Tree Felling Safety Concerns

Felling trees is a dangerous job and there are many hazards involve in the process. Not taking the correct safety precautions can lead to a lot of property damage and the risk of personal injury as well. The following are some of the most commonly identified hazards of felling trees and how you can avoid them:

Throwback of object

Throwback occurs when a tree falls into a canopy of other trees and objects like tree branches, twigs, leaves, rocks and splinters may get thrown back towards the logger. Loggers can manage this problem in two ways. First is to avoid felling trees into other objects; if possible, the tree should be felled in an open ground where there is no risk of interfering with surrounding vegetation or structures. Second, the logger can first strip the tree of the branches that can interfere with the surrounding objects before cutting down the trunk. Never turn your back from a falling tree no matter what.

Bad terrain

Bad terrain can also be a huge risk for property damage or injuries while felling trees. If the tree is felled into rocks, stumps, or uneven ground, there are many dangers involved. The logger can control the felling direction of the tree by tying a guiding rope around the trunk. In case the tree is stuck on a neighbouring tree, have it pushed down by a machine to avoid risk of injury.

Widow maker

What are commonly known as widow makers in the tree felling industry are the broken branches that are hanging freely on the tree or neighbouring trees, which often fall unexpectedly, causing serious injury. All broken or hanging tree limbs should be cut down or pulled down by a machine before felling the tree. No one should be working under broken and hanging limbs at any time in the entire process.

The snag

The snag is the dead and rotten tree that is standing next to the tree to be felled. These trees will often unexpectedly break and fall when swiped by the falling tree, causing a big safety hazard. Before you start felling any trees, it is important to do an assessment of the area and determine which other trees need to be knocked down too. If you are not planning to knock down the snags, then avoid them by at least two tree lengths.

Other hazards

You should avoid felling trees during very windy weather conditions as this could change the fall direction of the tree unexpectedly. Undo any entangled vines or limbs of trees that are next to each other before you begin cutting down a tree.

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