3 Common Injuries Associated With Tree Cutting And How To Prevent Them
Posted on: 2 November 2016
In order to remain healthy and beautiful, trees require regular trimming, pruning, and maintenance. If a tree becomes diseased or dies, it needs to be cut down and removed from your property so that it does not cause damage to other trees or property. Many homeowners will attempt to take down the tree on their own. Unfortunately, this can result in injury if the proper precautions are not taken. Here are some of the most common injuries related to tree cutting and removal and how they can be prevented:
1. Falling Limbs
One of the most common injuries associated with tree cutting is being struck by falling limbs or branches. In many cases, you won't be outside cutting the tree alone. There will be someone on the ground. This individual is at risk of getting struck by the limbs as you drop them. Make sure to identify a particular area where you will be dropping the limbs, such as to the right or to the left. Avoid leaving cut limbs in the tree. If the limbs cannot be dropped safely, lower them with a rope. Since falling limbs are a potential problem, hard hats should be worn for protection.
2. Falls
Another common injury related to tree cutting would be falling. This may be out of the tree as you are cutting limbs or off of the ladder. If you are going to access the tree on a ladder, make sure that you secure it to the tree. When you are cutting a limb, never tie or anchor yourself to that particular limb. Otherwise, when that limb is cut loose, you will be as well. Also, make sure that all of your safety lines – harnesses and ropes – are kept a safe distance away from all of your cutting equipment so that there are not accidental cutting mistakes made. It is also a good idea to only climb when the weather is nice out.
3. Eye Injuries
A third common injury with tree cutting is an eye wound. As you are cutting branches, or even the trunk of a tree if you are planning on removing the entire tree, it is inevitable that chips of wood and sawdust will become airborne. As a result, these airborne pieces can then get into your eyes, cause irritation, and possibly even scratch your eye, which can be very painful. To keep this from happening, you should always wear safety goggles to ensure that your eyes are protected at all times from foreign objects.
If you would like to prevent injury all together or you simply do not feel safe performing tree maintenance or performing a full-on tree removal yourself, don't hesitate to call a tree expert in your community such as Edmonds Tree Service.
Share