Norwood DPW Participates in Chainsaw Training

Severe storms and the downed trees left in their wake this summer and fall have increased the need for professional training on one of the most formidable power tools used by municipal employees: chainsaws.

In time for the winter storm season, municipal workers in Norwood participated in a chainsaw training seminar in October presented free of charge as a membership benefit by the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA), the town’s property and casualty insurance provider.

This chainsaw training program, conducted by Tim Ard of Forest Applications Training Inc., is designed to teach participants proper chainsaw usage and safety techniques to help reduce preventable chainsaw accidents and injuries. It included chainsaw use demonstrations and classroom learning on topics such as safety and personal protective equipment, scoring, starting procedures, use of wedges, cutting springpoles (bent trees), limbing and bucking, directional felling, understanding chainsaw reactive forces, maintenance and chain sharpening, and storm damage and removal techniques.

"Public Works Director Mark Ryan was ecstatic that this type of program was available to properly educate the crews that operate chainsaws,” says Norwood General Manager John Carroll. “Many times, in hazardous and stressful conditions such as the recent hurricane and nor’easter, public works crews respond to downed trees and tree limbs. Having been properly trained, these crews can now do their job more efficiently, effectively and, most importantly, safely. We truly appreciate programs such as this one."

According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report, the primary cause of chainsaw accidents is improper training and cutting practices. Upon completion of this and other MIIA risk- and loss-prevention programs, Norwood is eligible to receive insurance premium credits through the MIIA Rewards Programs, reducing its property and casualty insurance costs.

MIIA is the non-profit, member-based insurance arm of the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) insuring nearly 400 cities, towns, and other public entities in the state. In fiscal year 2011, more than 5,200 city and town employees participated in over 235 MIIA-sponsored technical trainings and management seminars offered throughout the state. Member municipalities' efforts yielded more than $2.4 million of premium credit collectively through the MIIA Rewards incentive program for a nine-year total of over $14 million. For more information please visit www.emiia.org and www.mma.org.