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 and aerial devices/ladders. This is the first in the series to discuss arboricultural operations rather […]
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 until the saw kicks back into your leg. We wear PPE to keep the consequences […]
Another year, and arboricultural operations are still among the leading industrial activities for fatal and nonfatal injuries. Compared to all industries, tree workers have at least 15 times the fatality rate (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020a) and three times the nonfatal rate (BLS 2018). You might take some comfort in the nonfatal rate being “only” […]
Handsaws and pole saws – what more basic pruning tools are there than these? Handsaws are mandatory for most tree crews. Every time their feet leave the ground, whether climbing the tree or flying the aerial lift, a tree worker must have a handsaw with them. Pole saws extend the radius of our reach. They […]
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 – biofuels and mulch, to name two – than the traditional firewood market for brush. […]
