Greg Norman injured in chain saw accident

Mary Farrell

His nickname is the Shark, but on Saturday it was another set of teeth that injured Greg Norman. The golfer said he was cutting tree branches at his Florida home when a limb came down and pushed his left arm into the blade of the chain saw, cutting his wrist. While recovering in the hospital, Norman posted on Instagram, "Working with a chainsaw ALWAYS be respectful of the unexpected." Indeed.

Norman’s accident is a reminder that every year there are nearly 29,000 injuries from chain saws with the most common being cuts to the fingers, knees, and legs. "Thank God the blade wasn't running full speed or it would have taken my hand off," Norman told the Associated Press. He’s expected to make a full recovery. (You can see more photos on Norman's Instagram site.)

While it’s hard to say what happened with Norman’s chain saw, most chain saws have a brake that stops the chain if the bar kicks back toward the operator. Still, when operating a chain saw you should use protective chaps, gloves, steel-tipped boots, a helmet, face shield, and hearing protection. And follow these tips:

  • Start gas saws on the ground at least 10 feet from a fuel source.

  • Use two hands when sawing.

  • Don’t lean into the cut or saw above shoulder level.

  • Avoid cutting with the tip to help prevent kickback.

This wasn’t the first time that Norman mentioned his chain saw on Instagram. Last week he captioned a photo of himself trimming a tree, “Time to trim the sea grapes today. Never ask someone to do something that you can do yourself. Love to work!”

As one of Norman’s fans posted, “Maybe you should let someone else use the chain saw from now on.” Something to consider. Trimming branches is one thing, but the experts at Consumer Reports say that cutting down a tree is a job best left to the pros, particularly for trees larger than about 6 inches around. While trees often fall in the direction they’re leaning, it can be tricky to know where a tree will come down.

—Mary H.J. Farrell (@mhjfarrell on Twitter)



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