Safety Tailgate
Sage Advice
Look Out Below! Giving the All Clear for Drop Zone Safety By TJ Yurko, ISA Certified Arborist® (PR-5403A), ISA TRAQ, CLHT
PPE Series
Heads up! Are you paying atten- tion? Beneath every tree canopy lies the possibility that a broken branch, a sudden equipment mal- function, or a simple miscommu- nication can turn routine work into a serious accident. Drop zone safety remains one of the most overlooked but important lessons for any arborist to learn to- day — but don’t learn this lesson the hard way. Keep your eyes to the skies and your boots on the ground to ensure you, your crew, and the public stay safe while working in the drop zone. LAYING DOWN THE GROUND RULES The number one priority in drop zone safety is proper planning and set up. Without this critical first step, falling debris such as branches or trunk sections could
cause irreparable harm to people and property. Given that struck- by accidents are one of the most common causes of fatalities in the industry, the need for a visibly delineated area beneath the tree canopy is paramount. When setting up the drop zone, re- member the acronym DiRFT — Do it Right the First Time. Before start- ing any tree work, plan ahead by knowing the location and size of the designated drop zone in relation to the tree’s height and spread, followed by careful placement of high-visibility markers
not the only thing that factors into drop zone safety. Buffer zones, haz- ard identification, escape routes, communication methods, and emergency response plans are also vital plays from the drop zone safe- ty handbook. “A safe drop zone comes from good planning, visible barriers, clear communication, and the dis- cipline to stop and reset if those controls break down,” Korey Con- ry, trainer & safety supervisor at Mountain F. Enterprises said. As professionals, arborists have standards. This is true in both the quality of the work they perform and the standards they hold themselves to, including the American National Stan- dards Institute (ANSI) ANSI
such as signs, cones, tape, or ground workers. While visible demarca- tion is key to setting
Z133: Arboricultural Operations — Safety Requirements .
the boundary of what’s safe and what’s not, it’s
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