Tag Archives: landscaping

Ensuring Tree Care & Landscape Worker Safety

Tree care and landscaping workers are especially vulnerable to the Fatal Four, also known as construction’s four deadliest hazards. There are five main safety considerations they have to take into account, consisting of:
⦁ Drop Zone Safety: Determining where large tree limbs can fall without risk to other workers.
⦁ 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.

Ellie Batchiyska is a writer for Scaffold Store, a trusted scaffold supplier for home renovators and contractors.

FOUR PREVENTIVE MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN YOUR SEWER LINES (GUEST POST)

(This is an area where you don’t want to risk surprises)

Not every part of life is pretty. We don’t really want to think about our sewers that often, but like Mike Rowe displays in his popular Discovery Show Series, Dirty Jobs, there are a lot of “Hardworking men and women who earn an honest living doing the kinds of jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us.” Plumbers have one of those jobs, perhaps not that glamorous but if you are ever in a sewer emergency, they suddenly do become super heroes; from Upstate New York to Phoenix, Arizona, no matter if you are a stock broker or a homemaker, we all need a good, friendly neighborhood plumber from time to time. There are a couple of steps that you can take and preventive measures that you can keep in mind to help properly maintain your sewer lines.

Here are a few super tips and preventive measures that you can take so that you don’t end up with a filthy job yourself.

1). Don’t believe everything you read! When a product states that it is flushable it is not always true. The label can’t take into consideration the age or condition of your particular sewer lines. Some older and fragile sewer lines may not be able to tolerate flushing the product that you hold in your hands so when in doubt throw it out, instead of flushing it down.

2). When it comes to your sewers the two words to remember are “preventive maintenance.” Be aware of the condition of your sewer lines and don’t wait for something to go wrong before you take action. This will help you avoid possible issues later on down the road. One good suggestion, especially if you own an older home, is to have an annual inspection of your sewer lines. The plumbing industry has integrated new technology into its practices and many companies now have video cameras that they can use to scope your sewer pipes to evaluate their current condition. This is also highly recommended before a new home purchase.

3). Be aware of the placement of your landscaping. Do not plant a tree near a sewer or water line that runs through the yard. Tree and plant roots can infiltrate a sewer line and cause serious problems down the road.  You will avoid having problems later on as the trees roots can infiltrate a sewer line. In fact, roots and grease are the two main culprits when it comes to sewer line problems.

4). It is often more convenient to just flush something away then to dispose of it properly. But it is very important to remember to not use your toilet as garbage can. By not flushing the wrong types of debris down your toilet you will save water and perhaps even the cost of a plumber. Watch small children around the toilet as they love to watch many thing go “down the toilet” ie; toys, tooth and hair brushes, your keys!

Keep these 4 helpful hints in mind and they will help you keep this dirty, but necessary part of life clean and working properly. The good thing about plumbing tips is even if you live in Glendale in the Southwest of Arizona or Washington D.C., plumbing tips are pretty universal so we can all benefit from the same information and apply it so that we don’t wake up to a sewer emergency. If you would like to read about 5 things you should NOT put down your drains, click here.

Our thanks to Stephanie Drescher, who sent this very important information that affects us all.  In case you do wind up doing some plumbing yourself, be sure to wear gloves and safety glasses and any other protection you may need.  We all should appreciate our plumbers, who do jobs we don’t want to do, but receive good compensation for their hard work. pb