Stihl Risk Management & Mitigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Before felling a tree near a power line, what is the FIRST risk mitigation step a Stihl-certified operator should take?
- Use a longer bar to keep distance from the line
- Cut the tree in smaller sections from the top
- Fell the tree quickly during low-wind conditions
- Contact the utility company to assess clearance or de-energize the line (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Contact the utility company to assess clearance or de-energize the line
Any tree work near power lines requires utility notification and clearance verification before cutting begins.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of establishing an escape route at a 45-degree angle opposite the felling direction?
- It keeps the operator in the tree's shadow
- It reduces walking distance to the next tree
- It provides the safest path away from the stump if the tree kicks back or the hinge fails (Correct answer)
- It gives the best view of the falling tree
Correct answer: It provides the safest path away from the stump if the tree kicks back or the hinge fails
The 45-degree rear escape path moves the operator away from both the stump and the falling trunk's potential rebound zone.
Question 3: During a jobsite risk assessment, an operator identifies a dead limb hanging in the canopy of the tree to be felled. What is this hazard commonly called?
- A spring pole
- A kickback limb
- A barber chair
- A widowmaker (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A widowmaker
Detached or dead overhead limbs that can fall unexpectedly are known as widowmakers and must be identified before cutting.
Question 4: Which control measure BEST mitigates the risk of kickback when operating a chainsaw?
- Holding the saw with one hand for better reaction time
- Running the chain at low speed through the cut
- Avoiding contact between the upper quadrant of the bar tip and any object (Correct answer)
- Removing the chain brake to reduce weight
Correct answer: Avoiding contact between the upper quadrant of the bar tip and any object
Kickback occurs when the bar nose's upper quadrant contacts an object, so keeping that zone clear is the primary control.
Question 5: Under the hierarchy of controls, personal protective equipment like chaps and helmets is considered what level of risk control?
- The most effective control available
- A substitute for proper training
- An engineering control built into the saw
- The last line of defense after elimination, substitution, engineering, and administrative controls (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The last line of defense after elimination, substitution, engineering, and administrative controls
PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls because it protects the worker only after other measures fail.
Question 6: A crew is felling trees on a slope above a hiking trail. What administrative control BEST reduces risk to the public?
- Working faster to minimize exposure time
- Relying on hikers to hear the saws and stay away
- Felling all trees downhill toward the trail
- Posting signage and spotters to close the trail within at least two tree lengths of the work (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Posting signage and spotters to close the trail within at least two tree lengths of the work
A controlled exclusion zone of at least two tree lengths with signage and spotters keeps bystanders out of the drop and rollout zone.
Question 7: What is the recommended minimum safe working distance between two chainsaw operators felling trees in the same area?
- One tree length
- Ten feet
- At least two tree lengths of the tallest tree being felled (Correct answer)
- Half a tree length if both wear helmets
Correct answer: At least two tree lengths of the tallest tree being felled
Maintaining at least two tree lengths of separation prevents one operator's falling tree from striking another worker.
Stihl Risk Management & Mitigation 2
Before felling a tree near a power line, what is the FIRST risk mitigation step a Stihl-certified operator should take?