Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: STRUCK BY

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: At the facility, an employee operated a Homelite 20-inch bar chain saw without the benefit of a chain brake, a reduced kickback chain, or a bar tip guard, a condition that exposed him to the hazard of being struck by the chain in the event of a kickback. ANSI B175.1-1991 "Safety Requirements for Gasoline-Powered Chain Saws" requires saws that have less than a 3.8 cubic inch displacement engine be equipped with at least two devices to reduce the risk of kickback injury, such as a chain brake, a low kickback chain, a reduced kickback bar, or a bar tip guard that covers the kickback area of the bar and chain. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to purchase only those chain saws equipped with chain brakes or bar tip guards. A second feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to retrofit the saw with a chain brake from the manufacturer. A third feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to equip the saw with a reduced kickback bar and a low kickback chain.ck