Husqvarna 445e EPA III - Manual (Page 9)

GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
English – 9 115 13 81-96 Rev.3 2008-12-16
of the front hand guard, the chain brake can only be
activated by the inertia action.
Will my hand always activate the chain
brake during a kickback?
No. It takes a certain force to move the hand guard
forward. If your hand only lightly touches the front guard
or slips over it, the force may not be enough to trigger the
chain brake. You should also maintain a firm grip of the
chain saw handles while working. If you do and
experience a kickback, your hand may never leave the
front handle and will not activate the chain brake, or the
chain brake will only activate after the saw has swung
around a considerable distance. In such instances, the
chain brake might not have enough time to stop the saw
chain before it touches you.
There are also certain positions in which your hand
cannot reach the front hand guard to activate the chain
brake; for example, when the saw chain is held in felling
position.
Will my inertia activated chain brake
always activate during kickback in the
event of a kickback?
No. First your brake must be in working order. Testing the
brake is simple, see instructions under the heading
Checking, maintaining and servicing chain saw safety
equipment. We recommend you do before you begin each
work session. Second the kickback must be strong
enough to activate the chain brake. If the chain brake is
too sensitive it would activate all the time which would be
a nuisance.
Will my chain brake always protect me
from injury in the event of a kickback?
No. First, the chain brake must be in working order to
provide the intended protection. Second, it must be
activated during the kickback as described above to stop
the saw chain. Third, the chain brake may be activated but
if the bar is too close to you the brake might not have
enough time to slow down and stop the chain before the
chain saw hits you.
Only you and proper working technique can eliminate
kickback and its danger.
Throttle lockout
The throttle lockout is designed to prevent accidental
operation of the throttle control. When you press the lock
(A) (i.e. when you grasp the handle) it releases the throttle
control (B). When you release the handle the throttle
control and the throttle lockout both move back to their
original positions. This arrangement means that the
throttle control is automatically locked at the idle setting.
Chain catcher
The chain catcher is designed to catch the chain if it snaps
or jumps off. This should not happen if the chain is
properly tensioned (see instructions under the heading
Assembly) and if the bar and chain are properly serviced
and maintained (see instructions under the heading
General working instructions).
Right hand guard
Apart from protecting your hand if the chain jumps or
snaps, the right hand guard stops branches and twigs
from interfering with your grip on the rear handle.
Vibration damping system
Your machine is equipped with a vibration damping
system that is designed to reduce vibration and make
operation easier.