I began using a chain saw in the early 1960s, starting with some bad habits and then probably re-enforcing them. I witnessed near-misses, became annoyed with equipment and knew there were better methods ergonomically to use a saw that would be easier on my body. Quite by coincidence, a storm event in February 2020 has played a big role over the last months. When I returned to our farm after the Pajero Club strategy weekend at the start of February I was faced with considerable storm damage from the previous day and found over 200 fallen limbs and river red gums each requiring some chain sawing to start the tidy up. The family decided that we could offer the property as the base for a Pajero Club trip after the official FWDV chain saw course as a follow-up practice. For reasons to do with Covid-19 that Club trip for chain saw practice is on hold, but when Four Wheel Drive Victoria could not access their planned farm for the course, we could offer our farm and it was a pleasure to host Ian Hastie (course instructor), Wayne Hevey (CEO 4WD Vic), and the five other participants for the weekend. I came into the March chain saw course with six weeks of training under my belt as I tackled many fallen river red gum limbs all over the property. My main takeaways from the course were a better stance and positioning for safety and less body wear and tear, the value of keeping my worksite clear of debris, the benefits of tip-top equipment, and some modifications to my cutting techniques. Ian and Wayne, many thanks for your time and efforts, and a most beneficial weekend.
Neil Phillips #1744