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What’s in Your First Aid Kit?

by | Dec 7, 2020 | Safety | 0 comments

What’s in Your First Aid Kit?

We as an industry, need to re-think how our First Aid kits are stocked and maintained. The basic kit you can pick up at the drugstore is not enough for the types of injuries we may need to respond to as arborists.

First Aid kits should be routinely inspected and expired materials replenished. Plastic tamper seals (like those on fire extinguishers) can be used as a soft lock on the kits – they can be quickly opened for access and the safety officer can easily see that someone has used the kit and that supplies need to be replaced. At the end of this article we have included a list of suggested items for an arborist’s first aid kit, but don’t just stock your kit and forget about it!

Some of my favorite kit items are multi-functional and take some practice to use, so when ordering these supplies, order extras for your crew members to practice with. Israeli bandages (or similar) are a must have, and an accident involving a severe cut with a pole saw is no time to try and learn how to use one. Tourniquets like the RATS are compact and can be applied with one hand by the injured person, so are ideal for climbers. A SAM Splint can also function as a neck brace. A SWAT-T tourniquet is multi-functional and can even be used as a sling. I recommend having all the items just mentioned, but it does take practice to use them quickly and effectively.

All First Aid kits on the truck should have at least the materials listed below, however, it is also a good idea for a climber and a ground person to carry a small personal First Aid pouch with them whether in the tree or on the ground. Time is crucial when responding to a severe injury, so a climber having supplies when aloft or a groundsman not having to run back to the truck for a kit can save a life.

Most items on the list are available at drugstores or online through Amazon, or check out http://www.wesspur.com/safety/first-aid.html for prepared kits.

Personalizing, understanding, and maintaining your first aid kit are important steps in your crew’s safety!

First Aid Kits for Arborists:
Personal protective equipment (PPE):
non-latex gloves
safety glasses
CPR barrier
Bag to dispose of used gloves
Absorbent compresses
Adhesive bandages (Band-Aids) various sizes
Adhesive tape
Israeli bandage or similar pressure dressing
Triangular bandage
Antibiotic treatment
Antiseptic swabs, wipes, and/or towelettes
Aspirin – Benadryl – Ibuprofen
Compression bandages
Burn dressing (gel-soaked pad)
Burn treatment
Cold pack
Glucose tabs or hard candies (like peppermints)
Clotting bandage
Eye covering with means of attachment (2 single or 1 large covering for both eyes)
Eye/skin wash
Hand sanitizer (water soluble; at least 61% ethyl alcohol)
Sterile pads (at least 4×4”)
SAM Splint
Tourniquet
First aid guide (e.g. EMS Safety Basic First Aid Workbook)
Blanket (not cloth, but a Mylar “space” blanket)
Scissors
Tweezers
Notepad & pencil

Written by: Dawn Thierbach

& Margaret Hebert

Aerial Lift Safety

by | Nov 23, 2020 | Safety | 0 comments

AERIAL LIFT SAFETY

An aerial lift device is undoubtedly one of the best friends an arborist may have.  But are you running this piece of equipment safely or just getting the job done?  

Many companies use this piece of equipment in all the right ways with all the safety devices and following the instructions, however it is very easy to get complacent when operating an aerial lift. Simple mistakes can happen at any time, but are magnified when you’re just trying to get that last job completed or have been on a storm damage clean-up for a few days in a row. 

So, let us all make a concerted effort through mechanics, the safety manual, and through personal protective equipment to truly make the aerial lift our best friend and not an adversary.It is always important to read your lift’s manual as a starting point, though that only goes so far.

Here are a few questions to ask your team to avoid some of the safety infractions I have seen in the field.

1. No PPE. Yes, you may be wearing all your PPE, but are you wearing your fall arrest system or are you hooked to the boom or where it is recommended to buckle in?

2. Have you dialectically tested your boom?  Do you do this test yearly – line clearance mechanics can test, but if you are a commercial arborist, you must take it to a testing facility.

3. Do you check the witness bolts?  Or are all your bolts covered with debris?  Are you greasing bolts?

4. Do you use the outriggers?  Or are you one of those arborists that only use the outriggers when you are not on even ground?  Do you use the outrigger pads?

