Hazard Alert
Worker's Compensation Board
POSTER # 99-07
Test your chain brake at least once per shift

Random testing of chain saw brakes by the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. and the Canadian Standards Association has shown that some chain brakes do not stop the chain immediately. If the chain continues to move after the brake has been applied, the chain saw operator could be seriously injured or killed. The random testing revealed that the main causes of defective chain brakes were (a) unacceptable wear of the chain brake and (b) contamination of the brake mechanism.

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Safe work practices:

  • Test your chain brake at least once per shift. Run the saw at full throttle and then activate the brake.
  • Repeat the test if the chain does not stop almost instantly.
  • Pull the saw out of service and have the brake inspected and repaired if repeated testing of the chain brake fails to immediately stop the chain.
This poster is part of an archival collection of WCB health and safety posters, dating from 1969 until the present time. At the time this poster was originally produced, it reflected the current WCB requirements. In all cases, today's WCB regulation and requirements must be applied to the situation shown in each poster.