16
English / USA
Chainsaw Safety Manual
Reduced kickback bars 
STIHL green labeled reduced kickback 
bars are designed to reduce the risk of 
kickback injury when used with STIHL 
green labeled low kickback chains.
!Warning! 
When used with other, more aggressive 
chains, these bars may be less effective 
in reducing kickback.
Bow Guides
!Warning!
Do not mount a bow guide on any STIHL 
chainsaw. Any chainsaw equipped with 
a bow guide is potentially very 
dangerous. The risk of kickback is 
increased with a bow guide because of 
the increased kickback contact area. 
Low kickback chain will not significantly 
reduce the risk of kickback injury when 
used on a bow guide.
To avoid kickback
The best protection from personal injury 
that may result from kickback is to avoid 
kickback situations: 
1. Hold the chainsaw firmly with both 
hands and maintain a secure grip. 
Don’t let go. 
2. Be aware of the location of the guide 
bar nose at all times. 
3. Never let the nose of the guide bar 
contact any object. Do not cut limbs 
with the nose of the guide bar. Be 
especially careful near wire fences 
and when cutting small, tough 
limbs, small size brush and saplings 
which may easily catch the chain. 
4 Don't overreach. 
5. Don't cut above shoulder height. 
6. Begin cutting and continue at full 
throttle. 
7. Cut only one log at a time. 
8. Use extreme caution when 
reentering a previous cut. 
9. Do not attempt to plunge cut if you 
are not experienced with these 
cutting techniques.
10. Be alert for shifting of the log or 
other  forces that may cause the cut 
to close and pinch the chain.
11. Maintain saw chain properly. Cut 
with a correctly sharpened, properly 
tensioned chain at all times.
12. Stand to the side of the cutting path 
of the chainsaw.
A = Pull-in
Pull-in occurs when the chain on the 
bottom of the bar is suddenly stopped 
when it is pinched, caught or encounters 
a foreign object in the wood. The 
reaction of the chain pulls the saw 
forward and may cause the operator to 
lose control. 
Pull-in frequently occurs when the 
bumper spike of the saw is not held 
securely against the tree or limb and 
when the chain is not rotating at full 
speed before it contacts the wood.
!Warning! 
Use extreme caution when cutting small 
size brush and saplings which may 
easily catch the chain, be whipped 
towards you or pull you off balance.
To avoid pull-in
1. Always start a cut with the chain 
rotating at full speed and the 
bumper spike in contact with the 
wood.
2. The risk of pull-in may also be 
reduced by using  wedges to open 
the kerf or cut.
001BA037 KN
A