Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Labor is initiating a safety program to reduce fatalities and injuries among tree and landscaping services workers in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a Jan. 11 news release.
- The multi-year regional emphasis program, administered through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration seeks to raise awareness of job-related hazards. Employers’ compliance with health and safety requirements will also be assessed through inspections, the DOL said.
- The program, scheduled to run through fall 2028, comes as injury and illness rates in the tree, landscaping and groundskeeping business rank higher than national averages, the DOL said.
Dive Insight:
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics documented 1,072 work-related fatalities in the landscaping and groundskeeping industry from 2011 through 2021. The BLS reported that in 2022, 222 grounds maintenance workers suffered fatal workplace injuries and illnesses nationwide. Common causes of worker injuries and fatalities in the tree trimming, tree removal and landscaping services industry include falls from trees and elevated work platforms like aerial lifts, being struck by falling trees and branches, electrocution and exposure to heat and chemicals, the DOL said in its release.
Workers are also exposed to hazards related to their use of heavy cranes, grapplers, stump grinders, loaders and chippers, and activities like operating powered equipment, climbing, trimming and removing trees, the release said. OSHA’s strategic emphasis areas focus on the dangers that come with these activities, which include falls, amputations, noise, electrical and struck-by injuries.
The DOL said OSHA will initiate outreach to employers, workers and other stakeholders to apprise them of hazards associated with tree trimming and landscape operations. OSHA will also conduct targeted safety and health inspections of tree trimming and removal, landscaping services and site preparation contractors to assess compliance and reduce workers’ exposure to these hazards.
As part of the program, compliance safety and health officers are required to be on the lookout for employees who are exposed to hazards while removing or trimming trees. If these officers see unprotected enclosures, they must contact the area office and obtain supervisory authorization to begin an immediate inspection, OSHA said.
“By intensifying our focus on the tree and landscaping industries, we can help employers provide effective management of worker safety and health protection to reduce the extent and severity of work-related injuries and illnesses,” OSHA Regional Administrator Richard Mendelson said in the release.
OSHA is providing an on-site consultation program at no cost for smaller businesses to help them identify and address hazards, and to establish or improve safety and health programs. Consultants from state government agencies or universities provide these services on a confidential basis, OSHA said, noting that this consultation program is independent of its inspection effort.
