Making A Case for In-Tree Chain-Saw Protection
Another year has arrived, and once again the tree industry finds itself high on the list of America’s most dangerous jobs. Surprise! Tree work is dangerous – something about climbing 100-foot-tall trees attached to a 1/2-inch rope while wielding a high-powered chain saw really makes for a hazardous work environment. Fortunately, much of the risk […]
What PPE Must an Employer Provide?
We hear it all the time – OSHA doesn’t know anything about tree care. It’s a myth throughout our industry that we work in a “no-rules” environment. In that situation, PPE is optional, right? Wrong. There is no gray area on personal protective equipment (PPE). It needs to be utilized all the time, every time. […]
New Risks in Workers’- Compensation Insurance
Just as many employers are getting workers’-compensation premiums and related costs under control, the COVID pandemic is introducing new hazards to the regulatory terrain. While claims are increasing for mental distress and pandemic-related accidents, state regulatory agencies are expanding coverage to a presumption of the workplace origination of infections, medical marijuana use and other novel […]
Gloves: The Overlooked PPE
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 […]
ANSI-Approved Safety Glasses Protect a Valuable Asset
Bruce Berard, vice president and chief operating officer for Stanley Tree Service, Inc., a dual-accredited, 32-year TCIA member company in Smithfield, Rhode Island, has had a unique experience with eye injuries. Berard’s brother, Bryan, is a former National Hockey League first-overall draft pick and NHL Rookie of the Year who lost vision in one eye […]