Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119605301 - Asplundh Tree Expert Co

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

A six-person line-clearance tree-trimming crew was assigned to trim brush and trees away from an overhead power line that was to be moved by the electric utility that owned it. The acting crew leader stated that, using his tree climbers, he climbed an 80-foot-tall red oak tree until he was about chest high. He said that put his lanyard around the tree at that point and secured it to his climbing belt. He then climbed the tree to where it split into smaller limbs. He removed his lanyard from his belt and from the tree so that he could reposition himself. He said that he tried to throw his lanyard around one of the tree limbs when he lost his footing and fell 41 feet, 8 inches to the ground. He sustained multiple injuries as a result of his fall and was hospitalized. The employee violated his company's fall protection policy by failing to have his climbing rope secured to his climbing belt before he unhooked his lanyard.

Keywords: TREE LIMB, TREE, ELEC UTILITY WORK, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, TREE TRIMMING