According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year about 36,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for chainsaw-related injuries.
Here's the scary part: those stats include only the people who visit emergency rooms. Who knows how many stubbed toes or cases of hearing damage go unreported?
One simple way to avoid becoming a statistic is to use the proper chainsaw safety gear.
Suiting up before using your chainsaw may take some time, but we promise you, these essential pieces of safety gear will be well worth the time and money you spend on them:
For added protection, get steel-toed boots. These will provide enhanced protection for the top side of your feet and toes. We don't sell any boots, but please get a pair before you start cutting.
In case of contact with the saw chain, layers of ballistic fibers expand rapidly to jam the chain and stop the saw before an injury occurs.
At the bare minimum, wear earplugs. However, a pair of ear-muff style hearing protectors will provide you with the best protection against excessive noise.
While chainsawing, your eyes are particularly vulnerable to injury from all the flying chips of wood. And if you have any experience using a chainsaw, you know how vital it is to have unencumbered vision.
So if you opt against wearing a full helmet, make sure you at least wear a pair of protective eyeglasses. Some people even recommending wearing safety glasses underneath a helmet with a face mask to provide the most chainsaw eye protection.
You could buy all these separate pieces individually, or you could go with an all-in-one option. These convenient combinations of visor and ear protectors, or helmet/visor/ear protectors, are easy to grab as you head out the door.
Look for a pair that's breathable as your hands will probably get pretty sweaty while working.