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What does your local tree service and hit TV show "Ax Men" have in common?
What do the current hit reality shows Deadliest Catch and Ax Men have in common with your local tree service?
Tree service companies are among the top five most dangerous professions in the USA. In 2005, the top five rankings were:
- Commercial Fishermen and Related Workers - Deadliest Catch,Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 118.4
- Loggers - Ax Men, Fatality rate: 92.9
- Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers, Fatality rate: 66.9
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Fatality rate: 55.6
- Tree Care, 174 fatalities, Fatality rate: 47.9
These statistics are stunning when compared to the types of jobs that most Americans have, such as:
- Manufacturing, Fatality rate: 3.1
- Retail trade, Fatality rate: 2.1
- Finance, insurance and real estate, Fatality rate: 1.0
These rates do not go unnoticed by the government and the insurance industry. The tree care/landscape profession is one of seven high-hazard industries to receive additional scrutiny by the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Professional tree care companies also pay a much higher rate for workers' compensation insurance to keep employees covered in the event of an accident.
The largest association for tree service companies, the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), is doing something about this. TCIA develops safety and education programs, standards for tree care practice, and best business practice guides for arboriculture firms around the world.
TCIA is aggressively trying to improve the industry's safety record to save worker's lives, with two key programs in which many TCIA members now participate:
- TCIA Accreditation, a best business and consumer confidence credential, and
- Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) program, a training, networking and certification program for tree care company safety managers and trainers.
These programs are relatively new, but the results are pouring in. Statistics indicate that TCIA-accredited companies with a Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) on staff are the safest companies in the industry. They have a much lower accident rate than other companies and are 10 times less likely to experience a serious on-the-job injury.
"Tree services that participate in these programs believe it's the right way to run their business. It's reassuring to know that their efforts and commitment have real, quantifiable results" says Bob Rouse, TCIA's director of Accreditation.
Industry professionals, such as Chris Frank of C.L. Frank and Co., an accredited tree service located in Northampton, Mass., realize that these results in no way ensure they wont have an accident today, tomorrow or the next day. According to Mr. Frank, "There is no time to take a bow because the next accident is uncomfortably close. We may share "top five" status with Deadliest Catch and Ax Men, but we're determined to work our way out of a very bad neighborhood."
What can you do to help?
Homeowners are asked to hire fully-insured, professional tree services to work on their trees. Ask to see certificates of insurance, including workers' compensation coverage. Contact the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), a public and professional resource on trees and arboriculture established in 1938. It has more than 2,000 member companies who recognize stringent safety and performance standards, and that are required to carry liability insurance. TCIA's Accreditation program requires companies to undergo an inspection for compliance with industry safety and quality standards and training qualifications.
An easy way to find a professional tree care service provider in your area is to use TCIA's "Locate a member company program." You can use this service by calling 1-800-733-2622 or by doing a ZIP code search at: www.treecaretips.org
Editors: If you would like additional information or digital photos, please contact Garvin@tcia.org.
To find out if your local tree service company is a member of TCIA, is accredited by TCIA, or employees a CTSP go to www.tcia.org and search by your zip code.
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