Stihl MSA 120 C Instruction Manual page 17

6 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
￭ To reduce the risk of personal injury from unintentional
starting when grasping the rear handle or carrying the
chain saw:
– Wrap the fingers of your right hand tightly around the
rear handle, identified by shading in the
illustration (1). Avoid grasping the chain saw outside
the shaded area or contacting the trigger switch
lockout or trigger switch.
￭
￭ To maintain a firm grip and properly control your chain
saw:
– Keep the handles clean and dry at all times. Keep
them free of moisture, pitch, oil, grease and resin.
￭ To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries to the
operator or bystanders from loss of control:
– Avoid contacting any object with the
upper quadrant of the tip of the guide
bar. It may cause kickback to occur.
– Always hold the chain saw firmly with
both hands when you are working.
– Place your left hand on the front handle and your
right hand on the rear handle (see illustration). Left-
handers must follow these instructions too.
– Wrap your fingers tightly around the handles,
keeping the handles cradled between your thumb
and forefinger.
0458-716-8621-E
– Position the chain saw in such a way that all parts of
your body are clear of the cutting attachment
whenever the battery is inserted. Stand to the left of
the cut while bucking, outside of the cutting plane
(see illustration).
– Read and follow all warnings and instructions in the
chapter Kickback and Reactive Forces, @ 7.
￭ Operating the chain saw with one hand is extremely
dangerous. One-handed operation makes it difficult to
oppose and absorb reactive forces (pushback, pull-in,
kickback) without losing control of the chain saw. It also
makes it difficult to prevent the bar and chain from skating
or bouncing along a limb or log. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injury to the operator or bystanders from
loss of control:
– Never attempt to operate the chain saw
with one hand.
￭ To reduce the risk of serious or fatal cut injuries to the
operator or bystanders from loss of control, keep proper
footing and balance at all times:
– Take special care in overgrown or wet terrain and
always watch for hidden obstacles such as tree
stumps, roots, rocks, holes and ditches to avoid
stumbling.
– Be extremely cautious when working on slopes or
uneven ground.
– For better footing, always clear away fallen
branches, scrub and cuttings. Freshly debarked logs
and other material can increase the danger of
slipping, tripping or falling.
– Use extreme caution when cutting small-size brush,
branches and saplings because slender material
may catch the chain and spring toward you or pull
you off balance.
￭ To reduce the risk of injury from loss of control:
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