Tag: safety procedures

Major Stem on Tree Falls: The Blooma Crew Removes the Stem and Tree Safely.

The Seattle Winter Storm 2012 isn't through with us yet! We were awakened at 5:20 am by a client whose front tree had dropped a major stem right at his house (see photo). Martin assembled his crew, rushed to Ravenna, and began safely removing the stem and the tree itself. We were very happy for the customer--this was a narrow call.

Martin used rigging and a climbing saddle to climb the dangerous tree.

Soon, the limb was removed and all the debris was chipped up in our chipper. Firewood was saved and stacked neatly.

Spotted in a Seattle neighborhood--this man is risking his life and limb to cut branches.

Well, we couldn't quite believe our eyes when we spotted this landscaper attempting to prun a tree, and I had to run to the fence to take a picture. Let's count the ways in which this tree pruning is dangerous:

1. The man is on a ladder. He is not tied in to anything. Ladders are dangerous.
2. He has no safety equipment on. No hard hat (what's with the shower cap?) and no protective eyewear. Limbs fall downward (gravity), and bits fly toward your face.
3. He is cutting above his head, which means he does not have much control over that chainsaw. Now sometimes, even trained professionals will perform a quick cut above their head, but they've got the muscles to hold the saw steady.
4. He is swinging a huge axe at the tree to cut the limb (photo below). This will definitely lead to being off-balance, and again, he isn't tied into the tree for safety. Also, how sharp is the axe? A dull axe is much more dangerous than a sharp one.
5. A swinging limb can knock the ladder out from under him, causing injury.

We have to wonder if this man has L & I. If he gets hurt, the homeowner will be responsible for his injuries.

The moral of the story is if you choose to save money by hiring untrained workers to do dangerous tree work on your property, you should be prepared for the financial and moral consequences. Ask yourself: Is it worth it? Or shouldn't you just go ahead and hire trained, professional certified arborists with proper training and L & I coverage?