FACTS
- A kickback happens when the tip of the chainsaw’s blade contacts a hard surface or suddenly gets stuck in a piece of wood. This will redirect the force of the chain in the opposite direction – in other words, towards the user.
- Most injuries from chainsaw use are due to “kickback”. Kickback occurs when the tip of the chainsaw hits a hard object such as a knot in the wood and kicks back towards the person operating it.
- Tree cutting accidents seriously injure workers, pedestrians walking nearby, and visitors to the properties where the trees are located. Because of the weight of trees, these types of accidents can cause disfigurement, catastrophic injuries, or deaths.
- Common types of injuries that can happen in a tree-cutting accident include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis and spinal cord injuries
- Serious lacerations
- Loss of limbs
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
STATS
- According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are about 36,000 injuries caused by chainsaws every year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cites the left hand and lower left leg as the most common places for chainsaw injuries.
- According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were more than 28,500 chainsaw injuries. More than 36 % were injuries to the legs and knees.
- Approximately 40% of all chainsaw accidents occur to the legs and well over 35% occur to the left hand and wrist.
- Chaps or chainsaw pants as well as keeping both hands on the saw would reduce chainsaw injuries by 75% or more.
- Researchers examined media reports and found that 72 of the 129 tree work-related incidents that occurred in 2017 were fatal – down from 92 in both 2016 and 2015 and 81 in 2014. TCIA reported 153 total incidents in 2016, 45 of which resulted in “serious injury.”