Abstract: At approximately 3:30 p.m. on July 9, 1998, Employee #1, a gardener for Rare Earth Landscapes in San Francisco, was removing dead wood from a tree growing out of the sidewalk. Rather than use a stepladder, Employee #1 chose to climb the tree to trim it. Before ascending the tree, he inspected the 8 in. diameter branch he would climb on, shaking it to test its strength. He then climbed the tree and stood on the branch, about 2 ft from where it intersected the trunk. He had been clipping wood with a pair of 5 in. clippers for about five minutes when, suddenly and without warning, the branch snapped and he fell 4 1/2 ft to the sidewalk. Employee #1 suffered a fractured right hip and wrist. His employer heard the commotion and called paramedics, who transported Employee #1 to San Francisco General Hospital.