TREE-CARE WORKER IS CRUSHED BY CUT TREE SECTION DURING STORM DAMAGE CLEANUP IN NEW JERSEY

 

TREE-CARE WORKER IS CRUSHED BY CUT TREE SECTION DURING STORM DAMAGE CLEANUP IN NEW JERSEY

A 59-year-old tree-care worker was killed after a section of a tree he was cutting fell on top of him.  The incident occurred on a residential property in a heavily-wooded area in northern NJ. 

On the day of the incident, the victim and two other workers were conducting storm-damage cleanup on several trees, some still standing, some down.  The victim was working on a large white oak tree that had fallen down during a hurricane and which was partially attached to the base of the tree. 

He was bucking the tree (cutting it into sections), and had already made five cuts starting from the canopy. He was standing on a slight downhill slope when he made his final cut; the cut section fell towards him and landed on his chest, pinning him down.  His coworkers and several other tree-care workers, who were working in an adjacent lot, heard the crash and came running to the site. 

The victim was freed from the section, but died shortly afterwards at the hospital. 

Contributing Factors of the Accident: 

·         Standing on downhill side of cut

·         Tree was downed, partially attached

·         Tension and compression forces on the downed tree

Our investigators recommend that these safety guidelines be followed to prevent similar incidents: 

·         When operating a chain saw on downed trees, when possible, the safer position is on the uphill side of the work.

·         Take the time to check for and recognize if a fallen tree is under pressure. If so, take additional precautions to prevent or alleviate hazardous conditions.

·         Always have a clear retreat path when bucking downed trees.

·         Always work with a spotter in any potentially hazardous situation.

·         A safety and health plan based on a job hazard analysis should be developed by the employer and followed where workers are assigned tasks.