Qualifications

• Current certification by a nationally recognized organization to render first aid and perform CPR. Participation in an approved crosscut/chain saw program (Classroom and field training encompassing in part or in total a national training program, such as Wildland Fire Saws S-212). Supervisors—Ensure that saw operators receive training or retraining in first aid and CPR before certifications expire.

Elements include:

• Demonstration of sawing ability (to a certified operator or certified instructor) in functional areas.
  
  
• Supervision by a certified instructor or certified operator of saw work by new operators. Supervisors— Monitor proficiency of sawyers to recognize the need for recertification (additional training) in less than 3 years.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Employees—Maintain PPE in a clean and fully functional condition.

Required PPE:

• Forest Service-approved hardhat.
• Eye protection.
• Hearing protection (85 dB and above).
• Appropriate gloves (cut-resistant gloves for chain filing).
• Long-sleeved shirt.
• Chain saw chaps (Forest Service–approved, minimum of 2 inches boot overlap).
• Heavy-duty, cut-resistant or leather, waterproof or water-repellent, 8-inch-high, laced boots with nonskid soles (hard toes are optional).
• Fire shelter (wildfire and prescribed-burn assignments).

Required chain saw features:

• Throttle interlock.
• Felling and bucking spikes for felling and bucking operations (full set of two).
• Antivibration system.
• Chain brake, fully functional.
• Proper saw for the job, fully operational (full wraparound handle bar for felling operations is required, three-quarter handlebars are allowed for bucking and limbing only).
• Proper bar length for the specific work project or activity.
• Bow bars with top and bottom chain guards and stingers.
• Chain, filed and maintained.

General equipment:

• Type IV first-aid kit.
• Fire extinguisher.
• Chain saw wrench.
• Chain file with handle and guard.
• Approved safety container for fuel.
• Chain and bar oil container, clearly marked.
• Proper wedges for the specific work project or activity (wooden wedges are not permitted).
• Single-bit ax or maul, 3 to 5 pounds.

Safety Practices

• Carry so the bar (teeth) point downhill and away from the body—cover the bar if carrying on your shoulder. Prevent injury from cutters, dogs, and muffler.
• Shut down the saw when carrying farther than tree to tree, or when slippery surfaces or brush create additional hazards.
• Activate the chain brake for shorter distances.
• Do not carry saws or fuel (including empty fuel containers) in the passenger compartment.
• Do not store fuel and food together.

Analyze the cutting area by considering;

• Location of people, structures, powerlines, and other obstacles.
• Roads and travel in the cutting area.
• Topography and steep ground.
• Nearby hazards such as trees, low-hanging and dead limbs, rocks, and brush.
• Primary and secondary escape routes, and safety zones.
• Wind direction and velocity, such as steady versus gusting and/or changing directions.
• Tree species, both live and dead.
• Diameter and height of trees.
• Soundness of tree (split, lightning struck, broken-off top, rot, deterioration or physical damage to the root system, trunk, stem, limbs, or bark).
• Lean direction.
• Limb distribution.
• Widow makers.
• Spiked top.
• Burning top.
• Moisture (rain, snow, or ice).

Primary and Secondary Escape Routes, and Safety Zones

• Select and prepare the work area by clearing escape routes before starting the cut.
• Walk out and check the intended lay of the tree thoroughly.
• Plan the route from the stump to the safety zone, generally not less than 20 feet away; the farther the better.
• If possible, stand behind another tree, preferably quartering back from the planned direction of fall. Wait and watch for at least 30 seconds after the tree hits the ground for branches and other broken tree parts to fall. The shielding tree should be sound and large enough to provide protection.

Procedures

• Know where the tip of the bar is at all times.
• Anticipate log tensions (binds) and compressions and plan mitigation.
• Use wedges and/or the pie cut. Initiate the cut slowly to observe the bind.
• Use caution when cutting limbs supporting the log off the ground. Do not saw from the downhill side. On steep ground, prevent bucked sections from rolling or sliding. Limb from the top of large logs.
• Watch for and reduce tension carefully on saplings and limbs, using a series of small cuts on the tensioned side.

