⦁ Aerial Lift & Climbing Safety: Ensuring aerial lifts, scaffolding, and ladders are secure and durable, as well as situated well away from power lines.
⦁ Chipper Safety: Using wood chippers efficiently so as to avoid being struck by materials thrown from the machine, or getting body parts caught in the feed.
⦁ Traffic Control Safety: Effectively setting up a traffic barrier to redirect vehicles on the road and inform them of work up ahead.
There are various ways landscape and tree care workers can address these safety standards and ensure they are put into place.
Drop Zone Safety
Trimming trees leads to falling tree branches and limbs. Even smaller branches have the ability of seriously injuring workers on the ground at the high speeds they fall. For this reason, establishing a “drop zone” essential. This refers to an area designated for falling tree limbs, which other workers should not cross into.
It can be difficult to establish an accurate drop zone radius, since different sized tree limbs fall at different angles. For this reason, OSHA recommends establishing a work area equivalent to two tree lengths of the tree being trimmed or felled.
Drop zones should be appropriately demarcated. This is done with cones, caution barrier tape, and reflectors if the work is being done in low-visibility weather. Additionally, all workers on the site should be equipped with hard hats and eye protection.
Most importantly, however, is that workers establish an effective communication system amongst themselves. Tree cutters should issue verbal cues to notify ground workers of an upcoming drop. These verbal cues can include “stand clear” or “incoming”. In turn, the tree cutter should wait to receive an affirmative cue from the ground workers below, notifying them that they’re all clear.
Aerial Lift & Climbing Safety
Falls are the deadliest work site hazard. In 2017, they accounted for 39.2% of all construction deaths. That’s why it’s important for scaffolding, ladders, and aerial lifts to be secure prior to use. Aerial lift buckets should be carefully inspected and tested, as tip overs can otherwise occur.
Similarly, ladders and scaffolding should be inspected. Scaffolds should have stable planks, guard rails, and durable cross bracing. Meanwhile, ladders should be kept dry, positioned at a reliable angle, and supported/supervised by a worker at the bottom.
Workers that are aloft should also be equipped with body harnesses at all times, so that they remain attached to the aerial lift bucket and will be aided even in the event of a slip. They should also not reach too far past the edge of the bucket, but rather ask the aerial lift operator to readjust their positioning.
Aerial lifts and climbing devices also pose electrocution risks. They should always be kept away from power lines, particularly if they are made of metal or aluminum. There should be at least 10 feet between power lines and aerial equipment at all times.
Chipper Safety
With proper distance and equipment, placing wood and other organic material into a chipper is fairly safe. However, dangers can arise when workers are manually pushing material into the chipper or leaning too far toward it.
Workers should stand off to the side when inserting material into the wood chipper. Additionally, they should always wear tight-fitting clothing so as to avoid getting caught in the chipper. Hard hats and safety googles should also be worn, as chippers have the tendency to spit small fragments back out at high speeds.
Lastly, the end of the tree or branch that was cut should be fed first into the chipper. This will prevent jams and material kickback.
Traffic Control Safety
Most tree care and landscape workers work near roads and thoroughfares. To avoid being struck by moving vehicles, traffic zones should be established. Cones, barricades, and flaggers should be used to redirect vehicles away from the work site.
In areas of low-visibility, flaggers should always wear reflective vests. Pedestrians should also be reminded to keep a safe distance from falling tree branches. At night, lights should be used to increase the visibility of the work site. All of these precautions are just as important for the safety of workers as for the safety of motorists.
With the above four safety considerations in mind, tree care and landscape workers can significantly decrease the likelihood of injuries and fatalities on the work site. Not only are the solutions to these problems fairly simple, but they rely more on effective communication than anything else. Cooperation and collaboration are crucial to the success and safety of workers in this industry.