Accident Briefs for July 2021
Worker killed felling tree A tree worker died July 1, 2021, in Orlando, Florida, when a tree he was removing for a local church fell on him. The church had hired a tree-trimming service to remove four oak trees on the property. The trees had lost multiple limbs recently and were considered a hazard. The […]
Wildfire Prevention and Suppression Training
A wildfire can be caused in an instant – a lightning strike, a lit cigarette thrown out of a car, misjudging wind while lighting a campfire, a tree limb striking an electrical line; these are just some of the many causes of forest fires. While mother nature can be extreme and unpredictable, we all play […]
Thinking Critically About Life-Safety Carabiners
Choosing a carabiner for your climbing system, lanyard or redirect sling – all life-safety applications – seems like a simple process. Which brand, what style and, of course, which color do you like best? However, I’ve seen numerous instances of climbers using carabiners that do not meet the minimum safety standards for our profession. And […]
Progressive Aerial Rescue: Is It an Afterthought?
We’ve been shorting ourselves. When it comes to aerial-rescue training, we, as an industry, have been spending too much time on the same few points while overlooking numerous critical points in the overall incident. We tend to approach the rescue with the mindset of “down to ground as soon as possible,” and then call it […]
Accident Briefs for June 2021
Homeowner killed in struck-by A homeowner was killed when he was struck in the head by a tree or tree limb while cutting trees on his property June 10, 2021, in Smiths Station, Alabama. Jeffery Allen Ward, 58, had been cutting some trees on his property with a chain saw. When he did not return […]