Abstract: On November 4, 2002, Employee #1 was trimming a tree about 14 feet in height. He climbed into the tree using a stepladder and was balancing himself on branches, which were about 9 feet above the ground. He was using a manually operated lopper to trim branches ranging from 0.5 to 1 inch in diameter. The lopper, a 26-inch-long scissors type tool, required the use of both hands. The branch that Employee #1 was standing on broke and he fell 9 feet to the ground. He suffered a back injury, a chipped tooth, and a laceration on his nose. He was hospitalized for 4 days at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, CA.