Chainsaws without a chain brake
It is prohibited indefinitely to sell or supply a chainsaw without a chain brake.
About this unsafe goods notice
This notice came into force on 24 June 2012 for an indefinite period. It supersedes unsafe goods notices issued 24 September 2009 and 23 December 2010.
The notice applies to new and used chainsaws supplied, or offered for supply, or advertised for supply, in trade or otherwise than in trade.
All chainsaws must have chain brakes that comply with ISO 6535:2008 Portable chain-saws — Chain brake performance. Chainsaws without chain brakes are prohibited.
'Chainsaw' means any powered machine that:
- drives an exposed chain for the purposes of cutting, and
- is operated by being hand-held.
It includes electric powered chainsaws.
It excludes any driven chains that are operated at the end of a pole and that are generally referred to as 'pole pruners', 'power pruners' or 'long reach pruners'.
What businesses need to do to comply
The unsafe goods notice doesn't require mandatory testing, but does require self-declaration from suppliers that the chainsaw has a chain brake that will meet the performance requirements of ISO 6535:2008.
Chainsaws that have been tested to an older version of the standard may be covered by a statement of compliance. However, it's recommended that the chainsaw is tested to the current standard, as ISO 6535:1991 and ISO 6535:1983 have been withdrawn.
Chainsaws without a chain brake
Chainsaws without a chain brake can't be offered for sale or supplied to anyone else, but they can still be used by their owners, and service agents can still repair them at the request of their customers.
If you have a chainsaw without a chain brake, we strongly advise that you dispose of it and upgrade to a machine that has a chain brake.