1) Properly designed chain shot guards and shields greatly reduce the danger of a chain shot from the drive sprocket area. However, there is presently no known way to place similar guards in the bar tip area without significant disruption to the cutting operation. Because no guarding is presently possible in the bar tip area, chain shots can be generated and pose the same risk of injury and death as those generated at the drive sprocket area.

2) The mechanical timber harvesting industry recommends bystanders stay at least 70 meters (230 feet) from the harvester to reduce the risk of injury. However, a chain shot projectile traveling at the speed of a bullet can span this distance and travel far beyond. The setback distance will help reduce the risk of a chain shot injury, but not eliminate it.

3) Chain shot parts can ricochet off objects in their path and come out of the plane of the bar. Just because a bystander is out of the plane of the bar does not eliminate the risk of a chain shot injury; however, it does reduce it.

The risk of a chain shot injury can not be eliminated but can be reduced by following the advice in your harvester head operator's manual and the information in this web page and other Oregon® publications on chain shot.

Download chain shot information for use in operator training, instructions, machine manuals, decals for harvester heads, etc.:
a) Oregon® Mechanical Timber Harvesting Handbook
b) Chain shot warning in four languages
c) Chain shot warning label
d) Chain shot decals
e) Chain shot computer simulation

Links to websites with more information on chain shot
Workmen's Compensation Board of British Columbia, Canada
(Macromedia Flash slide show, load time depends on your internet connection speed )

State of Tasmania

Skogforsk (Forestry Research Institiue of Sweden

Department of Labor, New Zealand

Workmen’s Compensation Board of British Columbia, Canada

SMP SVENSK MASKINPROVNING AB (in Swedish)

WorkSafeBC Hazard Alert 2008

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