They say standing in a garage doesn't make you a car, so does working in the woods make you a woodsman? Occasionally we hear about a person who is seriously injured or killed while cutting firewood or logs. Often, upon hearing how the tragedy occurred, it becomes apparent that the knowledge and skill of a true woodsman were not being applied at the time. New and improved techniques and chain saws' safety features have dramatically reduced woodcutting risks. Professional loggers have seen improved efficiency with fewer injuries using the latest techniques, and we firewood cutters can see the same improvements, too.

Many large, solid trees have fallen successfully to the chain saws of unskilled amateurs, but it is often the small, crooked or lop-sided trees that pose the greatest risks. They prove that the most important part of cutting a tree comes before the saw is even started!

Take, for example, the spring pole. When a tree falls on a sapling its top can be pinned to the ground forming an inverted U shape packing hundreds of pounds of force. Many unwary woodcutters have proceeded to cut into a spring pole only to be rewarded with the feel of a mule's kick or the crack of a whip as the pole releases its energy. How much better it would have been to eliminate that hazard before cutting the tree, and felling the tree with a degree of precision to avoid the situation all together.

Even improperly walking away from a falling tree without first clearing a path has proven fatal. If a tree’s branches dig into the ground when they hit, their spring action can propel the tree backward several feet. If the hinge breaks and the woodcutter retreats in the exact opposite direction as the tree falls, he can be hit by the butt of the tree and killed.

Following these important steps before starting your saw can save your life.

• Sharpen, tune and inspect your chain saw. A saw that is dull, performs unpredictably or may have loose parts can fail you when you need it most. Make sure the chain brake works properly.

• Understand a chain saw's reactive forces and be prepared for them. Cutting with the top of the bar will push you back, the bottom of the bar will pull you forward, if the nose touches something a violent kickback may occur.

• Wear proper Personal Protective Equipment. A speck of dust in your eye or dulled hearing from the noise of the saw can distract you from sensing important information about what the tree is going to do. Without safety toe shoes, chain saw resistant chaps, and a hardhat, a little slip of the saw bar could change your life forever—or end it.

• Don't go into the woods alone. Who will go for help if you are pinned or bleeding severely? Be sure your buddy is at least two tree-lengths away from your work area.

• Know your opponent—the tree. Look for hazards such as dead branches (widow-makers), splits and forks, intertwined branches, wind or snowload. Any of these conditions can cause a tree to do something unexpected if you haven't noticed them and planned for their effect.

• Side lean and side weight have to be considered to safely fall a tree where you want it. Clear small saplings from the area to eliminate spring poles before they happen.

• Escape route. With proper techniques you can fell almost any tree almost anywhere you want it, so plan where you want it to land. At a 45° angle from the base of the tree, clear a path opposite the direction the tree will go so you can easily get away from the butt of the tree if it kicks back

• Pick the safest spot to end your cut. In almost all trees, one side is safer than another. Start cutting from the side that will leave the safest position to finish from. You don't want to be finishing your cut on the side a tree is likely to fall if something goes wrong!

• Plan for a safe hinge. The length of the hinge should be at least 80% the diameter of the tree (e.g., a 10" tree should have at least an 8" long hinge). The thickness of the hinge should be at least 10% of the diameter of the tree (e.g., a 10" tree should have at least a 1" wide hinge). Be sure to compensate for various types of wood and unusual conditions.

• Plan your notch. A conventional notch of less than 70° will close and break before the tree hits the ground allowing the tree to twist, swing sideways or kick back. An open face notch of 70° to 90° will control the tree all the way to its resting-place. Use the markings on the top of your saw like gun sights to line up the saw bar perpendicular to where the tree is to land.

• Plan your back cut. A proper back cut and use of wedges will ensure the tree goes over only when and where you want it to. Plunge-cut behind the point of the notch and saw toward the back of the trunk, stopping before cutting through to place wedges in the kerf to prevent pinching and control the tree.

• Recognize the potential for one of the greatest hazards—kickback. Any time the top of the bar's nose contacts something, the running saw can be thrown back toward you at 60 miles per hour.

• Now you can start your saw—but first, engage the chain brake. Be sure you have two points of contact with the saw before pulling the starter cord. Either put it on the ground with your toe in the back handle or use the "leg-lock" hold. Never, NEVER drop-start a chain saw with only one hand on a handle. Always wrap your thumb around the top handle so it can’t slip from your hand in a kickback.