PPE and why is it important?

- Like I was saying, so PPE is personal protective equipment and we're all familiar with it 'cause we've been wearing masks for the last two years.

That's a personal protective.

But in our case, we're talking about a chainsaw and what we should be wearing.

And so we're gonna start from the head, down.

We'll start with the helmet.

So anytime we're in the woods underneath the canopy, so branches above us, it's good to wear something to protect our head.

Things can fall out at any point.

Also what keeps it together is we have our face shield.

So this is just that, it's a face shield.

It's not eye protection.

I'm wearing that, as well.

You do need to wear both.

Also on this helmet has hearing protection.

So they clamp down over there, it does a nice job, everything's contained.

So the other next level I go with is gloves.

Now sometimes I wear 'em, sometimes I don't, but I always have 'em on me because if the chain comes off in operation, that bar's gonna be super hot and we're gonna wanna be able to put it back together, and we're gonna need gloves to do so.

- [Sanford] Sure, I suppose when you're sharpening this chain, as well.

- [Mike] Absolutely, absolutely sharpening.

And then going down, we have our chaps.

And the chaps, there is nothing else made that's going to keep you protected than chainsaw chaps.

Winter pants, they're not the same material.

And so this is to stop the chain from spinning that it does not get into you, the person.

- [Sanford] Okay. - And so from there, and the big thing about chaps, if you're gonna look to purchase 'em, make sure they have the UL code, the Underwriter Laboratory.

The last thing would then would be good footwear.

Leather boot with an aggressive sole.

'Cause as you're running the chainsaw, it's gonna move you around and if you don't have an aggressive sole, it's gonna push you around too much and you run the risk of being injured.

- When you say aggressive, you mean like a heavy tread in that?

- Yes, yes.

- Okay, so you're not slipping.

- No, you're not slipping.

- And how about the toes on those?

- Well, that's, you know, some people, I don't recommend getting steel-toe because in the winter time you're gonna be miserable 'cause you're gonna be super cold.

These are composite.

It depends what you're cutting and where, you know.

You could have stuff roll, so it is a safety feature.

But a good leather boot more than anything is gonna be beneficial.

- Okay, now I understand that the chaps have something like Kevlar or bulletproof material in there that's gonna stop that chain from going through, the teeth of the chain from going through.

What about in the boots?

Would that be helpful to have that there?

- You can get 'em.

They do make them.

These are not.

They're pretty pricey, pretty expensive.

And so for the folks that are watching, if you're not running saws very often, it's a good investment.

Anything you can to, again, there's nothing really made that's gonna keep you entirely safe.

It's how you approach what you're doing.

But they are an added barrier.

So yes, they do make them.

- Okay, well that's good to know.

Mike, where do people get this kind of PPE for chainsaw users?

- It's not as really accessible as you think.

A good saw shop should be able to order if they don't have it on the racks.

I do know some of the box stores will carry it.

Not a large selection.

The important thing with especially your chaps is the right length.

They do need to overlap the top of your boots by about two inches.

And they do not follow your pants length, so that's a misconception that some people have.

They'll buy 'em and they're too short.

- Mike, some people are buying electric chainsaws these days.

How does that figure in with all this PPE?

- Well, with the electric, still wanna wear chaps, you still have a spinning chain.

You're still gonna wanna have your head protection if you're in the woods.

The one thing that you don't really necessarily need to wear is hearing protection, because you don't have an engine running.

So, but other than that, eye, face, everything else is really applicable.

- Well, these have been a few thoughts about chainsaw PPE.

Now if you're not using a chainsaw, you may think, well, this wasn't all that interesting to you, but remember, you probably know someone who does use a chainsaw, a loved one or a friend, and you can pass this information on to them.

Thank you very much for listening.