This presentation was a work by Danielle Dole and John Newquist. We focused on the five major hazards that caused death.

1. Tree Trimming and Clearing
Safety
Danielle Dole
John Newquist
Draft 4 22 2015

2. The Problem
• In 2012, 243 workers nationwide died while involved in
tree trimming and clearing activities.
• June 19, 2014 OSHA announced an emphasis for the
sector.

3. Who is required to be trained
and when?
• Prior to initial
assignment;
• When assigned new
work tasks, tools,
equipment, machines, or
vehicles; and
• Whenever they
demonstrate unsafe job
performance.

4. Top 5 Causes of Death
• Fall out of Tree
• Fall out of Bucket
• Electrocution
• Struck by limb
• Wood Chippers

5. Top 5 Causes
• Fall from Tree – No
Fall Arrest

6. June 2014
• Kansas
• Worker fell from
tree during tree
trimming/removal

7. October 2014
• Tree
Trimming

8. January 2015
• Always set your rope first
b4 u start climbin, thought
i'd be cute 1 day & didnt
& i fell 20ft & hit every
branch on the way down
b4 landing n mud & cow
crap!!!! Good thing the
landing was soft..lol!
• - Brad Moulton

9. September 2014
• A man suffered
serious injuries
after falling from a
tree in Green Twp.,
Clark County in
Ohio

10. September 2014
• Claymont DE
• A tree trimmer was flown to the
hospital on Friday after he
apparently fell from a tree
branch, landed on another,
then landed on a hornet's nest.
The 35-year-old man was
trimming a tree 65 feet up
when he fell 40 feet down
further into the tree.

11. February 2015
• Safety line
• Phil Nippert

12. September 2014

13. February 2015
• Buckingham spikes

14. November 2014
• Dead Oak
• Climb to cut it
down?

15. July 2014
• "Landed on the back of my
shoulder blades and broke my
back in two places," said Long.
• He's worked in the
construction businesses for
more than two decades, but
about four months ago his
career flashed before his eyes
when he fell from a tree
branch.

16. December
2014
• Side trimming

17. December 2014
• Safety lines.
• One loose to
branch he is
cutting.

18. October 2014
• "I wore a safety helmet,"
Hanson told Fox 9 News.
"Doctors tell me that if I
wouldn't have worn that
helmet, I don't know if I
would have made it.“
• Hanson fell 60 feet in a
tree.

19. December 2014
• Thank god for ppe
limb covered in ice
and my snap cut
didn't go the way I
wanted it to.
• Jaime Boulay

20. December 2014
• Double safety
lines, but wearing a
safety belt.

21. October 2014

22. Fall From Aerial Lifts

23. February 2015
• Pittsburg PA
• Worker fell and
died from bucket
truck during tree
trimming.

24. Aug 2014
• Tree Trimmer stuck in aerial lift
• Dallas TX

25. February 2015
• Unusual aerial lift

26. January 2015
Michael Gray

27. November 2014
• PA
• “I watched him bring the
bucket down and he fell and
there he was when I ran over
lying under the truck like he
was taking a n
• John Hanovic, Butler County
chief deputy coroner, said he
declared the victim dead from
head injuries at the scene. He
said an autopsy was to be
done in the afternoon

28. September 2014
• Alabama
• 47-year-old Jason
Buckley of Union Grove
was flipped from a bucket
and fell 60 feet to his
death after a limb he was
cutting struck the bucket’s
arm
• No harness.

29. August 2014
• Concord MA

30. November 2014
• Maynardville TN
• Officials say ABC
Professional Tree
Services was doing
contract work for the
Knoxville Utilities Board
around power lines on
Raccoon Valley Road
when the driver
attempted to move the
truck with the boom in the
air.

31. December
2014
• Limit of this aerial
lift

32. October 2014
• Port Austin MI
• An employee told officials
the branch then let loose,
causing enough pressure
to shake the boom side-
to-side, throwing Andreski
from the bucket, some 45
to 50 feet to the ground.

33. October 2014
• Fort Lauderdale FL
• Authorities said the victim
was trimming trees at
1131 SW 9th Ave. on
Thursday afternoon when
something malfunctioned,
sending the bucket and
the worker to the ground.

