A Tree Trimmer is Electrocuted When a Tree Branch Falls onto Energized Electric Power Lines

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 tree trimmer was electrocuted while trimming tree branches in a residential front yard. The victim was hired by a homeowner to trim the branches of a tree growing into utility lines in his front yard. The victim was wearing a full-body harness for fall protection, and had a climbing rope, flip line, drop line, and climbing spurs on his feet. He used a chain saw to cut away the branches of the tree. A branch that was cut did not fully detach from the tree and struck the energized electric power lines. The electric current flowed through the cut branch and into the victim who was attached to the tree with his climbing spurs. Contributing factors identified in this investigation were improper work practices in line-clearance tree trimming, and working in close proximity to energized utility lines. The CA/FACE investigator determined that in order to prevent future incidents, tree trimmers who perform line-clearance tree trimming should ensure that: 1. The electric utility company is notified whenever tree trimming is closer than ten feet to energized high-voltage lines
  
  and, 2. They have received training and certification in line-clearance tree trimming operations by qualified instructors. In addition, homeowners who need trees trimmed or removed that are in close proximity to high voltage lines should: 1. Contact the electric utility company and request they trim the trees
  
  or, 2. Hire only qualified line-clearance tree trimmers or contractors who are trained and certified by organizations such as the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) or the TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association).
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Construction Industry Electric Injuries Electricity Forestry Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Accident-analysis Accident-prevention Construction Construction-industry Construction-workers Electrical-hazards Electrocutions Forestry-workers Injuries Injury-prevention OSHA Region 9 Training Traumatic-injuries Work-areas Work-practices

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• FACE - NIOSH and State:
  FACE ; Electrocution ; Hispanic ; Foreign Born Workers ; Prevention through Design (PtD) ; Landscaping Services
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Subseries:
  State
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHSFACE11CA003
• 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:
  1-7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20040886
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2012-110764
• 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 11CA003, 2012 Mar ; :1-7
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• 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:e8d6d829a37c6af0d66027ccf49bd3211b43089d0782289378d68b1659195e64118a1bdc1f2d464326a4e3478444a36aca58e35125bdf3ad0cc9e0aafe6e8124
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/165202/cdc_165202_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 443.73 KB ]