Chainsaw Safety in New Brunswick: Training, PPE and Safe Work Practices
Updated: 7 days ago
Chainsaws are used across New Brunswick for much more than commercial forestry. Municipal workers, private woodlot owners, surveyors, construction workers, and others may all need to operate a chainsaw as part of their work.
No matter how often a chainsaw is used, safe operation depends on preparation, proper equipment, hazard awareness, and training. For anyone using a chainsaw in New Brunswick, safety should start before the first cut.
Why Chainsaw Safety Training Matters
Using a chainsaw safely involves more than knowing how to start the equipment and make a cut. Operators need to understand the saw, recognize hazards, maintain equipment, and make safe decisions as work conditions change.
WorkSafeNB has documented serious chainsaw incidents involving kickback in New Brunswick. Its chainsaw kickback hazard alert reinforces the importance of proper maintenance, protective equipment, and safe operating practices.
Training gives operators an opportunity to build these skills in a structured setting before applying them in the workplace.
NBFSA's Chainsaw Safety - General Applications workshop is designed for people who operate chainsaws in New Brunswick, including occasional users such as municipal workers, private woodlot owners, surveyors, pipe fitters and bridge builders.
The two-day workshop combines classroom and field learning. Topics include chainsaw sharpening and maintenance, identifying and managing dangerous trees, and safe handling, felling, and limbing. The course also includes a practical component where participants demonstrate their skills in a treed environment.
PPE Is Part of a Larger Safety System
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an important part of chainsaw safety, but it is only one part of a complete approach to safe work. The required PPE depends on the task, the hazards present, and the workplace requirements that apply.
WorkSafeNB's PPE guidance emphasizes choosing suitable equipment, ensuring it fits properly, maintaining it, and using it as intended. PPE should support other safety measures such as training, hazard assessment, and safe work procedures.
For NBFSA's Chainsaw Safety - General Applications workshop, participants must bring personal protective equipment, their chainsaw, and the owner's manual. Confirm specific PPE needs based on the work being performed and applicable requirements.
Safe Work Starts Before the Saw Is Running
Preparation is one of the most important parts of chainsaw safety. Before work begins, operators should make sure the equipment is in good working condition, review the manufacturer's instructions, and assess the area for hazards that could affect the job. This includes the chainsaw's condition, the surrounding terrain, nearby workers or equipment, overhead hazards, visibility, and the condition of trees or branches in the work area.
New Brunswick's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 91-191 includes requirements related to chainsaw equipment and workplace use. Operators and employers should ensure they understand the requirements that apply to their work before the job begins.
Safe Work Practices to Keep in Mind
Chainsaw work can involve changing conditions, so safe operation depends on consistent habits and good judgment. Rather than treating safety as a checklist completed once, operators should continue assessing the equipment, surroundings, and task throughout the work.
Important areas to keep in mind include maintaining control of the saw, recognizing the potential for kickback, keeping equipment in safe working condition, managing fuel safely, maintaining a clear work area, and following the manufacturer's instructions.
WorkSafeNB's logging and silviculture guidance provides additional information on chainsaw hazards and safe work requirements in forestry environments. Applicable requirements can vary by work type, which is another reason training and workplace-specific procedures matter.
Plan for the Unexpected
Emergency planning is especially important when chainsaw work takes place in wooded or remote areas. Before work starts, workers should know how to contact help, how to reach or transport an injured person, and what workplace emergency procedures apply.
Thinking through those steps before starting work helps make emergency preparedness part of the job plan, not something considered only after an incident occurs.
Training for Occasional Chainsaw Users
People who use a chainsaw only occasionally may have fewer opportunities to build and maintain safe operating habits. That can make practical training especially valuable.
NBFSA's Chainsaw Safety - General Applications workshop is intended for a range of users, not only full-time forestry workers. The course includes classroom learning and hands-on practice so participants can apply what they learn in a treed environment.
Participants are asked to bring:
Their chainsaw and owner's manual
Personal protective equipment
Felling accessories, including a lever and/or wedges
Maintenance tools and equipment, including fuel and oil
Build Safer Chainsaw Skills
Chainsaw safety starts with preparation, awareness, and the right knowledge. Understanding the equipment, recognizing hazards, using appropriate PPE, and following safe work practices all contribute to safer work.
For New Brunswick workers and occasional chainsaw users who want to strengthen their knowledge and practical skills, NBFSA offers Chainsaw Safety - General Applications as a two-day classroom and field workshop.
Interested in chainsaw safety training for yourself or your team?
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