Stihl supporting VICSES volunteers to kickstart Chainsaw Safety Week

It’s STIHL Chainsaw Safety Week and to mark the occasion, STIHL has kindly donated $10k worth of chainsaws to Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) volunteer units across the state.

Each year, almost 1,000 Australians are badly injured while operating a chainsaw, with the majority happening around the home.

The week is designed to educate and inform Australians on important chainsaw safety practices and to consequently minimise chainsaw related incidents.

To help kickstart the campaign, STIHL launched the initiative with a donation of chainsaws to VICSES units across the state, including two of the busiest in the state, the VICSES Monash and Ballarat Units.

With over 660 requests for assistance over ‘tree down’ emergencies in the financial year 2023/24, the VICSES Monash Unit was the most heavily impacted following storms in mid-February this year. Similarly, the Ballarat Unit received over 240 ‘tree down’ requests in the same period. The new chainsaws will assist crews both at Monash, Ballarat and across the state in vital storm response.

VICSES volunteers undertake free nationally accredited training including for Chainsaw operations.

With chainsaw safety grounded in community engagement, the donation will help nationally accredited VICSES crews to continue providing on-the-ground support to communities around Victoria, reducing the risk of Victorians tackling dangerous hazards.

As the control agency of flood and storm, VICSES volunteers harness their extensive training and substantial experience of Chainsaw Operations, to safely support communities and remove trees down over roads and properties and help to repair building damage.

VICSES volunteers are pleased to support National Chainsaw Safety Week and grateful to STIHL for the donation of $10,000 worth of additional chainsaws which will go to some of our volunteer units most in need.

VICSES is coming off three of its busiest years following several severe storms and major flooding. Our volunteers do a tremendous job responding to their community in often difficult conditions.

To learn more about volunteer roles at VICSES and giving back to your community visit – //ses.vic.gov.au/join-us

To find out more about STIHL Australia’s inaugural Chainsaw Safety Week, please visit www.stihl.com.au/chainsawsafety.

Quotes attributable to VICSES Deputy Chief Officer Readiness and Response, Alistair Drayton:

“We’re pleased to support National Chainsaw Safety Week and are very grateful to STIHL for the donation of $10,000 worth of chainsaws which will go to some of our volunteer units across Victoria."