5. Are you checking to make sure all your lights work?

6. Are you doing maintenance; or are you repairing the machine as it breaks down?

7. Do you use a spotter when backing out of a tight spot or any other time a spotter is needed?

8. Is your fire extinguisher up to date, or your first aid kit?

9. Do you handle your saw correctly in the bucket?

10. Is your bucket full of chips? Your reach, when chips are in the bucket is great, but do not allow the chips to build up so much that your hips are above the bucket’s edge.

These questions are just simple reminders to remember.  Make it a policy for all aerial lift devices that all crew members using this “friend” to read the manual, be aware of the safety, and to spread the knowledge.  

It is possible to point out when others are not using the device correctly as long as you point it out nicely and make sure they are that you are fearing for their safety and not being a jerk.  It is not wrong to ask questions about the device.  It is not wrong to question someone’s safety or safe use of the equipment.  We have to stop worrying about offending other crew members or other arborists when we point out safety infractions or when there is a better way to use equipment. Advise the “newbie”, have discussions with the intermediate arborist, and remind the experience arborists about safety with using an aerial lift device and all other safety devices. 

This tip is about the aerial lift device, but being a safety conscious person is not a crime.  Don’t be the safety police, be a safety conscious friend. Be aware of every device you use, you must use safely.  All of us arborists want you to go home at night to your families and friends.  For more safety tips, please visit our Weekly Tip blog here. 

Written by: Dawn Thierbach

Plant Health Care Safety Tips

by | Aug 31, 2020 | Safety | 0 comments

Plant Health Care Safety Tips

It is always important to wear your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), however, working with chemicals in Plant Health Care (PHC), is another story. As a tree care owner, you must make sure your PHC team takes PPE’s seriously. Here are some helpful safety tips to pass onto your PHC team.

Change of Clothes – Keep at least one change of clothes in the vehicle. A change of clothes can make a difference in having to wear the original clothing/shoes that you may have spilled chemicals on during the course of the day home. Place your change of clothing in a sealed plastic bag, when it is time to go home put your chemical residue clothing in the bag and wear the clean clothing/shoes home. Remember to wash your hands after touching your chemical residue clothing. Also wash your chemical residue clothing by itself, do not mix wash your chemical residue clothing with your spouse or children’s clothing.

Gloves – It is imperative, that you wear chemical resistant gloves. When you take them off be sure to wash your hands (a disinfectant wipe can be used for this if in the field). If you don’t wash your hands, popping a candy in your mouth, smoking a cigarette, eating lunch, etc. becomes a game of Russian Roulette – what chemical am I going to taste today. Above all after washing your hands, do not touch your clothing again. Clean your gloves every night – you don’t want to put the gloves on with chemicals from the day before on them. Make sure your gloves go up to at least mid-forearm. If a chemical spills and reaches over the top of the gloves – change your shirt.

Long Sleeve Shirt and Pants – Simply put wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants will protect you from chemical burns on your skin. However, those clothes must be changed right away if you spill any chemical onto your clothes, as the chemical will soak into the fabric and then your skin.

Safety Goggles and Helmet – No one wants to lose their vision due to a chemical splash. So wearing googles are another must wear when working with chemicals. Ensure they fit tightly around your eyes. Your safety helmets also is important in protecting your scalp from the chemical and from blunt trauma that may happen with a broken hose or a slip and fall on a hard surface.

Rubber Boots – Wearing rubber boots and keeping them for only plant health care work is smart. Your feet walk through the mist from spraying and they get chemicals spilled on them. Make sure they do not have any leaks. It is a good idea to take them off without using your hands – try to buy them the right size so you can slip them off.

Disinfectant Wipes – Since chemicals can be transferred to any surface that you touch, utilize disinfectant wipes while in the field and make note of any areas that need a thorough cleaning when you get back to the shop. It is a good idea to bring your lunch in metal container, that way you are sure that no chemicals are touching your food in transport. Wipe down the steering wheel and seats of your truck before you touch anything with your hands. Everything that you touch with your gloves on, or from spills gets contaminated with residue from the chemicals.

