Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WHS Act), all persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) have a primary duty of care to ensure the health and safety of their workers while they are at work. This duty means the PCBU must eliminate risks to health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable, and if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks to health and safety, they must minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
If the chainsaw owner is a PCBU, and the chainsaw is used by a worker, it is the PCBU's responsibility under the WHS Act to provide a safe working environment and to introduce safe work procedures to prevent workers being exposed to hazards.
The PCBU must also provide adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to enable workers to work in a safe manner.
Workers must follow instruction and training provided, must use the personal protective equipment provided, and must report hazards to their supervisor.
Self-employed people must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and of others in or near the workplace. This includes people like farmers, who are major users of chainsaws.
Hire service managers should, as far as practicable, provide safety information, preferably with a safety demonstration, to customers hiring chainsaws.
A first aid box should be kept close by when a chainsaw is being used. The box should contain the sort of bandages and absorbent padding needed to deal with a major chainsaw injury. As far as practicable, a first aid trained person should be available at the workplace.