•Class A for general indoor work- places and low-risk of injury envi- ronments with common injuries such as small cuts, scrapes, and bruises. •Class B for high-risk, complex, or heavy industrial environments such as construction, logging, or manu- facturing where larger quantities of supplies and advanced items such as tourniquets and splints are needed. In practice, Z133 is not a checklist or script but rather a safety framework for both employers and employees. PREPARE FOR THE WORST, TRAIN FOR THE BEST “Hope is not a strategy,” said Ed Car- penter, director of operations for North American Training Solutions (NATS) . “It really comes down to the discipline of training … culture and leadership.” While Carpenter allows that cost and time were once something smaller companies could fall back on, he says now there is too much technology and hybrid learning solutions for those ex- cuses to be valid. “Information is pretty ubiquitous. It’s the desire and the drive to get the in- formation and to bring that into the or- ganization,” he added. The risks associated with arboricul- ture can be immediate. Taking a pro- active approach to safety and emer-
When an accident occurs, colleagues and crew members need to be prepared and have a plan in place.
“In tree care, ‘readily available’ can be a practical challenge,” said Reichen- bach. “An injured worker may be 60- feet up a tree, across a property, or far from the truck.” To this end, FSP advocates for a layered approach to safety: a tourniquet carried by the climber, additional bleeding-con- trol supplies such as tourniquets and pressure dressings accessible to the ground crew, and a full first-aid and trauma kit kept with the vehicle or at the job site.
ANSI Separate and apart from OSHA, the ANSI Z133 requires tree-care first-aid kit contents to meet the Z308.1 stan- dard and be appropriate for the type of job and number of workers. The following is a workplace consensus standard used to help define appropri- ate first-aid kits:
gency preparedness not only helps tree care workers recognize haz- ards and respond effec- tively to emergencies – but also reinforces that safety is a priority. When owners and leaders con- sistently invest in train- ing, planning and pre- paredness, they send a clear message that the well-being of their em- ployees matters.
Tadewaldt said her company, Urban Forest Pro, takes pre- paredness on the job very seriously.
“OSHA requires us to ensure prompt medical attention is available and that we have adequate first-aid supplies and trained personnel. In our industry, having the right training and equipment cost at hand can save a life.”
Full medical kits should be readily accessible, separate from other gear, and clearly labeled at each job site.
58 | Fall 2026 ArborTIMES ™
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