Basic tree care safety education saves lives

By TY MCDONALD | SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY

Whether you are a tree care worker, a landscape gardener, a part-time farmer or a home gardener you may find some of the upcoming educational workshops of interest, especially if staying alive is something that interests you.

Did you know five fatalities have occurred in the tree care industry in Hawaii in the past two years? Perhaps all those accidents were avoidable, if proper safety measures were respected and followed by the people involved.

Wonderful, year-round growing conditions in Hawaii means sooner or later nearly every landowner is going to need some chain saw work. Eventually, a tree will obscure your view; or tasty, tempting fruit will hang from unreachable limbs; or perhaps overcrowding between trees planted too close together will occur. In any case, there is much to gain from taking the time to learn all you can about proper chain saw use.

The chain saw is one of the most useful and time-saving power tools ever made. It is also one of the most dangerous. On average, 100 chain saw injuries occur every day in this country, some serious enough to kill and others to produce serious injury.

Every chain saw user should understand the hazards and potential injuries so there will be more desire to observe proper operating procedures (or to hire a professional). The most common injuries resulting from improper use are:

c Cuts by the chain on the underside of the guide bar; usually caused by sawing through materials into the legs, feet or torso.

c Cuts by the chain on the top side of the bar as a result of kickback or a hand slipping off the front handle.

c Injuries from overhead by branches shaken loose by tree vibrations when cutting.

c Injuries from falling trees or rolling logs.

c Possible hearing impairment if ears are not protected.

c Others such as falls while carrying, operating or starting saws, and burns because of a hot muffler.

Chain saws serve a broad range of cutting needs, from small trimming jobs to felling large trees. A chain saw should be selected for the main cutting jobs it will do. Most nonprofessional users choose medium-sized saws with 14- to 20-inch bars and weighing 10 to 15 pounds. This weight is reasonably easy to handle. Heavier saws, when used for long periods, can result in fatigue and increase the likelihood of accidents.

Over the years, manufacturers have succeeded in improving chain saw safety features, from lowering noise and vibration to reducing kickback, and decreasing overall weight. Also, the throttle interlock makes sure the throttle and chain return to idle when the rear handle is released.

Professional arborists and those doing chain saw repair work can tell you which saws are easiest to maintain and repair. You may not realize that proper chain saw maintenance is also an integral component of safe chain saw operation and is a major challenge for anyone who owns or operates a chain saw.

Although chain saws are involved in many tree worker injuries, other causes include chippers, injuries because of falling limbs, electrocution and falling out of trees.

To help fill the need for tree care safety, educational programs, the state’s Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division and the Aloha Arborist Association are currently conducting basic tree care safety workshops statewide.

These full-day workshops are designed for commercial, private and government workers, supervisors and managers involved in tree and landscape management activities where chain saws, chippers, aerial lifts and climbing are used. Attendees will receive operational information that can lower the risk of injury.

The key topic areas are: state and federal laws, regulations and standards; general safety practices, electrical hazards awareness; tools and equipment safety: chain saws, chippers and aerial lifts; tree climbing safety and tree felling safety.

Participants will receive a copy of “ANSI Z133.1 Safety Standards for Tree Care Operations.” Six CEU’s are available to ISA-certified arborists. Instructors include HIOSH staff and Kevin Eckert of Arbor Global. Cost is $50 with lunch included.

The workshop will be held March 8 at the University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service in Kainaliu. You must register in advance.

The Hawaii Island Landscape Association is again offering its educational training series and certification programs this year.

The landscape maintenance training program, a broad-based training, provides a good foundation for all landscape gardeners, including home gardeners, but also helps prepare those interested in obtaining certification through the national Certified Landscape Technician Testing Program.

The 10-week training program starts March 21. Topics include basic botany, tropical plant identification (more than 100 species), plant and soil health, turf care, irrigation basics, pesticide safety and more. The classes will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.

The CLT Test Prep Intensive and the CLT Test will be held in Kona in June, provided there is a sufficient number of trainees.

Cost per class is $35 for Hawaii Island Landscape Association members; $40 for nonmembers. The fee for the entire series is $300 for association members and $350 for nonmembers.

For more information and to register for any of these workshops contact me at tym@hawaii.edu or call 322-4884.