If we have learned just one thing from COVID19, it is that it is very difficult not to touch your face or other parts of your body – remember that everything you touch could be contaminated by chemicals – WIPE THE SURFACES DOWN WITH A DISINFECTANT WIPE!

These are just small ideas to think about when working with chemicals – sometimes they do not receive the warnings that they deserve. Whatever chemicals you are working with just be safe about it – think through all the scenarios that might come up during the day where you could have contaminated yourself. Maybe have a group safety meeting and think of all the ways that chemicals can contaminate your workspace. If you do not have anyone working with you, think about the chemical contacts you do during the course of the workday and how you can possibly do better in the future controlling the chemical contaminants.

Above all – be safe!

Written by: Dawn Thierbach

Maintaining Focus at Work

by | Apr 6, 2020 | Safety | 0 comments

Maintaining Focus at Work

To say there are some extraordinary distractions going on right now would be an understatement. Whether we’re worried about avoiding coronavirus or getting a job done in time, it is important that all of us remember the dangers of the task at hand.

As you know, one of the main causes for accidents is lack of attention. Below are a few tips to help your employee’s regain maintain their focus at the workplace and ensure they are getting home safe each night.

A Conscious Effort
I hope at this point every company has at least had an organized discussion as to how it will handle the COVID-19 situation. Washing hands, driving personal vehicles (See Eric’s tip on personal vehicles), and minimizing face to face interactions with clients are just a few of the practices we’ve been seeing tree services implement over the last month or so.

The question is, do these changes in the way things are done have an impact on job-site safety? I’d argue that they do. It is more than likely these changes of routine have your employee’s thinking about the likelihood of them contracting the virus while at work. A wandering mind, especially in arboriculture, can have a significant impact on the likelihood of an accident.

Make sure you are continuing to perform your job-site inspections and regular safety meetings ON TOP of the discussions you’re having with regards to COVID-19. Consider how new practices can bring in new distractions, and ask your employees if there is anything they feel uncertain about with the changes. Making a conscious effort to continue a strong safety culture in regards to your actual tree work will go a long way in making sure there isn’t a spike in accidents during this period.

Emphasize Importance of Presence
According to OSHA, the top 4 causes for workplace fatalities are struck bys, caught ins, falls, and electrocutions, all of which are obvious hazards in arboriculture. It is often a split second decision that creates these hazards and it is important to stress being present to your employees while they are on the job.

Encourage your employees to take small breaks more frequently and remind them to be aware of their surroundings. Implement a checklist or a process to make sure employees are following COVID-19 guidelines prior to beginning actual work so they don’t have to multitask. Make sure, as the owner, you’re giving your crews more time to get jobs done and prioritize jobs by importance as much as possible.

Ultimately we want to be able to provide a workplace that is as close to normal so employee’s are able to focus on what is directly in front of them.

Limit Other Distractions
We’re also susceptible to distractions at the job-site outside of COVID-19 concerns. Try to limit some of the following:

1) Unnecessary Noises – It may not be the case for everyone, but foreign noises such as radio, joking around, and cell phones can be distracting to some employees, taking their mind away from what they are working on.

2) Cellphone Use – Many companies will have different standards in terms of allowing employees to use their phones. Emphasize the dangers of distracted driving if you have employees driving personal vehicles that don’t usually drive for your company, and at the very least limit cell phone use to in the vehicles when at the job-site.

3) Stay Organized – If you don’t already have one, create a system to make sure things are staying organized and delegate responsibilities to your employees to make sure their gear is in check.

4) Home Life – Create an open line of communication so employee’s know that home life comes first and you don’t want them to be worried about any issues outside of work while at a job-site.

Given the circumstances, now is a time to boost safety standards even more than before. Do what you can to make your employees feel safe at work and not be worried about COVID-19 while they are up in a bucket or operating a chipper. Limiting outside distractions as much as possible will help keep the employees present and focused on the task in front of them leading to a safer workplace.

If you have any questions on COVID-19 guidelines or concerns as to how this has impacted your business, feel free to reach out to Eric or I and we’ll do our best to help!

