Boston — Spurred by an “alarming” and “unacceptable” variety of incidents within the tree and landscaping industries all through New England in recent times, OSHA has launched a Regional Emphasis Program meant to cut back the dangers of harm and demise confronted by workers in these industries.
Since 2016, OSHA has investigated 31 employee deaths within the tree trimming and removing, landscaping, and web site preparation industries in New England, an company press launch states. In one of many incidents, a employee in Connecticut was electrocuted when a tree department he was reducing contacted a high-voltage energy line.
Set to run out Aug. 4, 2026, the REP is concentrated on main hazards reminiscent of falls, struck-by objects, electrocution, and vehicular and traffic hazards. OSHA encourages employers to take steps to determine, cut back and eradicate hazards associated to tree trimming and web site preparation, after which implement safety methods.
After the preliminary part of the program, which resulted in October and included outreach efforts, OSHA has now begun enforcement actions with programmed inspections of tree, panorama and web site preparation worksites. As well as, company inspectors can open inspections “on the spot” in the event that they observe hazardous situations when touring previous worksites. The company urges employers to make use of its free On-Site Consultation Program for recommendation on complying with OSHA requirements.