Posted: January 8, 2026
Amateurs suffer more injuries than pros
Penn State Extension Educator Michael Powell (left) instructs on chainsaw safety. Photo: Michael Houtz
Casual chainsaw users run greater risk of injury than trained professionals, who are more likely to receive training and wear personal protective equipment, found a team led by Judd Michael, professor of agricultural and biological engineering, in a study published in Safety.
From 2018 to 2022, nearly 128,000 people went to U.S. emergency rooms for chainsaw-related injuries. Professionals sustained 200 nonfatal and 57 fatal injuries.
Pennsylvania is one of the top three states for chainsaw-related injuries.
—Jeff Mulhollem
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