<span style="font-weight: 400">By Taylor Boyd</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">After the success of a recent chainsaw safety class, organizers hope to make it an annual event.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">John Wood, co-owner of Wood’s Cold Storage & Supply, LLC, said this year marked the first year he and his business helped host the safety classes, with two held on Wednesday.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">An estimated 30 people participating in the two free events, he said.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">Wood partnered with Stihl representatives to provide the event. The representatives visited Patrick County and conducted the classes that covered chainsaw safety and maintenance. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">Wood said he wanted to help offer the classes in hopes of ensuring people are aware of the newest safety practices and proper equipment handling techniques when heading out to cut firewood.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“Every year, there are a lot of injuries from chainsaws. They can be very dangerous if not handled correctly,” Wood said. “Not only the chainsaws, but also in the trees they might be cutting down. There are injuries every year when people are cutting wood.” </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">The classes also offered a variety of tips on cutting techniques and tree felling, Wood said, and added they attracted many experienced chainsaw users, like him, but also novices.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">Wood said he believes all who attended left with advice from the instructor. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“I know I learned a lot” from the class, Wood said, adding that he plans to put the different cutting techniques into practice the next time he uses his chainsaw. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">Among the top tips he took away from the class were the importance of always maintaining a sharp chain that is correctly filed, and the correct procedure for starting the chainsaw.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">Also, “do not drop start a saw, and use the proper technique for starting a chainsaw,” he said. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">Wood said he hopes others found the information helpful as well.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“It certainly gave me a little better insight into a better way of downing a tree,” he said. “I hope we can do it again next year.”</span>
