A chainsaw inspection is the few minutes a tree crew spends on each saw before it cuts anything: does the chain brake snap on, is the catcher still there, does the trigger stay locked until the handle is gripped, does the switch kill the engine, is the chain sharp and tensioned, is the bar straight and oiling. This checklist takes every saw on the truck in turn, records its number, power source and bar length, scores each check, and ends with a clear decision on whether that saw works today or gets tagged. It then checks each sawyer's chaps, eye, face and hearing protection. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
The safety devices come first
Four parts of a chainsaw exist only to protect the person holding it: the chain brake and front hand guard, the chain catcher, the throttle lockout, and the stop switch. A saw with any one of them broken, missing or wired out of the way should not cut until it is fixed, which is why each of those checks is a safety finding on this form.
Test the brake the way the maker's manual describes, usually by pushing the front guard forward with the engine at idle and confirming the chain stops dead. Check the catcher is present under the bar, not snapped off. Confirm the trigger will not move until the lockout is pressed, and that the switch or power button shuts the saw down at once.
Chain, bar and oil
A dull chain makes a sawyer push, and pushing is where kickback and fatigue start. Look at the cutters, the depth gauges and the tie straps for cracks and uneven filing, then check tension: snug on the bar, but still able to be pulled round by a gloved hand. Turn the bar over to look at the rails, clear the groove and oil hole, and spin the nose sprocket. A grooved drive sprocket will chew a new chain, so it is checked too.
Finally rev the saw over a light surface and look for a line of bar oil. A saw that runs dry ruins its bar and chain within a tank.
Gas, battery and top-handle saws
Each saw entry asks whether it runs on gas or a battery and whether it is a rear-handle or top-handle saw. Gas saws get the idle, muffler and spark arrestor questions; battery saws get the battery pack instead. Top-handle saws, built for use in the tree by trained climbers, get a check on the lanyard attachment point. Whatever does not apply to a saw stays hidden and does not count against it.
Tagging a saw out
Every saw ends with a decision: fit for use, fit after a fix made on the spot, or out of service and tagged. A tagged saw is a safety finding with a tag number and a reason, and it appears in the summary of findings at the top of the report, so the shop knows what to repair and the crew knows not to grab it.
Common questions
How often should a chainsaw be inspected?
Most tree care companies check every saw at the start of each shift and again after any drop, kickback or repair. A fuller shop inspection is usually done on a schedule the company sets from the maker's service intervals.
What makes a chainsaw unsafe to use?
A chain brake that will not stop the chain, a missing chain catcher, a throttle that moves without the lockout pressed, a stop switch that does not shut the saw off, or a cracked or missing hand guard. Fuel leaks and a damaged muffler on a gas saw are just as serious. Any of these takes the saw out of service until it is repaired.
Does this form cover battery chainsaws?
Yes. Pick Battery for the saw and the form swaps the gas-only checks for a check of the battery pack, its latch and its housing.
Why are the sawyer's chaps on a chainsaw checklist?
Because the saw and the person are inspected together. Cut-resistant chaps or trousers that have already been cut through, cracked face screens and worn-out hearing protection are among the commonest faults a supervisor finds, and they are easy to fix on the spot.
Does completing this checklist make our saws compliant?
It records what was checked on each saw, what was found and who decided whether it could be used. Whether your program meets ANSI Z133 or any other standard or rule is judged against that document.