chainsaw safety in and on water - erik wrede, minnesota department of natural resources
TRANSCRIPT
Chainsaw Safety In/On Water: A Training Program Overview
Save for American Trails – Best Trails State
1963 - 2013
Minnesota State Parks and Trails
State Parks, Recreation Areas and Waysides
Biomes
State Forest Campgrounds and
Day-use Areas
State Trails
State Water Trails
Pine Forests
Hardwood Forests
Tallgrass Prairies
Tallgrass Aspen Parkland
Minnesotans Love Their Water
69,200 miles Rivers and Streams
11,842 lakes
Mississippi River headwaters
World’s largest freshwater lake
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
2,889 public water accesses
First and largest Water Trails system in the nation
Minnesota is…
#1 in U.S. in Boats per Capita
#2 in U.S. in Number of Registered Boats (809,138)
© Rolf Hagberg Photography
First and Largest Water Trail System in the Nation
33 State Water Trails
4,529 miles
662 Public Accesses
411 Campsites
337 Rest Areas
124 Portages
1963 Bread = 22 ¢ Gas = 29 ¢ House = $3,160 MN Rivers = 15,000 miles 4 Canoe & Boating Routes (777 miles)
2013 Bread = $1.98 Gas = $3.91 House = $263,200 MN Rivers = 69,200 miles 33 State Water Trails (4,529 miles)
Early Advocates Clyde and Shirley Ryberg
Paddling Theater: 6 act play on the Minnesota River
2013 Totals
• 130,296 Canoes
• 56,990 Kayaks
• 26% of Watercraft
FY13 Water Recreation Fund = $18,202,429
$10,788,435
$3,104,263
$1,081,690
$1,149,188 $696,947
Parks and Trails
Enforcement
Enforcement/Grants
Ecological Resources
Fish Mgmt
Clean Water, Land and Legacy Fund
14.25%
19.75%
33%
33%
2008 Constitutional Amendment 3/8% sales tax increase for 25 years Fiscal Year 2013
$288,100,000
Interactive Water Trail Map
www.mndnr.gov/watertrails
Free Maps
Photo by Brian Peterson
•Curriculum-based
•20 cities by 2020
Since 1989:
3,300 Cleanups 90,000 Volunteers 11,500 Miles 6.2 million Pounds
Adopt a River
© Rolf Hagberg Photography
Work began in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and continues today
Snag/Obstruction Relocation
Balancing Public Safety and Habitat Protection
© Rolf Hagberg Photography
© Rolf Hagberg Photography
Training Curriculum Components
½ Day Classroom Training
75 page manual
Policy, Job Safety Analyses
PowerPoint (embedded audio)
5 Written Quizzes
2 Day Field Training
Instructor Guide
Lesson Plan
Skills Evaluation Form
Policy Development
•Searched nationwide for safety policies and training curriculum, including the RMS listserv.
•1983 Wildlife Society/American Fisheries Society Stream Obstruction Removal Guidelines
•Far more materials available on putting wood into the water.
•Policy covers:
•Use of chainsaws & other power equipment over water and ice •Mandatory safety equipment •Purpose/goals of relocation
Policy Highlights
•Focus on balancing habitat protection and public safety navigation
•“Relocation” of woody habitat
•Minimum 10’ wide clear channel, but not bank to bank
•Advanced Chainsaw Training prerequisite •Awareness of minimized escape routes
•Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements
Chainsaw Safety In/On Water Written in 2010 by Ben Dickinson and Erik Wrede
Training Objective:
To teach students how to operate
chainsaws, boats, and related
equipment safely and efficiently.
Course Outline Unit 1: Safety
Unit 2: Anatomy of Woody Obstructions
Unit 3: Operating a Chainsaw in Water
Unit 4: Boat Management
Unit 5: Risk Analysis and Planning
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Hard helmet (face shield
recommended)
Safety Glasses
Consider polarized ones
Hearing protection PFD
Doubles as highway vest
Chainsaw chaps/pants
Safety-toed, cut resistant
boots
Wading Hazards: What Do You See?
Current
Current Direction
Rushing water
Tripping Hazards
Cutting from Downstream
Using a Saw From a Boat
Hazards:
Crowded workspace
Proximity to
coworkers
Lots of gear
Slick footing
Using a Saw From a Boat (Cont.)
Hazards:
Limited escape route
Moving work platform
Mitigating Boat Hazards (Cont.) Never tie boat to
the obstruction
Approach from downstream
Avoid working directly over or under a log
Steady the boat while cutting
Obstruction Formation
Leaning or falling trees collect floating material.
Debris usually piles up in river
bends.
Over time, these problems may cause an obstruction of the entire
river.
Single-Trunk Trees Often leaning over river
Can be partially submerged, flush with water level
Usually are simple
Channels With Trees Across Both Banks
Usually from river changing course (oxbows)
Can be deep, with fast current
Can have extreme tension/compression
Usually medium-large trees
Large, Multi-Trunk Trees Overhead limbs are
extremely dangerous
Supported by “kickstand” branches
Rolling and falling threat
Often Silver Maple or Cottonwood
Logjams Can be intimidating
due to amount of different wood, debris
Scour hole/deep water
Form on river bends more frequently
Be aware of where re-located material is going
Logjams: What Do You See?
Current Direction
Anchoring Logs
Large anchoring
logs
Debris
Accumulated junk and small woody debris
Organic matter turning to soil
Erosion
New tree
fallen from
eroded bank
Highly eroded bank on the
outside bend
Compression and Tension Factors Multiple forces act upon
wood in rivers, such as:
Current
Gravity
Hidden “Y” branches
Condition of the wood
Example of Compression/Tension
Characteristics of Dead Wood
Dead wood can sink or float, depending on condition
Still carries tension
Brittle, reacts suddenly
Compression hard to detect
Live Wood Characteristics
More expressive than dead wood
Reacts more predictably
Floats but not extremely buoyant
Can carry a lot of tension
Compression and Tension Factors: What Do You See?
Buoyancy of dead wood
Buoyancy
Potential for Y Branch
Possible underwater
Y?
Current
Current pushing downstream
toward sawyer
Gravity
Gravity pulls log
down
Dealing With the Rooster Tail
BAD: Soaking the boat and coworkers with water.
GOOD: Aim it away from the boat by utilizing a different position.
Getting Maximum Cutting Power
WRONG:
• Powerhead almost submerged.
• Bogging down, low power.
CORRECT: The bar is inserted only as far into the water as needed.
Looser Chain Tension
More friction from water than air
Chain contracts in cool water
Loosen chain when cutting in water
Tighten chain when cutting above water
Check chain tension frequently
Approach from Downstream
Material floats away, downstream
Can release hold to drift away (escape route)
Conclusion of Unit 5 Water Trails work can be dangerous and often requires
technical and difficult work.
Work will be challenging, teamwork is a must.
Always think safety first – don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable doing.
Have fun!
Please take the last quiz at this time.
Sample Quiz Question
Which of the following will help get maximum cutting power when the bar is submerged?
A. Revving the throttle before inserting the bar
B. Sharpening the teeth to a more severe angle than for cutting above water
C. Using biodegradable bar lubricant
D. Only inserting the bar as far as necessary
E. Both A & D
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