Health
&
Safety
THE PERKINS JOURNAL, Thursday, February 11,2010- A5
Safety is the name of the
game when using chain saws
By Sean Hubbard
STILLWATER, Okla.-
As Oklahomans clean up
after the recent ice storm
that left tree limbs shat-
tered or lying around,
care should be taken to
ensure protection against
unintentionally risking an
arm or leg being added to
the toll.
"To prepare yourself,
carefully study the opera-
tor's manual so that you're
thoroughly familiar with all
aspects of safe operational
procedures," said Craig
McKinley, Oklahoma State
University Cooperative
Extension forestry special-
ist. "Before you operate a
particular saw for the first
time : and periodically
thereafter - you should
carefully review the own-
er's manual."
New saws come with a
manual, but if lost, a copy
can be obtained from the
manufacturer. Manuals
offer proper operating pro-
cedures as well as detailed
information about rec-
ommended maintenance
practices to keep the saw
running smoothly and
safely.
Once the operator has
honed his knowledge of
the saw, the chain itself
needs to be sharpened.
"When the chain is cull,
you increase the effort
needed to cut through a
piece of wood," McKinley
said. "At the same time.
you increase the possibil-
ity of injury to yourself and
damage to the saw."
Sharpening instructions
are typically outlined in the
operating manual and is a
relatively easy task. How-
ever. the recommended
filing and depth guides
are essential to assure the
proper angle on the cutters
and cutting depth for maxi-
mum cutting efficiency.
Whenever a chain is being
sharpened, gloves should
be worn or a rag placed
over the chain to protect
hands from the sharpened
cutters. A sharp chain is
only effective if there is
proper chain tension and
lubrication.
"Chain tension should be
adjusted to ensure quick,
smooth cutting action."
McKinley said. "Too loose
a chain will derail, too tight
a chain will bind."
A cold chain should
be tightened to where the
chain hangs about 1/32 of
an inch away from the bar
rails at the center of the bar
span. Warm chains should
be adjusted to about a 1/8
inch gap.
While the saw is in use.
be sure to pump the oiler
frequently to prolong the
life of the chain. Periodi-
cally stopping the engine
and pumping the oiler
while pulling the saw
chain around by hand will
provide a good, even oiling
of the chain. However, the
motor needs to be turned
off and the spark plug
wire disconnected for this
process.
Chain saws with auto-
matic chain oilers may
need an extra squirt occa-
sionally for proper lubri-
cation. Many new saws do
not have a manual oiler, so
making sure the oiling port
is functioning so that the oil
is reaching the chain is rec-
ommended. The presence
of smoke while the chain
is operating is a good indi-
cation of lack of oil, and
perhaps a dull chain.
Additional tips for
chain saw care are avail-
able online on Oklahoma
State University's Divi-
sion of Agricultural
Sciences and Natural
Resources Web site, http:
//www.dasnr.okstate.edu,
on the Internet.
Fashion also plays a role
in safe use of chain saws.
A hard hat should be worn,
along with safety goggles
or eye glasses, ear muffs
or ear plugs, lightweight
gloves, work boots or shoes
and fitted clothing.
McKinley said clothes
should not hang loosely
from the body as they
might become tangled in
the saw. Also. the use of
nylon mesh protective leg
chaps or kneepads can
help protect the operator's
legs.
"'Saw-related back-up
equipment is also impor-
tant." he said.
Back-up tools include an
ax. sledgehammer, wedges.
sharpening file, screwdriver
and wrench for throttle and
chain adjustments, as well
as chain oil. a funnel and
plenty of fuel. Readily
available shovels and a fire
extinguisher should also be
considered.
With the proper safety
gear, back-up materials
and a prepared saw. the
operator is ready to begin
cutting.
The saw should be started
in an open, level surface as
close to the work area as
possible. Holding the saw
firmly against the ground
with one hand on the front
handle and the inside of one
knee on the rear handle.
pull the starter rope briskly
to give the engine a rapid
spin.
"Don't yank the cord out
to the very end; this could
damage the starter mecha-
nism." McKinley said.
"Also, hold the grip and
let the starter cord rewind
evenly instead of letting it
snap back."
When carrying the saw.
the chain should be in the
rear with the muffler away
from the operator's body.
