Chainsaw safety clothing#Trousers
A safety trousers is a protective clothing for working with the chain and to protect against injuries in the leg area. At the most vulnerable places in the front leg area a layer of loosely woven from the ankle up to the hip between the outer and inner pants substances incorporated very long, fine, tear-resistant threads or just inserted.
When touched, the chain of the chain saw cuts the outer fabric and takes from the protective layer on the threads, then wrap around the drive wheel of the chainsaw and lock the machine in a split second. A hundred percent protection can of course also do not offer protection trousers, even with a happy verlaufenen section is to be expected with minor injuries.
Cut resistant clothing is offered with different face fabrics for different purposes: For example, there versions of microfiber that - are significantly lighter, but on contact with thorns or barbed wire can be damaged - with the same protective effect.
Forms and classes of protection
Protection trousers are 381-5 ( Protective clothing for users of hand-held chain saws - Part 5: Requirements for leg protectors ) according to DIN EN defined. There are three forms of the leg protection: The forms A and B are intended for professional chainsaw leader in the normal harvesting operations. The cut protection is essentially limited to the front sides of the legs. The Form C is to be used by persons who do not normally or act only in exceptional circumstances with the chainsaw. Here, the scope comprising the front and rear sides of the legs ( complete protection ). When purchasing, make sure that the cut protection with the sign "KWF- use value " ( protection trousers ) or "KWF- Test" ( cut protection leg warmers ) and the pictogram " protection against Portable chain " (see above ) is characterized.
Another parameter represents the average protection class of protection trousers is:
- Class 0 = 16m / s chain speed
- Class 1 = 20m / s chain speed (standard)
- Class 2 = 24m / s chain speed
- Class 3 = 28m / s chain speed
The standard protection class 1, the chain speed is 20 m / s However, combustion motor-driven chain saws can achieve much higher chain speeds at which the cut protection can not withstand full load. Depending on the working of this deployment provides cut protection, under certain circumstances a compromise between comfort and protection effect represents (similar chaps ) are produced as they are considered trousers, dungarees and as leg warmers or pure front leg protection.
Washing, drying, dirt and resin have influence on the aging of cut protection inserts. Studies have shown that there is a clear correlation between wearing time and decrease the protective effect of protection trousers. Protection trousers should therefore be replaced with regular use after a gestation period of 12 to a maximum of 18 months.
The use of chainsaws in the commercial sector as well as in the State Forests of some states requires prior participation in training courses or training for chainsaw operators. Here is the wearing of safety trousers, cut resistant shoes ( boots or lace-ups ) and a forestry helmet mandatory and should by cut-resistant gloves and a cut resistant jacket (both but not mandatory ) to be supplemented. Repairs to a safety trousers should never affect the protective layer. With a seam through the protective layer tearing the loose threads inset protection and thus the protection function can be reduced or even eliminated.