Do Chainsaw Pants Really Work?

Bob Smith demonstrates to his students what happens when chainsaw pants and boots are put to the test. Bob is the Arborist Hand Tools course instructor from Niagara College, also an Ontario Parks Association instructor with 30+ years of experience in the industry.

Chainsaw pants and boots consist of woven fibers just beneath their outer surface material. When a chainsaw comes in contact with these fibers, they're designed to catch the chain, clog the chainsaw and stop it from continuing to run. While this technology may not be enough to prevent all injury, it should (in theory) minimize damage to exposed limbs.

However, as students observed this demonstration on old gear at Meadowbrook Golf Club in Richmond hill on Tuesday, this was not the case. Standard age, wear, and tear on chainsaw protective gear can leave them ineffective in performing the job they've been meticulously engineered to do.