A safety guide bar was compared to a conventional bar on different chainsaws to determine whether vibrations were reduced.
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Chainsaws are still commonly used in logging operations around the globe. The ergonomic aspects of chainsaws have received much attention from researchers and chainsaw manufacturers. One of the areas of concern is the transmission of vibrations into the operator’s hand and arm system by the chainsaws handle, which can result in vascular and neurological disorders. Researchers investigated the vibration exposure of chainsaw operators to three different chainsaws. Each chainsaw was tested with a conventional bar and a Kesper safety bar. The Kesper bar is designed to reduce chainsaw kickback, and researchers wished to determine whether the design could influence chainsaw vibration.
Vibration was measured on the saws front and rear handles, with both sharp and blunt chains, for cutting, delimbing and idling. The research showed that vibration at the rear handle always exceeded the front handle. The amount of vibration occurring when the saws were equipped with the safety bar was not significantly different from when they were equipped with conventional bars. Vibration was highest for an idling saw, followed by when delimbing, and lastly when cutting. Saws with sharp chains had lower vibrations than those with blunt chains. None of the saws exceeded the shift legal vibration exposure limit applicable to the study area. However, none of the saws complied with the European Union vibration exposure action value (Directive 2002/44/EC, 2002).
For a more complete account of the research, please access the Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 2013, Vol. 28(2). Source: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02827581.2012.706636
Vibration was measured on the saws front and rear handles, with both sharp and blunt chains, for cutting, delimbing and idling. The research showed that vibration at the rear handle always exceeded the front handle. The amount of vibration occurring when the saws were equipped with the safety bar was not significantly different from when they were equipped with conventional bars. Vibration was highest for an idling saw, followed by when delimbing, and lastly when cutting. Saws with sharp chains had lower vibrations than those with blunt chains. None of the saws exceeded the shift legal vibration exposure limit applicable to the study area. However, none of the saws complied with the European Union vibration exposure action value (Directive 2002/44/EC, 2002).
For a more complete account of the research, please access the Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 2013, Vol. 28(2). Source: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02827581.2012.706636