Sears 358.356090-3.7/20" - Manual (Page 3)

SAFETY RULES AND PRECAUTIONS
WARNING!
Because a chain saw is a high-speed wood-cutting tool, special safety precautions
must be observed to reduce the risk of personal accidents. Careless or improper use
may cause serious injury.
A. KNOWYOURSAW
1. Read your Owner’s Manual carefully until you
completely understand and can follow all
safety rules and operating instructions before
attempting to operate the unit.
2. Restrict the use of your saw to adult users
who understand and follow the safety rules,
precautions, and operating instructions
......... -------found'inthismanuab...... ^.-.............v.:...........
B. PLAN AHEAD
Wear personal protective gear. Al­
ways use steel-toed safety foot­
wear with non-slip soles; snug-
fitting
clothing with reinforced
cutting resistant inserts; heavy-duty non-slip
gloves: appropriate eye protection such as non­
fogging, vented goggles or face screen; an ap­
proved safety hard hat, and sound barriers ^— ear
plugs or mufflers to protect your hearing. Regu lar
users should have hearing checked regularly as
chain saw noise may damage hearing.
2. Keep children, bystanders, and pets out of the
work area. Do not allow other people to be near
the chain saw when starting or operating the chain
■ ^ 'saw;^' ' ; ; , ; '
3. Do not handle or operate a chain saw when you
are fatigued, ill, or upset; or if you have taken
alcohol, drugs or medication. You rnust be in
good physical condition and mentally alert. Chain
saw work is strenuous. If you have any condition
that might be aggravated by strenuous work,
check with your doctor before operating a chain
saw.
4. Do not attempt to use your saw during bad
weather conditions such as strong wind, rain,
snow, etc., or during darkness.
5. Plan your sawing operations carefully in ad­
vance. Do not start cutting until you have a clear
work area, secure footing, and if you are felling
trees, a planned retreat path.
C. GUARD AGAINST KICKBACK
Kickback can lead to dangerous loss of control of
the saw and possibly cause serious personal in­
jury. Kickback is the upward and backward motion of
the guide bar that occurs when the moving chain con­
tacts an object at the tip of the guide bar.
To reduce the hazard of kickback:
1. Hold the saw firmly with both hands. Left hand
on front handle bar, right hand on rear handle
whether you are right-handed or left-handed.
Never use the saw with one hand........
2. Do not overreach.
3. Dp not let the tip of the guide bar contact the
ground, another log, branch, or any other
obstruction.
........ 4.....Begin and continue cutting at f ull throttle.......
5. Cut one log at a time.
6
.
Use extreme caution when re-entering a pre-
viouscut.
7. Do not attempt plunge cuts.
8- Watch for shifting logs or other forces that
could close a cut and pinch the chain.
9. Do not cut above shoulder height.
10. Follow manufacturer’s chain sharpening
and maintenance instructions. Keep the
chain properly tensioned. Check tension at reg­
ular intervals with the engine stopped,never
with the engine running. Make sure the bar
clamp nuts are securely tightened after tension­
ing the chain.
11. Use the Guard Link Chain and Lo-Kick®
Guide Bar designed for your saw to reduce the
hazard of kickback.
D. AVOID R eactive FORCES
Pushback and Pull-in occur when the chain is
suddenly stopped by being pinched, caught, or
by contacting a foreign object in the wood. This
results in a reversal of the chain force used to cut
wood and causes the saw to move in the opposite di­
rection of chain rotation, resulting in loss of control
and possible serious personal injury.
To avoid Pushback:
1. Be extremely aware of situations or obstruc­
tions that may cause material to pinch the top of
or otherwise stop the chain.
2. Donotcutmorethanonelogatatime.
3. Do not twist the saw as the bar is vvithdrawn
from an under-cut when bucking.
To avoid Pull-In:
1. Always begin cutting with the engine at full
throttle and the spike against the wood.
2. Use wedges made of plastic, wood, or light
alloy (never of steel or iron) to hold the cut
open.