The safety cautions and preparations for tree cutting and felling. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Before the real work of cutting down trees can begin, prep work will make all the difference between success and something much, much worse. As a recent study noted, logging is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, and fatality rates for tree care workers is 30-percent higher for all workers in the U-S.
To begin, always take a good look at the surrounding area where you’ll be chopping down a big tree. Look for power lines, vehicles, or outbuildings. If it’s near a garden space – make sure the falling tree won’t destroy any plants when it falls. Then, estimate how tall the tree is. Add a little bit of distance just to be safe. Look out for animal habitats as well, especially if you’re cutting down trees during fawning season.
Then examine the tree itself. If it has significantly more branches on one side than any of the others, you can be guaranteed that the tree’s gonna fall in that direction. This is because there’s more weight on that side and it’ll naturally pull the tree down. No matter where you make the cut: that’s where it’ll lean.
Before making a single cut, plan out two escape routes. These will be clear areas that you can leap into if the tree shifts unexpectedly.
Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.