OSHA opens investigation into death of tree trimmer with Nelson's Tree Service in Columbia, MO
Renee Hickman
Aug 16, 2016
COLUMBIA — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation Monday into the death of a 25-year-old man who was struck by a tree limb while working in Columbia for Nelson's Tree Service.
The Columbia Police Department and the Boone County Medical Examiner's Office, citing an ongoing investigation, would not identify the man who died on Wednesday in the 3900 block of Deerfoot Way.
According to a news release from OSHA, employers are required to file a report within eight hours of a death on the job; Nelson's Tree Service did not file a report until two days later on Aug. 12.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine if any violations of OSHA safety standards contributed to the incident," Todd Sieleman, OSHA's acting area director in Kansas City, said in the release.
Sieleman said OSHA investigators would be looking for violations that expose employees to the leading causes of death in the tree trimming field: falls, electrocution, and employees being caught in or being struck by objects.
Nelson's Tree Service could face fines up to $124,709, Sieleman said, as well as a possible additional fine of $5,000 for failing to report the death within the eight-hour window.
Sieleman said tree trimming continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States.
Tchukki Andersen, staff arborist at the Tree Care Industry Association, said there has been an uptick in the number of tree trimming accidents and deaths in the past three years, which she believes is the result of more people entering the business without professional training.
Efforts to reach Nelson's Tree Service for comment were unsuccessful.
The OSHA investigation could take up to six months, the agency said.