Chainsaw protection, head to boots: what to wear on the ground and in the tree

This page reports what regulators and standards bodies say about protective gear for chainsaw work. HSE's chainsaw leaflet puts the limit plainly: no protective equipment can ensure 100% protection against cutting by a hand-held chainsaw. The wider rules around this gear are in the safety rules guide listed under related guides.

Standard numbers and editions are those the pages showed on October 5, 2026. Where a page names an older edition, that is what is written here.

United States

Helmet

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.135 says the employer must make sure each affected employee wears a protective helmet where there is a potential for head injury from falling objects. Where workers are near exposed electrical conductors that could contact the head, the helmet must be designed to reduce electrical shock. Head protection must comply with ANSI Z89.1-2009, Z89.1-2003 or Z89.1-1997, or be shown to be at least as effective. See the OSHA text.

Legs, feet, face

OSHA 1910.266 is the logging standard. It says a chain saw operator wears leg protection made of cut-resistant material that covers the full length of the thigh to the top of the boot, and foot protection made of cut-resistant material. The leg protection rule has an exception for an employee working as a climber when the employer demonstrates that a greater hazard is posed by wearing it in that situation, or for work from a vehicle-mounted work platform that meets 29 CFR 1910.67. It allows logger-type mesh screens for eye and face protection on chain saw work. See the 1910.266 text. It covers logging, and OSHA's page on standards for tree care does not list it. Whether it reaches a particular tree job is a question for OSHA or an adviser.

That tree care page lists personal protective equipment rules in 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, including foot protection (1910.136) and hand protection (1910.138). It says there is no standard written just for tree care.

1910.266 also says chain saws placed into service after its effective date have a chain brake and otherwise meet ANSI B175.1-1991. OSHA's tree care page lists ANSI B175.1 among the voluntary standards, not as an OSHA rule.

OSHA's inspection guidance memo of June 24, 2021 tells inspectors to look at the provision and use of cut-resistant leg protection for chain saw work under the general PPE standard, 29 CFR 1910.132. See the OSHA memo.

Leg protection test standard

ASTM F1897 is the specification for leg protection for chain saw users. ASTM's F1897-25 page lists it as active, updated January 6, 2026, and says it sets minimum requirements for the design, performance, testing and certification of leg protection for power chain saw operators. The store lists F1897-25 at US$72. The F1897-20 edition is marked historical. OSHA 1910.266 does not name F1897 in its text.

The ISA says the ANSI Z133-2026 standard became available on May 27, 2026, and that for individual use the digital version is a free downloadable PDF; see the ISA release page.

Canada

PPE rules are provincial. British Columbia's OHS Regulation Part 8 is detailed.

Safety headgear (section 8.11). Must meet CSA CAN/CSA-Z94.1-05 or Z94.1-15, or ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2009 or Z89.1-2014. Where a worker may be exposed to an electrical hazard, it must have an appropriate non-conductive rating. Chin straps or another effective means of retention must be used when workers are climbing or working from a height above 3 m (10 ft), or in high winds.
Eye protection (section 8.14). Must meet CSA CAN/CSA-Z94.3-07 or Z94.3-15, or ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015.
Leg protection (section 8.21). A worker operating a chain saw must wear leg protective devices. They must meet the general requirements of the WorkSafeBC leg protection standard and the performance requirements of one of four listed standards: the WorkSafeBC standard, ASTM F 1414-04, ISO 11393-2 or BS EN 381-5:1995, each at the chain speed the regulation states. The device needs a permanent label with the maker, the standards met and the year of manufacture, unless the year is marked elsewhere on it.
Footwear (section 8.22). Where toe protection, metatarsal protection, puncture-resistant soles or dielectric protection are required, the boots must meet CSA CAN/CSA-Z195-M92, ANSI Z41-1991, BS EN 345:1993 or BS EN 346:1993.

BC section 8.21 states chain speeds for the four routes: 18.3 m/s for the WorkSafeBC standard, 16.8 m/s for ASTM F 1414-04, and 24 m/s for ISO 11393-2 Class 2 and for BS EN 381-5:1995 Class 2.

Other provinces write their own rules.

