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OSHA requirements and ANSI consensus standard

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) Z133.1-1994 provide safety requirements for:

  • pruning, repairing, maintaining and removing trees,
  • cutting brush, and
  • the use of equipment in such operations.

You can find more information at www.osha.gov or www.ansi.org.

These criteria apply to everyone: utility line clearance workers, private tree contractors, and the general public.

When performing tree work yourself - or when hiring a private tree contractor to prune or remove trees - please heed these requirements. They're designed to keep tree workers safe.

OSHA is intended to "assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by authorizing enforcement of standards developed under the act..." The law obligates employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that might cause death or serious physical harm and to comply with safety standards set forth by OSHA. OSHA is a federal law enforced by both state and federal authorities.

Specifically, OSHA Safety Standard 29 CFR Part 1910.269 applies to all tree pruning and removal personnel who may work near electrical conductors. The Standard 1910.269 recognized the ANSI Z133.1 Standard as the line clearance, tree care, and urban forestry industry's fundamental national consensus safety standard. Accordingly, line clearance workers are required to receive training in:

  • Work practices and safety procedures
  • Medical services and first aid
  • Job briefing
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Mechanical equipment
  • Line clearance tree pruning operations

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