Why do arborists want OSHA to establish a specific and comprehensive safety standard?
Arborists are unique in more ways than you realize! Safety is a necessary evil forced upon industries and usually viewed as a waste of time, but the majority of true professional arborists desperately want safety requirements with clear and enforceable regulations. You are probably asking “Why would any tradesman or business owner want more red tape?” Tree care professionals, especially ISA Certified Arborists, need a streamlined and comprehensive OSHA standard that provides specific oversight and guidance to promote education, best practices, and most importantly to reduce fatalities.
Currently, arborists work collaboratively, through committees in the TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association) and ISA (International Society of Arboriculture), to maintain applicable industry standards (ANSI Z133) as a seemingly self-regulating body separate from OSHA. Current OSHA policies and laws are not written to directly address the tree care industry, likely because of the complexity of tree work and the highly specialized equipment. Arboriculture, in general, falls under and is expected to comply with all the federal general industry standards listed in Section 29 CFR 1910.
Unfortunately, the lack of tailored regulations for high risk, dangerous tree work is a reality that arborists live with daily. It is hard to believe that this loophole has been ignored and overlooked by our government officials. The reasons are complicated but stem from our bureaucracy’s methods used for recording and investigating tree work fatality and injury statistics.
Insights Into Accidents in Tree Care
Peter Gerstenberger, in a 2024 TCI magazine article, stated that “recent fatality data indicates the rate of on-the-job deaths in the tree care industry may be as much as 11 times those of other industries.” The Census of Fatal Occupations Injuries (CFOI) does not separate and define clear fatality rates for the arboricultural field. Unofficially, the Tree Care Industry Association tracks fatality statistics by following news media and reported incidents handled by OSHA. For the years 2020 through 2023, TCIA found evidence of 243 fatal injuries resulting from tree related tasks. Without a specific tree work CFOI category, the figures are not recognized or considered by lawmakers.
What is the ANSI Z133? And why aren’t these standards sufficient to protect tree care workers?
Federal safety standards are enforced through OSHA regulations while the ANSI standards provide a framework for safety practices recommended for arboricultural operations. OSHA widely accepts the ANSI standards as applicable during enforcement protocols. The missing link is that while the ANSI standards are a practical reference and accepted requirement for professional tree care employers and their employees, they are not federal mandates.
For reference, the following are some of the voluntary ANSI standards that are often applicable to the tree care industry.
A300 Tree Care Operations – Tree, Shrub and Other Woody Plant Maintenance – Standard Practices
Z133.1 Arboricultural Operations Safety
B175.1 Safety Requirements for Gasoline Powered Chain Saws
A10.14 Requirements for Safety Belts, Harnesses, Lanyards, Lifelines, and Drop Lines for Constructional and Industrial Use
A14.1 Ladders – Portable Wood – Safety Requirements
A14.2 Ladders – Portable Metal – Safety Requirements
A14.5 Stepladders and Platform Ladders, Aluminum Magnesium, Fiberglass Ladders
A92.2 Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Aerial Devices
Z41 Protective Footgear Requirements
Z87.1 Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Devices
Z89.1 Personnel Protection – Protective Headgear for Industrial Workers – Requirements
Z308.1 Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits
Z359.1 Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems, and Components
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
B30.5 Mobile and Locomotive Truck Cranes
In summary, OSHA does not have adequate safety regulations for tree work. Professions and industries are categorized by OSHA using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to provide targeted standards and quick reference. Some arboricultural safety practices are included within the Landscaping Services category, NAICS code 561730, but these generally apply to work completed with “boots on the ground.” Tree care professionals perform tasks that combine the hazards of construction, energized power lines, and natural disasters using intricate rigging and heaving equipment. Eliminating the regulatory gap between the OSHA and ANSI standards would reduce preventable fatalities and improve consistent enforcement.