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Discussion of the October 2005 Accident Profile

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The accident detailed in this profile describes a situation that is very common as a root cause of accidents.  An individual is trained and educated in the safety practices and standard procedures but decides, just this one time, to take a short cut, assuming that everything will be ok.

Jim was a Qualified Line Clearance Arborist. He had both industry and company training and on the job experience.  He was familiar with the special hazards involved with performing tree care in proximity to power lines.  He had already demonstrated the ability to accomplish the special techniques involved. 

In short, Jim knew the rules, regulations, standard safety practices, minimum approach distances, voltages, and so on. 

But on July 2, 2003 he was not completely focused on the task at hand.  He was thinking about the upcoming holiday weekend.  He and his family were leaving on a trip as soon as Jim could get out of work.  He was looking forward to the trip and trying to finish a little early so he could get on the road.  (It was a three hour trip without traffic.)

And Jim felt comfortable in what he was doing.  He had done similar jobs countless times, and he decided to take a short cut just this one time.  And that comfort, that willingness to cut himself some slack this one time was his undoing. 

What Caused the Accident?

Accidents are rarely the result of one isolated action but are more commonly the end product of a series of circumstances or conditions that lead toward the unsafe act, which eventually causes the accident. In this profile, contributing factors include:

Complacency is a hard safety issue to tackle – it is one of the reasons why safety is a team effort.  Maybe Jim thought he was the only one who would be affected by his taking this shortcut – and so he gave himself permission to do so.  But many others are affected – his wife, his kids, his co-workers who now have to deal with being witnesses to a horrible accident, his boss, who lost a good worker and may suffer monetarily from the fall-out of this accident.  The ripple effects really don’t stop for a long, long time.

What Could You Have Done?

So – what could a co-worker have done?  The CTPA encourages all those involved in tree care to be familiar with the safety standards for the industry.  The ANSI Z133.1 safety standard is the central standard for safety in the tree care industry.  Jim’s co-workers, familiar with the standards and familiar with Jim, may have kept him focused, may have seen that a situation that had the potential for an accident was looming. 

Maybe not, and in no way should primary responsibility to the accident be shifted from Jim – he is the one who let his guard down – but a team approach may have helped everyone in this situation.

Specific provisions of the ANSI Z133.1 2000 edition that apply to this accident profile include:

 Section 5: Electrical Hazards

5.2.4        Line Approach Distances: Qualified line-clearance arborists and line-clearance arborist trainees shall maintain minimum approach distances from energized electrical conductors in accordance with Table 1 (included in the Standard).

5.2.7        Tying In: The tie-in position should be above the work area and located in such a way that a slip would swing the arborist away from any energized electrical conductor or other identified hazard.

5.2.8        The Climb:  While climbing, the arborist should climb on the side of the tree that is away from energized electrical conductors as required in Tables 1 and 2 (included in the Standard).

Section 9: Work Procedures

9.1.5        Tying In: The tie-in position should be well above the work area so that the arborist will not be subjected to an uncontrolled pendulum swing in the event of a slip.

9.1.9        3-Points of Contact: Hands and feet should be placed on separate limbs, if possible, maintaining three points of contact with the tree while climbing.

Don’t let this type of accident happen to you, or anybody you are working with!  Know your Standard, and know your work-mates.  And, be safe!

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