Written by: Malcolm Jeffris, CTSP

Coronavirus Safety for Arborists

by | Mar 16, 2020 | Safety | 0 comments

Coronavirus Safety for Arborists

By now, everyone has been inundated with information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the Coronavirus, however, I have yet to see an article directly relating to the unique exposures that a tree care company has to the virus.

Unfortunately, many arborists are not that concerned with contracting the virus because they work outside and do not have much exposure to other people.

This can be a very dangerous attitude to take especially in an industry with a labor shortage, so I wanted to outline a few areas to consider within your tree care company to limit the spread of any illness throughout your entire team. These are, of course, in addition to the guidelines already posted by the CDC.

Are your company issued PPE’s actually personal? – If your safety equipment (specifically, helmets, eye protection, face shields, chaps, respirators) is not being assigned to a specific employee, now is the time to get out the Sharpie and start writing someone’s name on each piece.

Trucks – Place a container of sanitizing wipes in each truck and make a thorough wipe down of the interior of the cab (including the door handles, steering wheel, gear shifter, radio controls, door locks and window controls) part of your pre and post trip inspections.

Chainsaws and other Handheld Equipment – Just like the trucks, sanitize any hand held equipment after each new person uses the equipment and at the end of each day.

Video Conferencing – Utilize technology like Zoom or Webex to deliver your safety meetings and the morning crew duties and assignments to limit the amount of face to face interaction.

Electronic Proposal Delivery – Just like using technology to talk with your team members, implementing an electronic proposal delivery system helps minimize spreading germs directly to and from customers. It also has the added benefit of streamlining paper processing time for you office crew.

Remote Office – Speaking of your office crew, using a cloud based remote desktop server, your office team can be fully operational anywhere in the world. If you are not yet using a cloud server, hopefully the current situation we are in will give you added incentive to get one in place. It also will double as information security in case of a large loss at your office, like a fire or tornado.

By no means is this list all-inclusive, so take a few moments and think about every aspect of a team member’s day and how you can limit their exposure to germs inside your shop and out on the jobsite. Doing this will certainly reduce the risk of your employees contracting the virus at work.

Written by: Eric Petersen

1 Storm – 4 lives

by | Nov 26, 2019 | Safety | 0 comments

1 Storm – 4 Lives. When will enough be enough?

Storms ripped through northern Wisconsin on July 19th and 20th, 2019 toppling thousands of trees and causing a tremendously dangerous cleanup effort, which in turn ended in tragedy for 4 individuals. Four separate deaths have been reported from tree cleanup activities related to this storm. Four!!

While the details about each of these events are still under investigation, multiple factors played a role in these four families being changed forever.

Were these individuals Certified Arborists or have any training in professional tree care? Were they getting paid to do the storm cleanup work or just helping out a friend or neighbor? I don’t know those answers and not to sound crass, frankly I don’t care. They died and they shouldn’t have.

How can we as an industry still allow this to happen? How can we as human beings still allow this to happen?

After attending my first ANSI Z133 meeting this past April as a guest, I made a commitment to myself and the people that I work with both on my team and my clients that I would read every one of the Accident Briefs in the TCIA Magazine to learn even more about what is happening every day in the tree care industry. Reading these small articles does one major thing for me, it pisses me off. It pisses me off that people are still dying and severely injuring themselves almost daily.

It’s said that the pain of change is only acceptable when the pain of remaining stagnant is unbearable. Well I’ve hit that point. One storm and four deaths is unacceptable.

While traveling home from the second Z meeting that I have attended I could not help but write this article as I feel responsible that four of my fellow Wisconsinites won’t be celebrating Christmas this year. They won’t be able to enjoy another Green Bay Packer Super Bowl victory or be able to choose to retire when they want. Their fate was sealed and now all that is left are a bunch of “what if’s”.

So where are you going with this Eric? Every one of us has a responsibility to ourselves and our community (family members, neighbors, employees, coworkers) to help put an end to this mayhem. Pick up a copy of the Z133. Study it. Ask questions about it. Talk to everyone you can about it. But most importantly, follow it! These safety standards were written in blood. Don’t let the next one be written about your blood or someone’s that you love.

Join me in the fight that together we can make a difference and help every arborist get home safe each night.

Written by: Eric Petersen