34. July 2014
• PA ejected out of
bucket truck.
Unknown if he was
given fall harness
to prevent the fall.

35. July 2014
• Phillips was in the bucket
and was not wearing a
safety harness.
• They said he had tied a
rope to a tree he was
trying to cut down.
• The rope was attached to
the bucket winch.
• Phillips, they said, tried to pull
down a partially cut piece of
tree using the winch.
• The rope snapped and caused
the bucket to move.
• As it moved, Phillips was
thrown out and fell to the
ground.

36. July 2014
• Emergency officials in
Marlborough MA said a
tree trimmer toppled over,
hit a home and landed on
its back deck Tuesday
afternoon.

37. October 2014
• Lifting tree with
Aerial lift

38. Electrical

39. July 2014
• Officials said a
Dallas tree trimmer
sustained burns to
the hands while
working in the area
and fell into the
power lines.

40. July 2014
• Scottsboro police said the man
was trimming a tree on
Highway 79 near the Marshall
County Line when a limb fell
on a live wire, sending the
electrical current through the
limb and the trimmer's
chainsaw.
• The man was on a ladder at
the time, officials said, and the
current knocked him off the
ladder.
• He was airlifted to Huntsville
Hospital. His condition has not
yet been released

41. June 2014
• Florida
• Life Flighted from
shock while tree
trimming

42. November 2014
• Crane over Power
line.

43. December
2014
• Line clearance

44. October 2014
• Powerlines
• Aluminum ladder

45. September 2014
• NAPLES, FL
• Authorities say two men died
after being electrocuted while
they were trimming palm trees
in southwest Florida.
• Batten says the men were
working on a 30-foot aluminum
ladder that slipped and hit a
live power line.

46. September 2014
• Kansas tree trimmer, lucky to
be alive. “I really could’ve died
if it weren’t for the guy across
the street and the others who
ran to help me,” Harris told
FOX 4’s Robert Townsend
Monday.
• No metal poles. They make
fiberglass.

47. June 2014
• Parkville MO police say the
man's buckstrap used to hold
him in got loose from him. A
metal piece on that strap hit a
live wire with 7,600 volts going
through it.
• The 34-year-old tree trimmer
died instantly while still
strapped to the limbs up
above.

48. June 2014
• 06/25/14: A man who was
trimming a tree in
Minnetonka MN was left
hanging unconscious in
his safety harness after a
20-second electrical
shock despite the efforts
if his coworkers and
employer.

49. January 2015
• Brian Johnson, 27, was
working with a crew to cut
down trees to make room
for power lines near
Whelchel Road in
Dahlonega GA when he
was struck and killed by a
tree.

50. September 2014
• Kansas
• “I really could’ve died if it
weren’t for the guy across the
street and the others who ran
to help me,” Harris told FOX
4’s Robert Townsend Monday.
• Metal Pole hit powerline,

51. December 2014
• Line Clearing

52. November 2014
• 27,000 volt line

53. August 2014

54. August 2014

55. August 2014
• Largo FL
• I assumed (the workers) fell
out of the tree because they'd
been out there all day,"
Hampton said. "I looked over
there, and there was one man
that was having convulsions
and there was another that
was on his face and he wasn't
coherent
Two men hurt when their ladder
contracted powerline

56. December 2014
• Lakeland FL
• A 60-year-old Lakeland
man was killed Friday
when a pole saw he was
using to trim trees
touched a live power line,
electrocuting him, police
said
• Use fiberglass extensions
when electrical lines are
present.
Fiberglass pole saw
handle
Aluminum pole saw
handle

57. February 2015
• 7200 volts.
• Blew lift tire off 60
feet

58. October 2014
• Port Austin MI
• An employee told officials
the branch then let loose,
causing enough pressure
to shake the boom side-
to-side, throwing Andreski
from the bucket, some 45
to 50 feet to the ground.

59. October 2014
• Fort Lauderdale FL
• Authorities said the victim
was trimming trees at
1131 SW 9th Ave. on
Thursday afternoon when
something malfunctioned,
sending the bucket and
the worker to the ground.

60. February 2015
• Pittsburg PA
• Worker fell and
died from bucket
truck during tree
trimming.

61. January 2015
• The Columbia Fire
Department successfully
rescued a man who was
shocked while trimming a
tree approximately 55' in
the air Saturday
afternoon.

