New York
Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health
It's
something we all have to live with: the possibility of oil
prices going up and up. Because of this unpredictability,
many people have chosen to heat their homes with wood. Some
of them buy their wood pre-cut, but many others cut their
own. The Rural Health and Safety Council notes that recent
information from the forestry industry shows a rising amount
of accidents related to woodlot work.
A
serious hazard is a hung, or lodged, tree. This happens
when a tree gets caught in another tree's branches as it falls.
The biggest mistake you can make is to cut down the second
tree. Because the first tree may unexpectedly fall while you're
cutting down the second one, you run the risk of being crushed
by the first tree. The safest procedure is to wait and allow
the cut tree to fall naturally.
A
second serious hazard is called a "widow maker." While
cutting a tree, you run the risk of being hit by dead wood
which is lodged in the top of the tree you're cutting or in
other nearby trees. This problem can be handled by either
not cutting down that particular tree or taking the chance
that you'll be able to avoid the dead wood when the tree falls.
The
most important thing to remember is that knowledge, experience,
and close attention to safety are essential when trying to
avoid woodlot accidents.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
public service announcement was produced by the New York Center
for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), One Atwell
Road, Cooperstown, New York 13326 - Ph# (607) 547-6023 or
(800) 343-7527 in the northeast. Publication date: 1994.
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