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Inspecting and Repairing Your Chain Saw Chaps
Since 1965 the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service has provided cut-resistant, protective chaps for chain saw operators. The chaps have prevented thousands of serious injuries.
Redesigns in 1981 and 2000 led to the current design, which provides more protection for the saw operator’s legs.
This guide explains how to inspect, clean, and repair these chaps so they can provide years of protection.
Chain saw chaps protect the saw operator by slowing and stopping the chain. Fibers of the protective pad are pulled into the saw’s drive sprocket, jamming the saw.
The new chaps are designed to protect the operator’s legs from saws with chain speeds of up to 3,200 feet per minute. Earlier designs did not provide protection at such high chain speeds.
The chaps’ back-coated nylon shell resists water, oil, and abrasion. The pad inside the shell consists of five layers of Kevlar (figure 1) in the following order (from the outside of the chaps):
Kevlar is a synthetic fiber (aramid) similar to the Nomex fiber used in firefighters’ clothing, but Kevlar is even more flame resistant. When the chaps are exposed to temperatures of 500°F, the nylon shell may melt, but the Kevlar pad will not.
Figure 1—A chain saw chap
has five layers of Kevlar
that jam the chain saw’s drive sprocket, stopping the
chain saw and preventing injuries.
These chaps are available in 32-, 36- and 40-inch lengths to ensure proper sizing. Chain saw operators need to wear chaps long enough to reach at least 2 inches below the boot tops. The waist and leg straps should be adjusted for a snug fit that will keep the chaps positioned correctly on the legs. Always use these chaps in conjunction with all other required personal protective equipment (PPE). Most protective properties of the chaps cannot be tested by users in the field.
The contractor warranties the chain saw chaps to be free from defects in workmanship and materials for the useful life of the garment. The warranty assumes that the garment is used by trained personnel.
Inspect the chaps frequently and retire them from use when appropriate. Retire chain saw chaps when:
Treat your chaps as a piece of CRITICAL safety equipment. Do not use the chaps as a chain stop. Keep them as clean as possible. Correct and timely cleaning reduces flammability and general wear and tear.
When cleaning the chaps, use a commercially available citrus-based product called Citrosqueeze, approved to clean Nomex and Kevlar. Do not machine wash or machine dry chain saw chaps.
Hose and brush chaps to remove dirt and large contaminants. For light soiling, use Citrosqueeze solution in a spray bottle containing 1 part Citrosqueeze concentrate to 10 parts water. Spray the solution on the area to be cleaned and scrub with a bristle brush. Wait ½ hour. Thoroughly brush the chaps, hose them off with cold water, and allow them to line dry.
For heavy petroleum contamination, fill a soak tank with 10 to 15 gallons of diluted Citrosqueeze solution. Soak the chaps for at least 4 hours (overnight if possible). After the chaps have soaked, scrub them with a bristle brush, rinse them thoroughly with cold water, and allow them to line dry. Many pairs of chaps can be cleaned in the soak tank.
Citrosqueeze is available from various wildland and structural fire equipment retailers.
Clean all chaps before repairing them. Repair cuts and holes in the outer shell as soon as possible to keep sawdust and petroleum products from contaminating the protective Kevlar pad.
Seam Grip, a commercially available product, is recommended for repairing damage to the chaps’ nylon shell. Seam Grip provides a flexible, waterproof, abrasion-resistant patch that will protect the Kevlar pad from contaminants.
To repair cuts shorter than ½ inch, apply a dot of Seam Grip over the cut, and allow the Seam Grip to dry. To repair holes and cuts in the nylon shell that are longer than ½ inch:
Seam Grip is available from numerous outdoor retailers. To learn of the retailers in your area, contact:
McNett Corporation
1411 Meador Ave.
Bellingham, WA 98229
Phone: 360–671–2227
Fax: 360–671–4521
Web site: http://www.mcnett.com
This brochure is on the Internet at /t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm05672816/ (Username: t-d, Password: t-d).
More information about chain saw chaps can be found in the tech tip Inspecting, Cleaning, Repairing, and Retiring USDA Forest Service Chain Saw Chaps (0451–2324–MTDC). This tech tip is on the Internet at: /t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm04512324.
To order copies of this brochure or the tech tip, contact the Missoula Technology and Development Center:
USDA Forest Service, MTDC
5785 Highway 10 West
Missoula, MT 59808–9361
Phone: 406–329–3978
Fax: 406–329–3719
E-mail: wo_mtdc_pubs@fs.fed.us
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