Choosing your first climbing saw

This page reports what official sources say about climbing chainsaws. The official sources give conditions a saw should meet and say who should use one, and that is what is set out here.

Official wording is given for the United Kingdom and New Zealand, and training units for Australia. For the United States and Canada, no official page on top-handled saws is linked, so those sections say so.

United States

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. The certifications guide covers what employers ask for.

Canada

Rules are provincial and set by each province's workplace safety body.

United Kingdom

HSE's leaflet Top-handled chainsaws, AFAG308 (second revision, April 2013) covers petrol top-handled saws used off the ground. HSE's Chainsaws at work leaflet (INDG317, January 2013) covers saws in general.

Who should use one

AFAG308 says tree work that needs a chainsaw should only be done by a trained and competent climber who has chainsaw experience, or by a trainee under supervision who is competent with a chainsaw on the ground.
It says top-handled saws are only suitable for use off the ground, and that rear-handled saws are for work on the ground. INDG317 says the same and adds that a top-handled saw is not a substitute for a small rear-handled one.
INDG317 says chainsaws should not be used off the ground unless the operator has been adequately trained in safe working techniques.
HSE's working with chainsaws page says that by law chainsaw operators must have received adequate training for the type of work they do.

What the saw should have

AFAG308 lists the conditions to check on a saw before it is used. In its words, the saw should have:

a working stop switch, front hand guard or chain brake, chain catcher and anti-vibration mounts, all undamaged;
a throttle that opens only when the throttle lock is depressed;
a reduced kickback chain;
an exhaust system and silencer in good order;
a means of attaching a suitably rated or tear-away lanyard to the rear of the saw;
a mandatory hearing protection symbol on the saw.

It also lists checks before starting work and periodically through the day, such as external nuts, screws and fastenings, chain tension, the on-off switch, the chain brake, the chain standing still at idle, and chain oiling. INDG317 adds that the saw needs regular servicing by someone competent to do so. The AFAG308 maintenance list points to the maker's handbook, wear checks on the chain at each sharpening, the bar rails, the drive sprocket and the anti-vibration rubbers, and replacement parts that the maker recommends.

Grip, lanyard and the people below

Hands. AFAG308 says a top-handled saw has two handles. It calls one-handed use risky and restricted, and says poor work positioning in the tree is not an acceptable reason for it.
Lanyard. The saw may be attached to the climber's harness with a suitably rated or tear-away lanyard, but not where it could be trapped or taken with a severed section.
Ground. It says at least two people should be present during all tree-climbing operations, and one should be on the ground, competent and equipped to carry out an aerial rescue without delay.
Leg protection. It recommends Type C leg protection (EN 381-5) for aerial work, for its all-round cut protection. It allows Type A where a risk assessment justifies it, for example where heat stress makes Type C impractical. Other aerial PPE it names is a mountaineering-style helmet to EN 12492, eye protection to EN 1731 or EN 166, and hearing protection to EN 352. The chainsaw protection guide covers the full list.

What courses ask for

The City and Guilds NPTC Level 2 certificate in using a chainsaw from a rope and harness has an assessment pack (August 2022). It lists a top-handled or rear-handled saw with a guide bar of 15 inches at most, and climbing kit with documented evidence that it is LOLER compliant. It also has the candidate inspect all climbing kit to confirm it is safe under the maker's instructions and relevant legislation.

The NPTC Level 3 award in aerial cutting of trees lists these prerequisite units: maintenance of chainsaw and cutting system (201), cross-cutting timber (202), felling and processing trees up to 380 mm (203), accessing a tree with a rope and harness (206) and aerial rescue operations (306). The assessment requirements for the Level 3 award in the safe use of a chainsaw from a mobile elevated work platform allow a top or rear handled saw with a recommended maximum guide bar length of 18 inches, and say a candidate who presents with a top-handled saw must already hold NPTC unit CS39, or its earlier code 0021-08.

The Arboricultural Association's code of practice (ICoP, May 2020) says the choice of tool depends on the hazards, the work and the skill and experience of the operator, and it names the lightweight top-handled chainsaw as one type of tool.

Australia

The training unit AHCARB316, Perform pruning operations, current since August 26, 2020, has no prerequisite unit. It lists chainsaws, including a climbing saw, among the tools it assesses, and its performance criteria include pre-operational and safety checks on pruning tools and equipment. WorkSafe Western Australia's chainsaw page, updated April 1, 2025, says a saw should be fitted with a chain brake, preferably inertia activated, and that the depth gauge should be set to the maker's recommendations.

New Zealand

WorkSafe New Zealand's Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Arboriculture has a chainsaw section. It was made under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 and has not been updated for the 2015 Act.

No person shall use a chainsaw for tree work unless they have fully demonstrated their competence and practical knowledge in chainsaw operation and tree climbing.
Chainsaws are used as the maker's instructions say, with two hands, and top-handled chainsaws shall not be used on the ground.
A tear-away chainsaw lanyard or tool strop attachment is recommended practice when aloft.
The saw shall be inspected before use and removed from service or fixed if it shows excessive wear or damage. Defective or poorly maintained saws shall not be operated.

The national unit standard 2775 (level 4, 12 credits, version 10) covers pruning amenity trees with hand tools and a chainsaw, including selecting and preparing the saw and starting and using it. Its prerequisite is unit standard 6917, basic chainsaw operation, or equivalent knowledge and skills.

Side by side

Country	Top-handled saw on the ground	Who may use it
United States	Not stated	Not stated
Canada	Not stated	Not stated
United Kingdom	Not suitable, rear-handled instead	Trained, competent climber, or supervised trainee
Australia	Not stated	Unit lists a climbing saw, no prerequisite
New Zealand	Shall not be used	Demonstrated competence in saw and climbing

Looking after the saw's lanyard point, line and saddle is covered in the guide on line and saddle care. The guide on buying used gear lists the questions climbers ask about kit history when a saw is second-hand. None of the official pages linked here discuss battery saws.