Alberta. The OHS Code Part 18 names chainsaw protection as one reason for protective footwear. Footwear made on or after March 31, 2023 must be approved to CSA Z195-14 or ASTM F2413-05. Headwear made on or after that date must meet CSA Z94.1-15 or ANSI Z89.1-2003 Type II where a lateral impact is possible. Eye protection must be approved to CSA Z94.3-15.
Saskatchewan. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 say a worker at risk of a lower-body cut uses safety pants or chaps, and that a worker operating a chain saw is deemed to be at that risk. The province's approved standards list for Part 7 names CSA Z94.1-15 (R2024) and ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 (R2019) for headwear.
Ontario. The IHSA chain saws page quotes the rule that a chain saw user wears adequate PPE and clothing including gloves, plus eye and hearing protection. It does not name leg protection or a standard in that text.

United Kingdom

HSE's leaflet Chainsaws at work (INDG317, revision 2) was published in January 2013. Its PPE section says PPE should be a last resort once other ways of cutting the risk have been considered, and that equipment should be CE marked and fit the user. It lists these standards.

Helmet. EN 397. It recommends that arborists working from a rope and harness use a mountaineering style helmet.
Hearing. EN 352-1.
Eyes and face. Mesh visors to EN 1731, or safety glasses to EN 166.
Upper body. Chainsaw jackets to BS EN 381-11, which it says can add protection where the operator is at increased risk, weighed against heat stress when working from a rope and harness.
Gloves. Appropriate gloves are recommended under most circumstances, chosen by a risk assessment. Where chainsaw gloves are needed, EN 381-7.
Legs. EN 381-5. All-round protection is recommended for arborists working in trees.
Boots. BS EN ISO 20345:2004 with a chainsaw shield marking showing compliance with EN 381-3. For occasional users on even ground, gaiters to EN 381-9 with steel-toe-capped safety boots are mentioned.

The HSE page on PPE for aerial tree work lists a helmet to EN 12492 (the standard AFAG recommends), eyewear to EN 1731 or EN 166, hearing protection to EN 352, leg protection to BS EN 381-5 and boots to BS EN ISO 20345. It says AFAG strongly recommends Type C leg protection for aerial work, because of its all-round chainsaw cut protection.

BSI, the UK standards body, lists BS EN 381-5:1995 as withdrawn on October 7, 2019, and lists BS EN ISO 11393-2:2019, published September 30, 2019, as current. BSI lists a 2025 edition of EN 12492 as current, published October 31, 2025. The HSE pages quoted above cite EN 381-5 and EN 12492 without a year.

The leaflet names the EN 381 series for chainsaw clothing. The British Columbia regulation above names ISO 11393-2 for leg protectors. Both are quoted as the sources show them.

Australia

The SafeWork NSW tree work safety alert says to wear adequate PPE, for example safety glasses, gloves and hearing protection. It does not name standard numbers.

New Zealand

WorkSafe New Zealand's Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Arboriculture has a protective clothing and equipment section. WorkSafe notes the code has not been updated for the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, so the standard editions below are as the code states them.

Leg protection. All workers required to use a chainsaw shall wear safety leg protection complying with AS/NZS 4453.3 1997, Protective clothing for users of hand held chainsaws, Part 3, Protective leg wear, or a standard with the same or more stringent criteria.
Footwear. Safety toe caps complying with AS/NZS 2210 Part 1, Occupational protective footwear. Footwear should give ankle support and be laced.
Helmets. NZS 5806:1980, industrial safety helmets (medium protection) or better, worn at all times by all persons in or about an arboricultural operation. The code says helmets should have a chin strap to prevent loss while working aloft, and should be bright or hi-vis.
Hearing. Hearing protection in any area with harmful noise, and at least grade 4 for all chainsaw operators. The code's table puts class 4 at an eight-hour noise level of 100 to less than 105 dB(A).
Chainsaw handling. The code says drop starting a chainsaw is prohibited. It cites NZS 5819:1982 for chainsaw safety.
Eyes. Suitable visors or safety glasses at all times, chosen so they do not compromise the fit and seal of earmuffs.
Clothing. Fairly close fitting, with hi-vis colours recommended.

Side by side

Country	Chainsaw leg protection	Helmet
United States	1910.266 cut-resistant, thigh to boot top	ANSI Z89.1 (1910.135)
Canada, BC	ISO 11393-2, ASTM F 1414, EN 381-5	CSA Z94.1, ANSI Z89.1
Canada, Alberta	Not stated	CSA Z94.1-15
United Kingdom	EN 381-5 (HSE)	EN 397 or EN 12492
New Zealand	AS/NZS 4453.3	NZS 5806

Australia is left out because the SafeWork NSW alert names no standard numbers. The table is a short index only. The full list of standards for each item is in the sections above.