Accidents, Injuries & Near-Misses in Professional Aboriculture

paul_darrington · 5th February 2010, 11:00 PM

After my climbing/rigging injury, i've been quite focused on saftey/ injury prevention.

I found that most of the safe work procedures & guidelines on tree lopping were a bit bland and hard to relate too...

Conversely, i found that reading through Arbor accidents & injuries was very interesting, and could relate to them on a more personal level - and would be more likely to remember them when it counts.

So I decided I'd like to make a brief record of all the (useful) accidents I came across. Mainly professional arbor accidents, rather than 'pedestrian injuries' or DIY tree fellers working in an unsafe manner.

Below is the resultant document;

paul_darrington · 5th February 2010, 11:10 PM

I also wanted a quick hazard checklist, to guide me through a safety assessment before each job - so that i was less likely of overlook hazards.

Below is the result - feel free to add, edit & use if you want (Please mention things i've missed)

Eric Frei · 6th February 2010, 08:19 AM

Hats off to you mate!

Pretty dang well done putting all those injuries and incidences together. Do a spell check though.

With the risk assessment you may want to post it on this thread and continue the discussion of that there.

Lets build a Hazard - Risk Assessment form

Everyday there's more, in the last week 2 dead I know of. Just recently a guy got taken out by a barber chair although the media reported it differently.

TH - Local News Article

Quote:

Thursday, February 4, 2010
Man killed in lumbering accident

A 49-year-old man died Monday in a lumbering accident near his rural Gays Mills home, according to the Crawford County Sheriff's Department.

Randall Lund was cutting down a tree for firewood about 11:30 p.m. when the trunk split and fell backward, pinning Lund. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In this next one we have interfering trees/branches. A branch on the falling tree struck a dead tree, the dead tree then fell hitting the man in the head.

Benton man dies in tree-trimming accident - Benton, IL - Benton Evening News

Quote:

Fri Feb 05, 2010, 07:37 AM CST
A rural Benton man died Tuesday afternoon in a tree-trimming accident.

According to Franklin County Coroner Marty Leffler, at 2:43 p.m. Tuesday, the sheriff's department requested that the coroner be dispatched to a residence northeast of Benton, where a 61-year-old male had been involved in an accident.

Deputy Coroner Tom Little arrived on the scene at 3:10 p.m. and pronounced Richard Benjamin deceased.

Benjamin was having some trees cleared from property where his new home is being constructed, Leffler said. A tree was being cut down to clear the way for a wireless Internet and satellite service to be installed.

The tree fell, Leffler said, and a large limb from that tree struck a dead tree and caused it to fall and strike Benjamin in the head, knocking him to the ground. Witnesses said that Benjamin remained motionless and appeared to be lifeless, the coroner said.

A Cardinal EMS ambulance was dispatched to the scene, along with the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, where they found Benjamin had died from apparent head trauma. External examination of the body by Leffler revealed that the injury caused a fatal skull fracture. Benjamin also suffered a broken clavicle and a dislocated knee from the accident.

"This is such a tragedy for this family that was looking forward to their retirement and their new home that was being constructed," Leffler said. "Please uplift this family in your daily prayers."

paul_darrington · 7th February 2010, 02:56 PM

Thanks Ekka,

For Risk Assessment, please go to this thread: www.treeworld.info/f9/lets-build-hazard-risk-assessment-form-358.html

7th February 2010, 02:56 PM	#4
paul_darrington Sappling Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Coffs Harbour Posts: 10	Re: Accidents, Injuries & Near-Misses in Professional Aboriculture Thanks Ekka, For Risk Assessment, please go to this thread: www.treeworld.info/f9/lets-build-hazard-risk-assessment-form-358.html

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