Tulip prune selfie. Photo courtesy of Damean Snyder.

Damean Snyder has spent more than 25 years in the tree industry, working in nearly every role – from ground worker to business owner. He is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, ISA Certified Tree Climber and ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified professional as well as a Certified Treecare Safety Professional and TCIA Qualified Trainer. His company, Terraquarbor, based in Pennsylvania focuses primarily on training, innovation and consulting. He also is currently fabricating a new product designed to deliver water directly to a tree’s root zone while providing supplemental support for newly planted trees.

What inspired you to become a CTSP?

I became a CTSP on the recommendation of my former employer. I was hired as a team development coordinator and was tasked with building upon their already very strong safety program. Becoming a CTSP added credibility to the concepts that I would be passing along to the crews.

What safety lessons have had the greatest impact on your career?

With more than 25 years of industry experience, there have been many incidents that have had a profound impact on me. However, one incident has always stuck with me. I’d been climbing for a year or two when I found myself fine dead-wooding a large Japanese maple with the home’s service drop running right through the middle. Prior to beginning work I came up with a game plan as to how I wanted to proceed. I would work one side in its entirety, before coming under the wire and switching my tie-in so I could continue my work. Things were going smoothly until I lost focus on the wire, backed into it and an exposed portion of the wire made contact with a utility carabiner on the back of my saddle. Sparks shot everywhere and nearly burned right through the carabiner. I was unharmed, but the possibility of electrocution had been very real. It was a huge wakeup call and a lesson that I have carried with me since. It led me to become Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP)-qualified very early in my career, and I have kept up with that qualification and followed the recommended minimum approach distances (MADs) when working around electrical service ever since.

Crane-assisted removal of a storm-damaged pine. Photo courtesy of Steve Shreiner.

Can you share a time when your CTSP training or knowledge helped prevent an incident or injury?

Unfortunately, the most catastrophic incidents I have been around have typically happened to members of another crew, and I wasn’t directly involved. However, I’ve always tried to work with that person, management and the entire team to find and implement ways to ensure that an incident or injury like that doesn’t happen again. I also have always been very vocal about close calls I’ve experienced, speaking to others to educate them about what I did wrong and what I could have done better to try to prevent them from making the same mistakes.

What advice would you give someone who is considering becoming a CTSP?

Do it! For anyone who has a strong belief in the necessity of a safe workplace for all, it’s a no-brainer. I think that it validates and qualifies beliefs they already hold but may also inspire them to speak of safety to others throughout the industry whose work practices may not have caught up with the current industry standards. I compare it to the code of ethics that I follow as an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and my care of trees, in that as a CTSP, I am responsible for seeing everyone work safely, not just those I work with directly.

Snyder pauses during the installation of a hub-and-spoke cabling system to help save an overpruned, struggling red maple. Photo courtesy of Kymm Russell.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

When I am not working, I love to tinker in my garden and tackle small renovation projects in my early-1800’s farmhouse. I also spend as much time as possible with friends and family. Whether mountain biking with my son, practicing volleyball or soccer with my daughter or traveling, I try my best to savor every moment.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I want to say that I am very honored to be recognized in this way and to thank the many mentors I have had throughout my career for their guidance in showing me how to properly perform production tree work safely and for helping me to get to this point in my career. I also want to thank the entire staff at TCIA for their continued efforts to establish a strong safety culture throughout the industry and for everything they do to expand our knowledge through all their educational opportunities.

Tracey Miller is the manager of content & communications for TCI Magazine.