Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125236943 - S & L Tree Service

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Winston-Salem

Investigation Summary

On August 1, 1996, Employee #1 and a coworker, of S & L Tree Service Company, were removing a dead 100 ft tall tree at a private residence. Employee #1 climbed the tree to trim it and clear a path so that the top 40 ft section could be removed first and then the remainder of the tree felled in a safe manner. Employee #1 had finished trimming the branches and had secured a rope line to the top section that was to be felled. The other end of this line was secured to Employee #1's pickup truck. The coworker began to move the truck to pull on the top section and guide the direction of its fall. In the interim, Employee #1 made a notch cut on the tree at a height of approximately 60 ft. Subsequent investigation determined that he made a second notch cut directly behind the first one, leaving only the hinge wood supporting the top section. It began to fall before Employee #1could move his lifeline from the top to the bottom section. Employee #1 fell with the top section to the ground, and a "sling shot" action slammed him to the ground adjacent to it. The trunk of the fallen section then pinned Employee #1 to the ground. He sustained serious injuries, but was alive after striking the ground. Employee #1 was transported to the local hospital, where he died during surgery.

Keywords: TREE FELLING, LIFELINE, WORK RULES, TREE, FALL, STRUCK BY, INATTENTION