Echo X7503196704 - Manual (Page 9)

9
CS-450
VIBRATION AND COLD
• It is believed that a condition called Raynaud’s
Phenomenon, which affects the fingers of certain
individuals, may be brought about by exposure to
vibration and cold.
Exposure to vibration and cold may cause tingling
and burning followed by loss of color and numbness
in the fingers. The following precautions are strongly
recommended because the minimum exposure
which might trigger the ailment is unknown.
• Keep your body warm, especially the head and
neck, feet and ankles and hands and wrists.
• Maintain good blood circulation by performing vigor-
ous arm exercises during frequent work breaks and
also by not smoking.
• Limit the number of hours of operation. Try to fill
each day with jobs where operating the chain saw,
or other hand-held power equipment is not required.
• If you experience discomfort redness and swelling
of the fingers, followed by whitening and loss of
feeling, consult your physician before further expos-
ing yourself to cold and vibration.
REPETITIVE STRESS INJURY
• It is believed that over-using the muscles and ten-
dons of the finger, hands, arms and shoulders may
cause soreness, swelling, numbness, weakness
and extreme pain to the areas just mentioned.
Certain repetitive hand activities may put you at a
high risk for developing a repetitive stress injury
(RSI).
• An extreme RSI condition is Carpal Tunnel Syn-
drome (CTS) which could occur when your wrist
swells and squeezes a vital nerve that runs through
the area. Some believe that prolonged exposure to
vibration may contribute to CTS. CTS can cause
severe pain for months or even years.
To reduce the risk of RSI/CTS, do the following:
• Avoid using your wrist in a bent, extended or twisted
position.
• Take periodic breaks to minimize repetition and rest
your hands.
• Reduce the speed and force in which you do the
repetitive movement.
• Do exercises to strengthen hand and arm muscles.
• See a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness or pain in
your fingers, hands, wrists or arms. The sooner RSI/
CTS is diagnosed, the more likely permanent nerve
and muscle damage can be prevented.
EYE AND HEARING PROTECTION
• Wear eye protection goggles that meet ANSI
Z 87.1 or Z94.3 requirements.
Goggles meeting the requirements have the mark “Z
87” stamped on them.
• Wear hearing protection.
If this guideline is not followed, hearing loss can oc-
cur.
ECHO recommends wearing hearing protection at all
times.
WEAR PROPER CLOTHING
• Snug fitting durable clothing should be worn. Pants
should have long legs, DO NOT WEAR SHORTS.
Do not wear loose fitting clothing, scarves, neckties,
jewelry or any item that may become tangled in sur-
rounding growth or moving parts.
• Wear shoes with non-skid soles. DO NOT wear open
toed shoes or operate unit barefooted.
• Wear no-slip, heavy duty work gloves to improve your
grip on the chain saw handles. The gloves also help
reduce the transmission of machine vibration to your
hands.
HOT HUMID WEATHER
• Heavy protective clothing can increase operator
fatigue which may lead to heat stroke.
Schedule heavy work for early morning, or late
afternoon hours when temperatures are cooler.
AVOID HOT SURFACES
• During operation, the muffler or catalytic muffler and
surrounding cover become hot.
• Never suspend the saw on a lanyard with the engine
running.
• Always use the saw from the right-hand side of your
body - NEVER from the left side.
• Always wear proper safety clothing to protect your
lower body from sharp saw chain and hot muffler.
• Always keep exhaust area clear of flammable debris
during transportation or when storing, otherwise seri-
ous property damage or personal injury may result.
warning
The ignition components of this machine generate an electromagnetic field during operation which may in-
terfere with some pacemakers. To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury, persons with pacemakers should
consult with their physician and the pacemaker manufacturer before operating this machine. In the absence
of such information, ECHO does not recommend the use of ECHO products by anyone who has a pacemaker.