N.B. POWER UTILITY LINEMAN CHAIN SAW FAMILIARIZATION PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION

Material Covered

• Safety Features of the Chainsaw
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Work Ethic - workmans compensation - worker responsibility - Occupational Health & Safety - accident vs. injury
• General Preparations for Work - safe starting methods - fuel mixing & starting - safe handling methods
• Introductory Cutting - cutting with the pushing chain - cutting with the pulling chain - the kick back zone
• Felling Procedures - pre-felling procedures - front notch - back cut - holding wood
• Theory of Stress Cutting
• Maintenance Procedures "F" TEST:

SAFETY FEATURES OF POWER CHAIN SAWS

• Throttle Lock-out
• Chain brake
• Safety Chain
• Chain Catcher Post
• Hand Guard
• Anti Vibration Shock Absorbers
• On/Off switch
• Fire Extinguisher

PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT

• Hard hat, Ear & Eye Protection
• Safety Pants/Chaps
• Safety Boots
• Gloves
• Pressure Bandage
• Emergency Whistle

WORK ETHIC Workers Compensation and Worker Responsibility -

• Workers compensation
• on the job insurance
• not Gov't handout
• paid for by the employers/workers
• unsafe workers drive up compensation premium rates
• increased costs adversely affect wages
• Responsibility
• Who's responsibility is it to work safely?
• family and friends
• workmates
• yourself
• Occupational Health & Safety
• job description for power saw operators
• all related safety equipment & procedures
• accidents vs. injuries
• training vs. accidents
• safety gear vs. injuries

STARTING

• Cold Start (full choke start)
• Warm Start (half choke start)
• Flooded Start
• Jump Start

SAFE STARTING METHODS

• On the Ground
• Drop Start
• Between the knees (Yo-Yo Start)

FUEL MIXING (GAS/OIL RATIO)

Definitions: Gas - ie unmixed, raw Mix oil - hightest, ie not ordinary 2 cycle mix oil Fuel - ie mixed gas and oil Purpose of mix oil

• lubrication (ie cooling)
• washing
• compression - Premium unleaded in all saws - 40 to 50 :1 with hightest mix oil same gas, same oil, same ratio = longer life Fuel Ratio = multiplication of mix oil volume by ratio to get # of parts gas (volume).

SAFE SAW HANDLING METHODS

Holding Positions lefthand - full-use handle bar (straight wrists) - thumb under handle bar righthand - full grip

balanced stance idling position - saw held against left leg at waist - bent elbows limbing - levering positions - saw supported by the body - saw supported by object being cut - 6 step limbing clearing cut debris with righthand; lefthand gripping handle bar, blade backward with lefthand; 1/2 rotation of right hand at wrist, right hand against hip left handle bar on leg application of the chain brake

THE KICK BACK ZONE

• Pushing Chain NBEPC Page 8 Utility Lineman Chainsaw Course (Con't)
• Pulling Chain
• Sir Isaac Newton 3rd Law of Physics " For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" 4.) Kick Back Zone - uncontrollable kickback

NOTCHING TYPES OF FRONT NOTCHES

• Conventional Notch
• "V" Notch
• Humbolt Notch
• Dutchman Notch

FELLING PROCEDURES AND ATTRIBUTES

1. Evaluation of Felling Direction -wind -lean -crown shape -snow/ice -power lines, houses, other trees, etc
2. Preparing the tree - prelimbing - clearing around the tree - clearing the felling space
3. Planning the Escape Routes 45 degrees
4. The Front Notch -top cut first- Attributes or purposes of the front notch:

• Balance Component
• Felling Space
• Starts Pivot Point
• Splitting
• Characteristics (Specs) of the front Notch 60 degree opening 1/4 - 1/3 tree diameter

5. The Back Cut Placement of the back cut - the safety step Attributes or purpose of the back cut: -

The Felling Cut

• Directional Component -
• Creating the Hinge Wood -
• Splitting -
• Wedges and/or Felling Levers

6. The Holding Wood Attributes or purpose of the holding wood: -

Maintenance of Direction of Fall -

Maintenance of Control of Fall -

Splitting or Tearing Theory of Stress Cutting (Page )

1.) Evaluation of stress points compression wood tension wood

2.) Stress point release cutting

3.) Spring Poles 11:30-12:00

BASIC MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS SPARK PLUG TROUBLE SHOOTING

1.) Check gap - gap 20-25 Thousandth of an inch

2.) Procedure for testing plug - blue spark best - hottest (as opposed to white spark)

3.) electrode characteristics - Tan colored electrode best - Black colored, greasy electrode (cold burn) - dirty air filter, not enough air, and/or - to much oil in fuel - poorly set high jet - White colored, crusty electrode (hot burn) - improperly set high jet, and/or - lean fuel mix

SCHEDULED DAILY MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

• Air filter
• Chain brake
• Bar & chain

FILING THEORY

• Chain types and filing position -
• File guides
• Filing angles

PRACTICAL FIELD SESSIONS

Maximum of 4 students/ Instructor

Travel to the field site

Practical Saw Starting

• On the ground, drop, between the knees
• Saw handling procedures

Notching Practical

The perfect notch - top cut first, bottom cut next - 60 degrees, 1/4 to 1/3 the diameter - filing discussions and practical

Evaluation for Felling Direction and Other Considerations

Selection of tree (order of felling) - wind - lean - crown shape - other factors - trees - power & telephone lines - houses

Preparations for Felling

• Pre-limbing
• Escape routes

Cutting Practical

Brush cutting and clearing - tree felling and limbing - bucking (stress cutting) - filing practical

Daily Maintenance - air filter - chain brake - bar and chain - filing practical - periodic maintenance.

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