- CTPA Code of Safety
- Safety Resources for Arborists and Tree Workers
- Why Tree Care Safety Matters to Homeowners
Safety must always be foremost in the mind of anyone doing tree care, for many reasons. Trees are large and often contain hidden structural problems such as internal decay or large, dead branches. Tree workers use sharp and often aggressive tools such as chainsaws and wood chippers. They also use heavy equipment such as trucks and aerial lifts. Tree workers often work at height, where they could fall or something else could fall and strike workers or other people on the ground. And, to top it all off, much of the time tree work is performed in proximity to energized electrical conductors, which can kill or maim in an instant. Awareness of hazards and of safe practices is as much a part of good arboriculture as is knowledge of tree species or understanding how to treat certain tree diseases.
Fortunately, the profession of arboriculture as a whole is dedicated to promoting safety as both a practical art and a well-founded science. The CTPA is fully committed to safety as an integral part of tree care in Connecticut. Safety is viewed in the context of how it affects the individual tree worker, how it affects co-workers and others who are around trees as they are being worked on, and how it affects clients and others who might visit a worked-on tree in the future. All elements are important.
The Safety Committee is one of CTPA’s standing committees. It meets 3 times a year. In general, the Safety Committee seeks to promote safety awareness among tree workers by placing articles in the CTPA newsletter and finding speakers for CTPA Summer Meeting. The Committee holds annually an Electrical Hazard Awareness Program (EHAP) workshop. The Committee also makes available important links and references on safety related topics.
The Safety Committee is inclusive in its striving towards keeping arboriculture, and trees, safe. All interested members are invited to attend meetings of the Safety Committee and to contribute stories, articles, references or insights related to safety that could benefit the membership as a whole.
