January 2006 - OSHA Publishes Tree Care Company Web Page

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has introduced a new resource on its Web site that provides an assistance tool for workers and employers in the tree care industry. The new safety and health topics page is a product of OSHA’s former alliance with the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). Users can access information to develop and implement comprehensive safety and health programs, and learn how to recognize and address potential safety hazards, including overhead power lines, falling branches, and faulty safety equipment.

Tree care companies provide services, such as pruning, removal, plant health care, cabling and bracing, transplanting, consulting, fertilization, and lightning protection. In tree care, just as in other professions, effective management of worker safety and health protection is a decisive factor in reducing the extent and the severity of work-related injuries and illnesses. Effective management addresses all work-related hazards, including those potential hazards that could result from a change in worksite conditions or practices. It addresses hazards whether or not they are regulated by government standards.

The Web page discusses what a tree care company’s safety and health program should address and the specific safety/compliance concerns applicable to its activities in the field, shop, and office. These include the following issues:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• HAZCOM/Right to Know
• Lockout/Tagout Knowledge and Training
• Illness/Injury Recordkeeping and Posting
• OSHA Poster Review
• Reporting Serious Accidents
• Other Important Considerations for a Safe Work Environment
• Training

The OSHA Web page can be found at www.osha.gov/SLTC/treecare/index.html.

COPYRIGHT ©2005, ISO Services Properties, Inc.

The information contained in this publication was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. ISO Services Properties, Inc., its companies and employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with either the information herein contained or the safety suggestions herein made. Moreover, it cannot be assumed that every acceptable safety procedure is contained herein or that abnormal or unusual circumstances may not warrant or require further or additional procedure.