This article is a continuation of the series “Us Versus Them” (see sidebar), contrasting the nonfatal injuries of arborists and the public that occurred while using common arboricultural tools. Past articles have focused on chain saws, chippers/shredders, hand saws/pole saws [...]

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is what you need when everything else has gone wrong. You don’t need a helmet until your head has been impacted by an outside force, usually a branch stub. You don’t need cut-resistant leg protection [...]

Proper fall protection is a must when working in an aerial-lift bucket. Too often, aerial-lift operators die from a fall after they choose not to wear fall protection. Here, a Harrison McPhee employee puts on a safety harness prior to [...]

Do not cut directly above the head. Instead, try to hold the saw at about a 60-degree angle, so the branch does not fall directly on the worker. Photo courtesy of John Ball, Ph.D., CTSP. Handsaws and pole saws – [...]

Chippers are on the short list of equipment that is essential for many arboricultural operations. These machines can convert entire trees into compact volumes that are easily transported. The shredded material also becomes a valuable commodity with far more uses [...]