Worker hopes story of chain saw injury will help prevent future injuries

Olympia, WA – A timber faller from Washington is hoping that his story of suffering a chain saw injury will help prevent others from experiencing similar injuries.

The story of the injured worker (whose name was not released) was reported in a hazard alert released by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The worker was wearing Kevlar safety inserts inside of his jeans while he was cutting a vine maple tree with a chain saw. The saw kicked back, rolled the safety inserts aside, and cut through the worker’s jeans and into his leg.

The worker said he had secured the safety inserts only at the waistband of his jeans, which allowed for them to be moved aside with the chain saw.

The agency offered recommendations to help prevent similar incidents:

• While operating a chain saw, wear safety inserts that are rated to ASTM standards; ASTM F 1897-2008.
• Ensure safety inserts are secured firmly inside of your pants.
• Make sure pants are designed and manufactured to accommodate the safety inserts.