62. Struck By

63. November 2014
• What issues would
a rigger need to
know?

64. October 2014
• Crack in maple
tree, under bark
• 25 feet high.

65. November 2014
• Newer employee
• Dropped tree
through shed
• $6000 damage

66. October 2014
• Roanoke VA
• Matthew Raymond Miller, 23,
was standing on the ground
near a tree in the 1400 block of
Greendale Drive when he was
struck in the chest by a falling
branch cut by another man,
according to Blacksburg
police.

67. November 2014
• Crane tipped over.

68. October 2014
• Key Largo FL
• Danny Tomas, the owner of the
company, was operating the
crane, attempting to remove a
large tree limb from the roof of
a house on Dream Way in
Largo, when the truck started
to tip. Tomas jumped to safety
and no one else on the ground
suffered any injuries.

69. November 2014
• Cracked tree over
a house
• Use a chain and
strap to hold it?

70. Sep 2014
• Oklahoma
• Initial reports
indicate that a tree
trimmer was
working in the area
when he was hit by
a car.

71. November 2014
• Anderson
township, OH
• Wind blew tree
over and hit tree
trimmer

72. January 2015
• Porcupine in tree
hole

73. August 2014
• 62 old tree trimmer
was pinned from
large branch that
fell on him while he
was in the bucket.
• Reading PA

74. August 2014
• Halliburton was struck by a
tree at the Tuttle Educational
State Forest in Lenoir. It
happened as he was helping
other forestry workers remove
a tree that fell into a road.
• Officials say Halliburton was
struck in the torso and
pronounced dead on scene.

75. August 2014
• Cut tree trunk
slide off truck
during loading.

76. July 2014
• A PA tree service worker was
killed Thursday afternoon
when he was struck by a van
in Mahanoy Township.
• Hoffman was in the roadway
directing traffic and that he was
employed by a contractor
working in the area
• Any work on the highway
should follow the Manual of
Uniform Traffic Control
The trooper said there was a
temporary need for traffic
control at the time of the crash
but did not elaborate.

77. December 2014
• Tactics?

78. December 2014
• Many devices are
out there to move
logs

79. December 2014
• Las Vegas NV
• Upon arriving, firefighters
located a 25- to 30-foot palm
tree in the yard of a single-
story home, but hanging palm
fronds shrouded the apparent
victim, Williams said.

80. February 2015
• Monrovia CA
• Tree trimmer
cutting palms
rescued

81. January 2015
• Las Vegas
• A tree trimmer died
this afternoon in a
palm tree just
blocks from where
another trimmer
died a few weeks
ago.
Kristen Koch - Going rate
for palms is approx $25 /
palm here in Las Vegas.
And that's a fully licensed
insured company. Guys do
20-30+ per day each.

82. June 2014
• Connecticut
• Tree trimming near
railroad
• Amtrak Train hit
bucket truck
• Trapped by
downed gates
• Five hurt

83. December 2014
• Log can roll
• No PPE

84. July 2014
• Porter TX
• Tree trimmer leg
crushed by branch
while in a tree.
• FD amputated leg
to free him.

85. June 2014
• Frank Cline was cutting trees
for Connecticut Light & Power
project died after being hit by
one of those trees in Meriden
CT on Monday.
• Police say another worker had
tied off the tree limb as a
precaution, but it began
swinging after he cut it and it
struck Cline.
“I cannot believe that every time I needed
you, you were there.
You were there when no one else was. I
love you and will never forget you.
You have meant a lot to me as a brother
but will always live on as a guardian angel
for your family and for every one else you
have met whose live you have touched”

86. November 2014
• Tree chip guard

87. November 2014
• Bakersfield CA
• Palm tree rescue with a
possible back injury on.
• The initial responding engine
found a patient pinned by palm
fronds 35-40 feet high in the
tree.
• A coworker of the victim was
under the patient supporting
him.

88. Wood Chipper

89. Wood Chipper
• •All safety devices and controls, such as emergency shut-off
devices, are tested and verified to be functioning properly before the
chipper is used.
• •Workers are trained in safe work procedures, including operating
wood chipper safety devices and safety controls. These procedures
should be based on the manufacturer's recommendations for each
machine.
• •At least two workers are in close contact with each other when
operating the chipper.
• •Workers wear close-fitting clothing, gloves without cuffs, trousers
without cuffs and skid-resistant foot wear. Clothing should be kept
tucked in.
• •Worker's hands and feet remain outside the infeed hopper.

