A Landscaper Dies from Asphyxia When Compressed by Palm Fronds

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cierpich, Hank ; Harrison, Robert ; Styles, Laura
• Corporate Authors:
  California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program (CA/FACE) ; California. Department of Public Health. Occupational Health Branch
• Description:
  A landscaper died while trimming a palm tree in the back yard of a homeowner. Neither the victim nor the landscaper who hired him were certified tree trimmers. The palm tree was approximately 60 feet high. The victim was about halfway up the tree when the skirt of dead palm fronds directly above him broke loose and slid down, compressing him against the tree trunk and suffocating him. The fire department performed a technical rescue, but when they reached the victim he was in cardiac arrest. The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent future incidents, landscapers and self-employed tree trimmers who trim or remove palm trees should ensure that: 1. Palm tree trimming or removal is performed or supervised by workers trained and certified by organizations such as the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) or the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). 2. Proper work procedures and equipment are used, such as using an aerial lift and cutting fronds from above. In addition, property owners who need palm trees trimmed or removed should: 3. Only hire tree trimmers who are certified by organizations such as TCIA or ISA. In addition, they should only hire companies that have a current tree trimming contractor's license (in states where this is applicable). Also, fire departments in locations with palm trees should: 4. Develop and implement rescue protocols for trapped palm tree trimmers.
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Education Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Hazardous Substances Mortality Occupational Health Race Factors Safety Safety Management Staff Development Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Accident Analysis Accident Prevention Environmental Hazards Equipment Operation Equipment Operators Fatalities Hazard Controls Hazard Recognition Injuries Injury-prevention Injury Prevention Job Analysis Landscape Services Workers Mortality-data OSHA Region 9 Protective Measures Racial Factors Recommendations Safety Monitoring Safety Practices Training Traumatic Injuries Tree Trimmers Work Areas Work Environment

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• FACE - NIOSH and State:
  FACE ; Hispanic ; Landscaping Services
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Subseries:
  State
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHSFACE16CA007
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052855
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2018-101645
• Citation:
  Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 16CA007, 2017 Oct ; :1-9
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  California Department of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  2005/07/01
• End Date:
  2026/06/30
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ef177eaa683184aa88b0208dbabfe0d770ea058b422e2d3fa65c310bba0152bdd7cd3162cf99f9106eafa4b2ddf16b4b4f2a71603fc71da6b6c9fe77e517291d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/164977/cdc_164977_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 751.27 KB ]