labor lawAdivision of labor law center

OSHA is concerned about the use of chainsaws in many major industries. Recently, the Oregon OSHA office issued a warning on two brands of chainsaw that are widely used in the industry.  It expects every employer to be aware of the threats posed by chainsaws in their industries. There are many reports received by OSHA about the workers losing control over the chainsaw when its handle breaks. The main reason for this is that the chainsaw has a plastic front handle which breaks on heavy usage.

Some brands of chainsaws are affected with the Oregon worker safety alert and the most popular of them are the brands of Troy-Built and Craftsman chainsaws. Four models of Troy-Built brand and one model of Craftsman are highly affected. The models have an 18-inch or a 20-inch cutting blade along with two-cycle gasoline engines to power them.

The Oregon OSHA office has strongly urged the workers to stop using these chainsaws which are prone to affect their safety. The employers must protect the health of their workers and remove these products from the working place. They should take proper measures and install additional safety kits to avoid the risks of serious injuries.

The OSHA works towards ensuring these factors along with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). It is the CPSC which protects the public from unreasonable risks of serious injuries caused by the use of more than 15,000 consumer products. According to the estimation, the deaths, the injuries and the damage to the property caused from consumer product incidents will cost the nation around $700 billion every year. The CPSC mainly works towards protecting the people from the dangerous hazards posed by many consumer products.

In most of the places, the manufacturers of these brands have withdrawn the specified chainsaw models. The information on a free safety kit with replacement handle and installation instructions can be obtained from the manufacturer or the OSHA.

Last 10 posts by Amelia

• COBRA Subsidy Extended Again - March 5th, 2010
• New York Uniform, Meals and Lodging Rules - February 10th, 2010
• New York Non-Exempt Employee Rules - February 3rd, 2010
• New York Tipped Minimum Wage is $4.75 - January 27th, 2010
• Oklahoma Direct Deposit - January 20th, 2010
• 2010 Minimum Wage Recap - January 1st, 2010
• Vermont Minimum Wage 2010 is $8.06 - December 30th, 2009
• New GINA Regulations - December 23rd, 2009
• Kansas 2010 Minimum Wage Increases to $7.25 - December 9th, 2009
• 2010 Washington Minimum Wage is $8.55 - December 2nd, 2009