Chainsaw Operative - Trapped foot

Scottish Woodlands Health & Safety Bulletin

The operator cut the tree off the root and then attempted to cut off a further 30cm to give him a clear pull with the winch. His saw became trapped by the compression pressure. When he tried to kick the base of the tree to free his saw, the whole stem moved and trapped his foot against the stump.

The nearby excavator operator fetched the harvester operator’s spare chainsaw from the harvester operators van, and under the direction of the harvester operator, cut through the stem about 1.2m away from where the operative was trapped. This released the stem, which fell away, and the operator was able to free their foot. The operator was taken to the nearest A&E Department. An x-ray confirmed that the operative had chipped a small bone in their ankle but that the ankle bone had not suffered a serious fracture. 

The operator’s high quality chainsaw safety boots prevented a more serious injury.