Procedures

• Consider your mental and physical condition.
• Saw from a safe standing height. Be alert and look up frequently. The undercut must be clean with an opening large enough to control the tree's fall nearly to the ground. Do not use corner or side cuts in the back cut. Give another warning shout just before the tree falls. Insert a wedge into the back cut as soon as possible. In small-diameter trees, wedge into a corner cut. Do not cut off all of the holding wood. As the tree commits to the undercut, watch the top as you get away from the stump as quickly as possible. If the tree moves in a direction that compromises the primary escape route, use the secondary route. Do not leave a partially cut tree without marking it and warning others. When situations are deemed unsafe, use alternate methods or cancel the task.
• No felling at night.

Safety Practices

• A hazard communication training program provides information related to general awareness, hazard chemical inventory, and MSDSs.
• Never handle hazardous chemicals that do not have an MSDS. An MSDS is required for each chemical used onsite and shall be readily accessible to employees at all times.

Transportation

• All containers (safety cans, drums, tanks, or tank trucks) used for transporting hazardous materials must be correctly labeled or placarded to ensure quick identification of the materials in an emergency.

Dispensing

• General Safety—All handling and dispensing of flammable liquids shall be done in a well-ventilated area free of sources of ignition, with bonding between the dispensing equipment and the container being filled.

Procedures

• Teach all employees who are subject to exposure, especially those known to be highly sensitive, to recognize poisonous plants. When possible, do not assign allergic employees to jobs that expose them to poisonous plants.
• Provide and apply a skin protectant or barrier cream. Fasten pant legs securely over boot tops (adhesive tape may be necessary).
• Wear gloves and keep them away from the face and other exposed parts of the body. Do not touch skin with hands, clothes, or equipment that may have contacted poisonous plants.
• Whenever the skin contacts a poisonous plant or noxious weed, wash the area with cold water within 1 to 3 minutes or as soon as possible. Use liberal amounts of water to ensure that all poisonous oils are washed off. While working around poisonous plants, do not wash with soap and/or hot water because they can remove natural protective oils from your skin.
• Destroy poisonous plants around improved areas.
• Avoid the smoke of burning poisonous plants. Inhaling this smoke can cause fever, malaise, respiratory problems, and severe rash.
• Upon returning from the field, use rubbing alcohol to cleanse skin that contacted poisonous plants.
• Clean tools with a citrus-based solvent before storing (use appropriate gloves and adequate ventilation).
• Avoid handling contaminated clothes. Wash contaminated clothing separately from other clothes in hot water and detergent.

Procedures

• Spray clothes with an insect repellant, as an additional barrier against ticks. Repellants, such as diethyl metatoloamide (DEET), do not kill ticks. Some sprays do contain permethrin, which kills ticks on contact. DEET should not be applied to Nomex, only to skin. Permethrin can be applied to Nomex, but not to skin. Always follow the manufacturer's application instructions for insect repellants and treatments.
• Wear light-colored clothing that fits tightly at the wrists, ankles, and waist. Each outer garment should overlap the one above it. Cover trouser legs with high socks or boots and tuck shirttails inside trousers.
• Search the body repeatedly (such as during rest periods and lunch), especially hairy regions and inside clothing, as ticks seldom attach themselves within the first few hours.
• Remove ticks with fine-tipped tweezers or fingers. Grasp the tick as closely as possible to the point of attachment and pull straight up, applying gentle pressure. Wash the skin with soap and water, then cleanse with rubbing alcohol. Do not try to remove the tick by burning it with a match or covering it with chemical agents. If the head pulls off when the tick is being removed, or if the tick cannot be removed, seek medical attention.
• Once the tick has been removed, place it in an empty container so it can be given to a physician if you experience a reaction. Record the dates of tick exposure and removal. An early warning sign to watch for is a large red spot on a tick bite. Reactions within 2 weeks may include fever, chills, headache, joint and muscle ache, significant fatigue, and facial paralysis. Seek medical attention promptly if you experience these reactions.

Field Site

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN

Work project/activity: General saw use_______________________
Location:_______________________________________________
Legal description:________________________________________

To prepare for an emergency that requires first aid and/or immediate evacuation of personnel due to serious injury, the following information shall be available to all crewmembers:

• Designated first-aid provider(s): at least one person on each crew should be designated to provide first aid.
• Communication procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.