Chainsaw pages from the regulators: one list by country and topic
Twenty official pages and documents about chainsaws from regulators in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, listed by country with the topic, what the page covers and the date it shows.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here.
Bodies are listed in the directory of official bodies. This page lists single pages and documents, one row each, so a reader can see which regulator has written what about chainsaws. The guide to safety rules for tree work by country compares the rules. Each row says what the page covers in its own terms. A date appears only where the page shows one; otherwise the cell reads Not published.
United States
| Page | Topic and what it covers | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA page titled 1910.266 Logging operations | Regulation text. Paragraph (e)(2) is headed chain saws: it covers a chain brake on saws put into service after the effective date, a continuous pressure throttle control, fuelling and starting distances of 10 feet, and a ban on drop starting. | Not published |
| OSHA page titled Tree Care Industry Overview | Tree care overview. Lists OSHA's tree care publications, including the hazards booklet 3752 and the solutions booklet 3940. | Not published |
| OSHA page titled Tree Care Industry Hazards and Solutions | Hazards. Gathers references on tree care hazards such as power lines and falling branches, with NIOSH fatality reports. | Not published |
| California Department of Industrial Relations page titled Section 6283, Portable Chain Saw Operations | Regulation text, Title 8. Covers leg protection labeled to ASTM F 1897-98, a chain brake and an ANSI B175.1-1991 label on saws placed in service on or after May 5, 1995, and a list of safe practice rules the employer instructs. | Last history entry operative September 1, 2004 |
Canada
| Page | Topic and what it covers | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| CCOHS index page titled Chainsaws | Index. Links the CCOHS chainsaw fact sheets: basic operations, handling, transportation and storage, kickback, maintenance, protective clothing and safe use. | Not published |
| CCOHS fact sheet titled Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing | Protective equipment. Answers the question of which equipment is recommended for chainsaw work. | Last revised May 26, 2025 |
| CCOHS fact sheet titled Safe Use of Chain Saws | Operator rules. Covers general tips, starting, fuelling and cutting. | Last revised February 27, 2025 |
| CCOHS fact sheet titled Kickback | Kickback. Explains what kickback is and how the risk is reduced. | Last revised August 22, 2023 |
| CCOHS fact sheet titled Maintenance and Service | Maintenance. Has headings for the engine, the chain and guide bar, chain brakes and chain lubrication. | Last revised April 24, 2024 |
| WorkSafeBC page titled OHS Regulation Part 12, Tools, Machinery and Equipment | Regulation text. Its Chain Saws heading holds sections 12.72, on standards and the chain brake, and 12.73, on stopping chain movement between cuts. | Not published |
United Kingdom
| Page | Topic and what it covers | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| HSE page titled Working with chainsaws | Operator rules. Says operators must have had adequate training for the work and wear chainsaw protective clothing, and covers felling. | Not published |
| HSE page titled Chainsaw personal protective equipment (PPE) | Protective equipment. Names British and European standards for head, hearing, face and eye protection, for work on and off the ground. | Not published |
| HSE page titled Chainsaws at work | Leaflet INDG317 for portable petrol chainsaws. Covers selecting, maintaining and working with a chainsaw, training, first aid and manual handling. | Updated August 7, 2025 |
| HSE page titled Top-handled chainsaws | Leaflet AFAG308 for petrol top-handled chainsaws in off-ground tree work. | Updated August 7, 2025 |
Ireland
| Page | Topic and what it covers | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety Authority page titled Guidance on Safe Use of Chainsaws | Operator rules. Guidelines on best practice and the precautions needed before a chainsaw is used. | Year 2022 |
| Health and Safety Authority page titled Chainsaw Clearance of Windblow, IFSG 306 | Windblow. Applies to manual harvesting of windblown or broken trees and says mechanised systems should be considered as a safer alternative. | Year 2018 |
| Health and Safety Authority release titled HSA Urges Chainsaw Users to Put Safety First During Storm Clean Up | Storm clean-up. Issued after Storms Isha and Jocelyn and points to the windblow leaflet. | January 23, 2024 |
Australia
| Page | Topic and what it covers | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| WorkSafe Western Australia page titled Chainsaws | Operator rules. Has general safety precautions, protective equipment and a list of field maintenance items. | Updated April 1, 2025 |
| SafeWork NSW document titled Tree works Code of practice | Code of practice. Section 10.8 is headed Chainsaws and names AS 2726.1:2004 and AS 2726.2:2004 for saw selection. | March 2026 |
New Zealand
| Page | Topic and what it covers | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| WorkSafe New Zealand page titled Safety and health in arboriculture | Approved code of practice. Section 3.1 is headed safe use of chainsaws and covers the saw standard, inspection, starting and operation. The page states that it has not been updated to reflect the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. | Last updated September 5, 2017 |
Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. SafeWork NSW material is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. WorkSafe New Zealand is credited as the source of its code. The wording is ours.
Sources
- OSHA, 1910.266 Logging operations, read October 9, 2026
- OSHA, Tree Care Industry overview, read October 9, 2026
- OSHA, Tree Care Industry hazards and solutions, read October 9, 2026
- California Department of Industrial Relations, Title 8 section 6283 Portable Chain Saw Operations, read October 9, 2026
- CCOHS, Chainsaws fact sheet index, read October 9, 2026
- CCOHS, Chainsaws personal protective equipment and clothing, revised May 26, 2025, read October 9, 2026
- CCOHS, Chainsaws safe use of chain saws, revised February 27, 2025, read October 9, 2026
- CCOHS, Chainsaws kickback, revised August 22, 2023, read October 9, 2026
- CCOHS, Chainsaws maintenance and service, revised April 24, 2024, read October 9, 2026
- WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 12 tools, machinery and equipment, read October 9, 2026
- HSE, Working with chainsaws, read October 9, 2026
- HSE, Chainsaw personal protective equipment, read October 9, 2026
- HSE, Chainsaws at work INDG317, updated August 7, 2025, read October 9, 2026
- HSE, Top-handled chainsaws AFAG308, updated August 7, 2025, read October 9, 2026
- Health and Safety Authority Ireland, Guidance on Safe Use of Chainsaws, 2022, read October 9, 2026
- Health and Safety Authority Ireland, Chainsaw Clearance of Windblow IFSG 306, 2018, read October 9, 2026
- Health and Safety Authority Ireland, storm clean up release, January 23, 2024, read October 9, 2026
- WorkSafe Western Australia, Chainsaws, updated April 1, 2025, read October 9, 2026
- SafeWork NSW, Tree works Code of practice, March 2026, read October 9, 2026
- WorkSafe New Zealand, Safety and health in arboriculture, last updated September 5, 2017, read October 9, 2026