Arborists: Look Up, Stay Clear & Stay Secured

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Michigan Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (Project) (MIFACE)
• Description:
  In Michigan from 2001-2003, 7 arborists have been killed when struck by falling trees or limbs or after falling from the tree while trimming. In order to prevent similar incidents in the future: 1. Develop a work plan. 2. Communicate the work plan to all workers through a job briefing before the work begins. 3. Assign work areas so that the distance between adjacent occupied work areas is at least two tree lengths of the trees being felled. 4. Set up the work area to prevent intrusions. 5. Evaluate trees before they are worked on to be sure they can stand the strain of climbing, rigging, or removal. 6. Plan a clear escape path. A safe escape path is 45 degrees from the sides and back on either side of the tree. Never move away directly behind the tree. Use the chain brake, walk away at least 20 feet and try to put yourself behind a standing tree. 7. Use safe climbing procedures such as breaking or cutting off dead limbs while climbing and placing hands and feet on separate limbs. 8. Communicate struck-by hazards through " voice command & response" : the climber should say, "Stay clear!" and groundworkers acknowledge with, "All clear!" before trees or tree sections are allowed to fall. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Forestry Occupational Health Safety Safety Management Workplace
• Keywords:
  Accidents Climbing Forestry-workers Hazards Humans Injuries Safety-education Safety-measures Traumatic-injuries Work-areas Work-environment Workers

  More +
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  Michigan State University
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Guidance
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041145
• Citation:
  East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Department of Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, HA#4, 2005 Jan; :1
• Email:
  debra.chester@ht.msu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Performing Organization:
  Michigan State Department of Labor and Economic Growth
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20040901
• Source Full Name:
  Arborists: look up, stay clear & stay secured
• End Date:
  20070831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d8eb665d7ce6aa8780df90a1949f9ca40118413b2935410d243aa2b719e169ec3adf3ffcf6c1cfd85fb7a22d95ecc9f4aa3e7467e99ddd0bfdafa82162eb181b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228667/cdc_228667_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 282.76 KB ]