Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1459991.015 - Cut Above Services, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Boston South Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on January 31, 2020, Four employees (Employee #1 and three coworkers) were engaged in manual felling of two oak trees from the work site in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. Coworker # 3 was working from a trailer mounted aerial lift removing the branches from the trees. Coworker #2 was on the ground cutting the branches into smaller pieces and assisting Employee #1 in moving the branches to the chipper. Coworker #3, who was the crew manager, was working in the work zone while Coworker#1 was responsible for felling the trunk. As Coworker #1 was preparing to fell the trunk, Employee #1 and Coworker #3 were within the work zone. Employee #1 was feeding branches into the chipper and Coworker #3 was standing approximately three to four (3-4) feet behind Employee #1 as he prepared to fell the trunk. Employee #1 and Coworker #2 were closer than twice the height of the trunk being felled as required by ANSI Z133-2017. The trunk being felled was approximately sixteen (16) feet in length and had a diameter of approximately sixteen (16) inches. As the trunk fell, it landed on a second branch that was approximately eight (8) inches in diameter and approximately eight (8) feet in length. When the trunk landed on the branch, it catapulted the branch across the worksite, striking Employee #1 in the forehead and was approximately twenty-six (26) feet away from the base of the trunk. None of the employees was wearing protective helmets. Employee #1 was struck in the forehead causing significant head trauma with a skull fracture, resulting in being killed.

Keywords: Chipper, Fracture, Head, PPE, Skull, Struck By, Tree, Tree Felling, Tree Limb