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Tree Care Industry |
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Health Program |
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In tree care, just as in other professions, effective management of worker safety and health protection is a decisive
factor in reducing the extent and the severity of work-related injuries and illnesses. Effective management addresses all work-related
hazards, including those potential hazards that could result from a change in worksite conditions or practices. It addresses hazards whether
or not they are regulated by government standards. For more information, see OSHA's
Safety and Health Programs Safety and Health Topics
Page.
A tree care company's safety and health program should address the specific safety/compliance concerns applicable to its activities in the
field, shop, and office such as the following:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The OSHA
PPE standard requires the employer to assess the hazards of the worksite and ensure that employees use appropriate PPE.
The employer must also complete a written certification of hazard assessment. Documented policies, training, and enforcement
should ensure that PPE is used by all employees whenever it is required by virtue of hazards in the workplace.
[More Information]
HAZCOM/Right to Know
The
Hazard
Communication Standard (HCS) addresses the issues of evaluating and communicating hazards to workers.
Employees have both a need and a right to know the hazards and identities of the hazardous substances they are exposed to when working. They
also need to know what protective measures are available to prevent adverse effects. However, evaluation is
the responsibility of the producers and importers of the materials, who are required to provide the hazard information to employers that
purchase their products. If you are operating in an OSHA-approved State Plan State,
you must comply with the State's requirements, which may be more stringent than the Federal rule. Contact the
State OSHA Office
for more information regarding applicable requirements.
[More Information]
Lockout/Tagout Knowledge and Training
OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout standard requires that employees be safeguarded from the
unexpected startup of machinery or equipment, or the release of hazardous energy
during service or maintenance activities. If employees are involved in the
maintenance and servicing of equipment, the employer must develop a lockout/tagout
program. A lockout/tagout program must address employee training,
equipment-specific energy control procedures, and periodic inspections to ensure
that equipment is properly de-energized prior to servicing or maintenance.
[More Information]
Illness/Injury Recordkeeping and Posting [1904.2,
1904.4]
OSHA requires businesses to log (keep track of) and, once a year, post a summary of their occupational illnesses and injuries. The OSHA
website provides forms for this purpose. If your company had 10 or fewer
employees at all times during the last calendar year, you need not keep
OSHA injury and illness records unless OSHA or the BLS informs you in writing
that you must keep records under 29
CFR 1904.1 or 29
CFR 1904.2. However, as required by 29
CFR 1904.39, all employers covered by the OSH Act must report to OSHA any workplace
incident that results in a fatality or the hospitalization of three or more
employees within 8 hours of the incident.
[More Information]
OSHA Poster Review
- All covered employers are required to display, and keep displayed, a poster
informing employees of the protections of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
and its amendments.
- The poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place where employees and applicants for employment can see it.
- When employees do not work at or report to a single establishment, posters shall be posted at the location from which the employees carry
out their activities.
- Reproductions or facsimiles of the poster have to be at least 8 1/2 by 14 inches with 10-point type.
- Get the plain language poster [OSHA Publication 3165.
Also available as a 124 KB PDF, 1 page].
Reporting Serious Accidents
[1904.8]
- Within eight hours of the death of any employee from a work-related incident, or the in-patient hospitalization of three or more
employees as a result of a work-related incident, the employer must verbally report the accident by telephone or in person to the
OSHA Area Office nearest to the site of the incident, or by using
the OSHA toll-free central telephone number (1-800-321-OSHA).
- This requirement applies to each fatality or hospitalization of three or more employees that occurs within 30 days of an incident.
When the employer does not learn of a reportable incident at the time it occurs, he/she must report within eight hours of the time the
incident is reported to any agent or employee of the employer.
- Each report has to relate the following information: Establishment name, location of incident, time of the incident, number of fatalities
or hospitalized employees, contact person, phone number, and a brief description of the incident.
Training
Training topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Job Skills for the specific job duty (required by various OSHA standards and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z133.1),
- Electrical Hazards [1910.332, 1910.333, 1910.334, 1910.335, 1910.268, 1910.269]
(only if qualified employees will encroach on the 10-foot minimum separation distance from overhead electrical conductors),
- Hazard Communication [1910.1200],
- First Aid/CPR [1910.151] (required in most instances),
- Bloodborne Pathogens [1910.1030] (required),
- Lockout/Tagout [1910.147] (required),
- Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention (recommended),
- Work Zone Safety (pursuant to the DOT Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)),
- Forklift Operation [1910.178],
- Ergonomics (recommended),
- Back Injury Prevention (recommended),
- Pre-job briefing by the crew leader (required by various OSHA standards and ANSI Z133.1), and
- Requirements for all climbing and rigging equipment, ANSI Z133.1.
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