The Chuck Oslund Chainsaw Safety System is more than just a safety manual. It is a philosophical treatise on the importance of safety and the understanding that there are three elements involved in cutting down a tree: you, the chainsaw, and the tree. You must show respect for both the tree and the chainsaw. As Oslund states at the beginning, this book and the methods it illustrates “is not just an understanding of how the saw works; it is about how it works when combined with the single tree you are cutting and the individual state of your attitude. for this book; the CSS [Chainsaw Safety System] it’s that ‘something else’ you need to be a safe, productive and confident operator. “Not only will it keep you safe, but the CSS will ensure that everyone else involved is safe, including the designated security person, as there must always be a security person involved when using a chainsaw.
You may already know how to use a chainsaw and are wondering if you need this book. However, most people do not know how to use chainsaws properly or may even be afraid to use them. Worse still, many people try to use chainsaws when emergencies arise even though they have never been trained to use them. As Oslund states, “Trees kill more people in catastrophic weather events than from any other cause.” In fact, generally more people are injured cleaning trees after a storm than are damaged by the storm itself. Also, the cost of chainsaw injuries is astronomical. Oslund claims that the estimated cost per chainsaw injury in 2000 was more than $ 12,000 (I suspect more than double what it is today) and required an average of 110 points. In 2009, there were more than 26,000 chainsaw injuries treated in the emergency room, and by 2013, that number had risen to 36,000.
The increase in injuries comes largely from more people using chainsaws today without being trained on how to use them properly. When emergency situations arise, people try to be heroes even if they don’t know what they are doing. Others are afraid to act because they fear the chainsaw. This book not only teaches proper use, it does not teach people how to step out of their comfort zones, but how to expand those zones.
One of the best ways to ensure the safety that Oslund explores is to learn to identify the risks or dangers around you. It teaches observation brain training techniques so we can look for unexpected risks. We can master these techniques simply by paying attention to our surroundings wherever we are instead of constantly being focused on our phones or other distractions.
Some people may dismiss Oslund’s teachings as common sense, but he is quick to point out why that’s the wrong attitude. When a student told him, “I already have a security system; it’s called ‘common sense,'” Oslund told him, “That comment is the exact reason why the security system is needed and why it only helps those who they are willing to leave their pride to the benefit of beginning saw operators; that line of thinking may be valid for a common tool, but it is not for the most dangerous tool because it is also ‘common’ to be injured while operating one; two ‘”commons” means that, statistically, you will eventually get hurt if you don’t start using your head for something other than telling everyone around you how’ good ‘you are with this’ masculine’ tool. “
In fact, Oslund has many times taken it upon himself to talk to people he has seen engaging in unsafe behaviors. He’s even had people admit to engaging in such behavior just to show off. You’ve had people yell at you for sticking their noses in your affairs, only to later thank you for caring enough to teach them better. When using one of the deadliest devices on the planet, there is no room for bravado.
The second half of The Chainsaw Safety System focuses on the five chainsaw safety rules. I’m not going to go into them here, you’d better read the book so you fully understand them, but the final rule is “Stumps don’t lie.” In other words, the stump left after using your chainsaw will tell the story of how skilled and confident you are with your saw. Oslund has often seen a stump in the woods that made him shake his head and pray for the chainsaw operator that they haven’t hurt themselves or someone else with a chainsaw since they cut down that tree.
The Chainsaw Safety System also includes fifty-five images taken from slides that Oslund has used in his chainsaw safety presentations that he has given throughout the state of Michigan that are paid for by the state. These pictures illustrate your points and serve as ready references for readers to come back and remember the main points. Oslund also references various YouTube videos that readers can watch to find examples of dos and don’ts.
Finally, Oslund is entertaining. While this book is longer than you might expect, that’s because Oslund really wants his readers to be safe, and he uses his dry humor to make his points come through, as well as replay, for readers to remember. what it says when they happen. The chainsaw encounters a tree that it would not otherwise like. As an example of humor, here is one of my favorite passages from the book:
“I will go around the room and ask each student to name a possible danger in cutting down a tree. Usually, I will pass by some sitting near the front of the class with answers like widow makers, telephone cables, the toilet, my stupid dogs, things like that, before stopping and letting them off the hook saying, ‘You could say almost anything, and I could dream of a scenario where I could be a danger cutting with a chainsaw.’ Of course, after making a Such a bold statement, I get instant challenges like: ‘elephant, pancake, sea anemone,’ yelled a smartass. After having some fun with that by showing how dangers could be: cutting down a tree at the zoo; I ate fifty of them for breakfast; I have a coral cutting saw with a long snorkel tube; I point out the reason for the exercise: no one can predict the dangers that can be encountered when cutting down any tree until they are actually in the cut area e “.
A glossary concludes the book. Believe me, when you leave, you will know all the terms of this book very well. You will learn how to determine where a tree will fall, how to contact your security person, why it is important to keep your saw in good condition, and much more. You will have become part of the CSS and will use what you learned on these pages to ensure your safety and that of others in areas of your life that don’t even require a chainsaw. If you ever plan to pick up a chainsaw, The Chainsaw Safety System is the book you need to make sure you live to cut another day.