When operating the saw,
maintaining balance is a
must. McKinley warns a
chain saw is not forgiving
when mistakes are made by
its operator. A solid grip
with both hands, making
sure fingers and thumbs
completely encircle the
handle, will allow for
greater control.
"Cut with the lower side
of the saw as much as
possible," McKinley said.
"This is the safest and least
tiring position."
Cuts should be made with
the wood near the middle
of the saw.
"With elbows and knees
slightly flexed, the saw
should be operated at the
side of your body so that
it will not swing into your
body if it suddenly kicks
back," McKinley said.
Kickback results when
the saw jumps toward the
operator after hitting a
solid object with the front
of the saw. The engine
torque is transferred to the
guide bar, which causes
the saw to rotate in a rapid
motion.
"Kickback is the most
dangerous of all chain saw
hazards," McKinley said.
"The most common cause
of kickback is that small,
hidden limb that catches
the upper quadrant of the
bar nose."
There are several sce-
narios that will cause
kickback. However, the
force will be increased by
a dull chain, chase tension
that is too loose and blind-
cutting or boring with the
bar nose.
"Kickback is responsible
for about a third of the
serious injuries that occur
each year with chain saws."
McKinley said. "Avoiding
kickback should be a major
concern of all chain saw
operators.'"
Once the cutting is
complete, there are some
recommended steps to
proper storage of the saw.
beginning with stopping
the engine and draining
the fuel tank in a safe area.
Then. the engine should be
restarted and run at idle to
remove the remaining gas
from the engine.
The chain can then be
removed and stored in a
container of oil and the
spark plug wire should also
be disconnected to reduce
the possibility of accidental
starting.
McKinley said following
these procedures allows
those with tree and limb
damage to clear their
property back of debris in
a relatively safe manner.
However. even with cau-
tious operation, the threat
of injury or death still
exists.
Roger Stevens
The science of love
OKLAHOMA CITY
-- Most people associ-
ate Valentine's Day with
roses, boxes of chocolates
and candlelit dinners. But
when researchers used
sophisticated imaging
technology to look at the
brains of people who'd
recently fallen in love,
another word came to
mind: addiction.
"Look at new love
under an MRI," said
Yasvir Tesiram, Ph.D.,
of the Oklahoma Medi-
cal Research Foundation,
"and the brain looks very
similar to someone with
an intense craving."
Brain scans known
as functional magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI)
show how the brain reacts
to stimuli. Using func-
tional MRI, researchers
have found that showing
a picture of aperson's
new love activates hot
spots in the areas deep
within the brain.
"A study in The Jour-
nal of Neurophysiology
showed that new love
lit up the same cells that
make and receive the
chemical dopamine,"
said OMRF President
Stephen Prescott, M.D.
"The same parts of the
brain are extremely active
in gamblers and cocaine
users."
But love, like anything
else in the brain, is very
complicated, said Tes-
iram, whose research
focuses on the use of MRI
for the early detection and
treatment of diseases such
as brain and liver cancer.
Scientists may have a
crude idea of what roles
certain parts of the brain
play, but they're still puz-
zling over the details.
"We're a long way
from understanding the
complexity of human
attraction," said Prescott.
"And unlike most of the
conditions we study at
OMRF, love isn't some-
thing we're looking to
cure."
Still, it's a topic
that continues to draw
research interests. Stud-
ies have also used func-
tional MRI to examine the
brains of people who've
recently suffered break-
ups. Researchers have
also tapped the technol-
ogy to study those who
have remained intensely
"in love" for a decade or
more.
"MRI shows that love
Jights up the same
system associated with
elation, energy, craving
and motivation," Tes-
iram said. "It brings a
new kind of meaning to
the song 'Addicted to
Love,' doesn't it?"
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I[INl~; ."IlK ~=. ,]= I[tRt= ..... =a===
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Dallas 45 35 cloudy San Francisco 58 44 sunny
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UV Index
Thu Fri Sat Sun Men
2/I 1 2/12 2/13 2/14 2/15
] 2 [ 2 I i;i;;::::i;i~i;:::::~!i ::ii~ ::~! t ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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The UV Index is measured on a 0 - 11 number scale
withshkJherUVlndexshowtngtheneedforgroater 0 ~i:~!:~i~!i~i;~iii~i~iiii~iI~ 11
akin pmtbction.
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