Trees Inc: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jan 12, 2004: Employee is injured from 45 foot fall

On January 12, 2004, Employee #1, a foreman, and three coworkers were cutting tr ees and branches away from power transmission and distribution lines. Employee # 1 grabbed a climbing rope that was located in the rope compartment of the compan y truck and hooked into a safety line that was previously rigged. Employee #1 as cended the tree and used a hand saw and chainsaw to cut branches. After removing all the branches, he tied into his climb rope and disconnected the safety line. Without realizing that his climb rope was an insufficient length, Employee #1 b egan to descend the tree. He only had approximately 15 to 17 feet of rope availa ble. Additionally, the break knot slipped off the end of the climb rope and Empl oyee #1 fell about 45 feet to the ground. Employee #1 was hospitalized and treat ed for multiple fractures. A detailed investigation revealed that Employee #1's coworkers had identified a defect in the climb rope that Employee #1 used and cu t the rope so it could not be used. However, the rope was not removed from servi ce or tagged to identify it was defective.

Incident on Aug 14, 2002: Employee's hand is lacerated in wood chipper

On August 14, 2002, Employee #1, a foreman, and coworkers were using an enclosed bed dump truck with a tow-behind portable wood chipper. They were trimming tree s and brush along the right-of-way for an electrical transmission line. Employee #1 was flagging traffic and the coworker was feeding debris into the chipper, w hen the discharge spout became plugged. The coworker immediately disengaged the machines clutch and shut off the engine. Employee #1 told the coworker to take o ver flagging while he got the chipper back on line. Employee #1 removed one of t he hinge pins and swung the chipper discharge spout forward, toward the dump tru ck, opening the chipper head enclosure. He saw debris between the spout and the head, and used his left hand to pull out some of the material. His glove became entangled with the debris and he was pulled into the cutting head, which was sti ll spinning. Employee #1 was hospitalized with a severe lacerated hand.

Incident on Nov 7, 2001 (fatal): Flagman killed when struck by oncoming vehicle in work zone

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on November 7, 2001, Employee #1, a flagman in a wor k zone, was attempting to direct traffic to an opposing lane. He was standing in the northbound lane of traffic within a foot of the fog line directing traffic to the southbound lane as traffic was routed around the tree trimming activities taking place in the northbound lane when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle a nd killed. CPR was attempted by a witness. Employee #1 was wearing an orange ref lective vest, orange hard hat, and holding a red stop sign. The operator of the oncoming vehicle indicated that he did not see Employee #1.