title: Kickback risk of portable chainsaws while cutting wood of different properties: laboratory tests and deductions.
abstract: Portable chainsaws are associated with substantial risk and can cause serious injury to operators, especially during kickback. This paper presents new results from research and analyses conducted regarding the impact between the different properties of wood on this occurrence. In an open area, such differences may include: wood species, humidity, temperature and the facing angle of the wood fibres in relation to the kerf and shape of the wood surface that comes in contact with the tip of the guide bar. This paper investigates chainsaw kickback including the research results on kickback and wood-cutting energy, saw chain speed and the efficiency of the chainsaw engine. It also presents conclusions drawn from the tests that can be useful for chainsaw users, showing the dependencies between the different properties of wood and the risk of injury.
authors.affiliation: a Central Institute of Labour Protection - National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB) , Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dąbrowski
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D016468:Forestry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D011481:Protective Clothing; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014934:Wood
keywords: chainsaw; kickback; kickback angle; kickback energy; safe use; saw chain; wood characteristics; wood cutting