90. Wood Chipper
• Emergency stop
button is on the
side
• 2007 bandit 250xp.
140 hp cat.

91. September 2014

92. Wood Chipper
• Use of an arm can
help prevent
caught in accidents

93. September 2014
• Phoenix AZ
• A tree surgeon was
decapitated after
falling head first
into an industrial
wood chipper as
his sons watched
in horror.

94. June 2014
• Florida
• Temp worker
putting branches
killed when pulled
into wood chipper

95. December 2014
• Cracked wood
chipper blade
found during
change out.

96. Chain Saws

97. October 2014
• One hand cutting.
• Issues?

98. December 2014
• Fence ingrown in
tree

99. April 2014
• A tree trimmer is recovering
after he was rushed to a
Pittsburgh hospital with a chain
saw blade embedded in his
neck.
• James Valentine was in a tree
in Ross Township on Monday
afternoon when he was struck
in the neck by the saw.
• Another worker helped him
down, and his co-workers left
the saw in place to try to limit
the bleeding.

100. Personal Protective Equipment
• Personal protective
equipment (PPE), for the
head, ears, eyes, face,
hands, and legs are
designed to prevent or
lessen the severity of
injuries to tree trimmers.

101. Chainsaw Safety
Safety Checks
• Chain Brake
• Chain Catch
• Muffler Guard w/ Spark Arrester
• Continuous Pressure Throttle
• Trigger/Hand Guard
PPE
• Hard Hat
• Hearing Protection
• Faceshield/Screen
• Gloves
• Ballistic Chaps
• Cut Resistant Boots

102. Chain Saw Injury Locations
Notice how most injuries occur on the lower left leg and the
left arm. Be sure to protect those areas well.

103. Chainsaw
• October 2014
• “Better than having a
empl. gas up a hot
saw...spill gas on muffler
and burn up a almost new
ms440 and did not have
the brains to throw dirt on
it or nothing....just let it
BURN!!!!.....”

104. Head Protection
Hard hats must be worn
when overhead hazards
are present. The hard
hats must comply with
ANSI standards
(Subpart I, ANSI Z89.1-
1986, if purchased after
July 5, 1994, or ANSI
Z89.1-1969 if purchased
before July 5, 1994).
Check for an ANSI label
inside the hat.

105. Hearing Protection
Requirements for hearing protection are
found in 1910.95. Particular attention
should be paid to monitoring the
logging operation to determine the
noise levels employees are exposed
to. This will determine whether the
employer is required to implement a
hearing conservation program. Some
basic elements of a hearing
conservation plan are providing
audiograms, training employees, and
providing hearing protection in a
variety of forms at no cost to the
employee.

106. Eye and face protection must be
worn where there is potential for
injury to the eyes or face. The
protective equipment must
comply with ANSI standards
(Subpart I, ANSI Z87.1-1989 if
purchased after July 5, 1994, or
ANSI Z87.1-1968 if purchased
before July 5, 1994).
Logger type mesh screens are
considered to be adequate eye
and face protection for chain saw
operators.
Eye/Face Protection

107. Leg Protection
Each employee who operates a chain
saw must wear leg protection
constructed with cut-resistant
material. The leg protection must
extend from the upper thigh down to
the boot top and adequately cover the
leg.
 Leg protection is available in a
variety of forms, including chaps,
logger pants, and leggings. The
protective material also comes in
a variety of forms including
ballistic nylon, polyester, Kevlar,
Engtek, etc.
 Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
currently tests and labels leg
protection which meets minimum
cut resistance requirements.
(Reference ASTM F1414-92a)

108. Foot Protection
Employers must assure that each
employee wears heavy duty
logging boots that are
waterproof or water repellant,
and cover and provide support
to the ankle. If the employee
uses a chain saw, the footwear
must be constructed with cut-
resistant material that will
protect against contact with a
running chain saw. Calk soled
boots are acceptable when they
are required for the employee's
job.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
currently tests and labels foot
protection which meets minimum
cut resistance requirements.
(Reference ASTM F1818-97)

109. Hand Protection
Employees who
handle wire rope are
required to wear
hand protection that
protects against
puncture wounds,
cuts, and
lacerations.

110. Chain Saw
• The chain saw is one of
the most efficient,
productive, and
dangerous portable
power tools used in any
industry. If you learn to
operate it properly and
maintain the saw in good
working condition, you
will avoid injury as well
as be more productive.

111. Parts of a Chain Saw

112. Safe Operation of a Chain Saw

113. Other

114. October 2014

115. QUESTIONS???