I remember well- getting caught out at the first health & safety training day we were asked (forced) to attend.
Trainer had a saw sitting on a bench table outside and asked one of the crowd to step forward and start it- eventually one was shunted forward, walked up- grabbed the saw and drop started it..... fail.
Now comes me feeling all clever like- I had done some research and thought I knew these guys would run this kind of thing by the book.
So I stroll up all casual like as the second to try. Pick up the saw, go over all the bits and pieces to check it is in a safe order, check the chain rotates, chain tension, visual check of sideplates, check the chain brake for engage disengage...... ....... all by the book stuff, place the saw on the ground, boot in handle- choke on, decomp down, pull it around to TDCísh, pull the rope- pops on full choke- up to half pull it like I own it, saw fires up, blip the trigger so it falls into a nice idle......... FAIL.
Seems in all my smart arsedness, I failed to notice the pile of PPE sitting just a bit further down the table from the saw and failed to put any of it on!
But yep, seen some scary shite, patched up some nasty chain furrows in flesh, had some fast drives to A&E over the years, even admit to doing some pretty bloody silly things with a chainsaw over the years- but to this date personally- have never had a running chain embedded in my own flesh and bone.