Electrical Hazards Awareness Program
Electricity is a serious and widespread hazard to
arborists. In fact, electricity causes about 15 percent of all
fatalities in the tree care industry, making it the leading cause of
worker fatalities.
Since even a street lamp circuit or phone line can
be energized with enough voltage to kill, almost all arborists in the
field have at least some exposure to this hazard. In fact, workers don’t
even have to touch a wire to be electrocuted – about half of all
electrocution fatalities are the result of indirect contact. Tree
branches and other conductive objects are an ever-present threat for the
industry.
All arborists must be trained to recognize and
avoid these electrical hazards. Qualified line-clearance arborists must
have additional knowledge about electrical hazards and the special
techniques used to work safely near electrical conductors.