To hide a power tool from DH

[elfycat]

We have one rule: he doesn't use the chainsaw unless I am home and aware of it.

Just got home fro shopping and he's been using it. There were 3 DC home aged 8-12 but none of them were aware either, and even if they had what were they to do except watch him bleed out before an ambulance could get here?

So AIBU to

A) hide the chainsaw
B) let rip at him for stupidity?

I prefer option C ) tell him any severed limbs are to be placed in the freezee served for Sunday lunch

Freezer

Does he wear proper protective clothing, eg chainsaw trousers and steel -capped boots?

If not, I'd confiscate it for good!

Sounds like it’s your rule that he doesn’t agree with.

Send him on a chain saw safety course, then he can have a really big one.

Yeah if he can't be trusted to use it unsupervised I'm not sure he should be using it supervised.....granted if you're there you could call for help but that's about it - I'd be more insistent on a training course and proper protective gear

Chain saws used with guard, cut off and chain gloves are as safe as most power tools (all can cause injuries!) most chain saw injuries I read were caused by removing the guard and climbing up ladders and into trees. I understand your concern but you might just loose this one

When it comes to chainsaws, unless a rule can be agreed and honoured the only option is no chainsaws, sadly.

So I would get rid of it.

My DP used to do exactly this! Personally I don't think A or B are good options. A is a infantilising him and B is obviously going to cause an argument. Later on when no one is around I'd tell him in a calm manner why you are upset, how you worry about it and ask why he did that to you. Using it only when you are there doesn't seem a lot of ask does it. It worked for me and he looked pretty sheepish..

Thing is OP - unless you're an ER doc i'm not sure you'll be much more use to him if he has a serious accident with it?

I do understand your concerns though.

I'm an ex theatre nurse and believe me I can put pressure on a severed limb if needed. It's also why I'm a bit twitchy over chainsaws... and motorbikes ridden by idiots, arms dangling out of moving vehicles and other bits and bobs.

He does have the correct kit; trousers, helmet etc.

And yes to A) being infantilising, but the nagging he gave me about my sprained knee recently means that health related bossiness must be allowed.

We have one rule: he doesn't use the chainsaw unless I am home and aware of it.
I don’t think you can insist on this and you say “we” but he obviously doesn’t agree. I don’t think you can force him. Presumably he knows what he’s doing and uses all PPE?

If the OP is around and there is an accident, there is a much greater chance of getting help before he bleeds to death, and that's without her theatre nurse experience.

There's a reason why people aren't allowed to work alone when doing anything potentially risky and it makes sense to extend this precaution to the home.

I only bollocked DP about the chainsaw when he used it without the PPE, but other than that I'm happy enough with him using it.

On the other hand, I have told a friend of his that if he (the friend) goes kayaking alone he's to tell someone, me if DP's not around, where he's going and when he expects to be back in touch. If I don't hear from him, and can't contact him, within a short space of time either I'm calling the coastguard.

Yanbu. My dh actually disabled his dad's chainsaw and then took it away to be mended, never to return. He was using it with just elderly disable mil in the house.

how many projects around your home can you use a chainsaw for op ?
your dh sounds like a big kid with an exciting toy [like a lot of men and power tools, angle grinders are popular around here, what are they doing though with them ?

I think because of your job you are more aware of what can happen.
But if he is a responsible adult and has the protective gear why not?
Accidents can happen with anything.
If he has not already done a course then perhaps going on that would be an option.

You're not in Spain are you feck.

We've heard so much angle grinder noise there that I joked to DP that every Spanish man (because it always is a man, I've never seen a woman doing it) must be presented with an angle grinder on his 18th birthday.

feckity we have a wood burner and he bought a whole tree which is currently stacked in large pieces down the side of the house and needs sawing/ chopping to size. At the moment he's taking a smallish tree down in the garden to make room for an epic woodshed to house the wood.

He does a lot of H&S stuff at work - he's just off a working at heights course and is shit- hot about safety usually. I should mention here that he's had a couple of throw-across-the-room levels of electric shocks. One at work but that was improper wiring ( paperwork done) and one at home when I was there. He's sensible and practical, but also impatient.

He agreed ages ago it was best practice to have someone around when the chainsaw was in use. He also should tell me if he's going cycling and an approx eta for arrival home and an idea of his route.

Just had a chat with him. He thought he was going mad because he couldn't find it. He admits to impatience, apologised, agreed I was right, but is happy that at least I seem to like him and care about his safety.

He now wants me to help fell the tree safely.

Ooh that backfired then! Unless felling trees is your happy place.

I would have done the same. The chop saw makes me twitchy.

A friend of ours had a very nasty accident with a chainsaw .resulting in a hospital visit and a lucky escape !.Try and hide it if you can.Most accidents happen in the home unfortunately .If its bank holiday /or the W/E perhaps try and stay home, or just pop out locally .Make sure you tell the family you are going out and take your phone (fully charged)

Chain saws used with guard, cut off and chain gloves are as safe as most power tools (all can cause injuries!) most chain saw injuries I read were caused by removing the guard and climbing up ladders and into trees

I have five chain saws. I never use them alone and I always wear PPE.

What is this guard you speak of? None of mine have any kind of guard and, with respect, chainsaw gloves aren't going to stop anybody cutting into their shoulder, legs or feet. You are correct about the trees though. As soon as your feet leave the ground the risk of self injury dramatically increases.

As for the big kid thing, chainsaws are useful tools and for some jobs nothing else will do.

In the pic, my wife... being a big kid.

That's about half of the tree he bought off eBay.

On the bright side (literally) the garden without the tree is bigger and brighter.