Safety Culture

We as arborist have a very risky job. We work at towering heights; trusting an unrated anchor while handling sharp objects. We reduce the risk of injury by following industry standards. These standards are not followed by many in our industry; which causes many injuries and sometimes, death.

We take safety to heart. We love what we do, but it’s very important that we go home to our loved ones at the end of the day. You will see us wearing some key personal protective equipment like helmets, safety glasses, and chainsaw chaps while cutting on the ground. When we leave the ground, we use rated gear and select limbs in the tree that can easily support double the climber’s weight. In the event a climber in the tree loses their footing or cuts themselves, an aerial rescue may be needed. This past August, we invited an arborist to help us train in the event an aerial rescue would be needed. Each arborist practiced rescuing a dummy that was in trouble for several different reasons. When an issue arose, we came up with a solution to correct it. The training showed us our strengths and weaknesses. We hope we never need to utilize these skills in real life, but we are comforted to know that we are equipped to handle dangerous situations if needed.

~ Casey Selner