A “Good Catch” is a safety near miss or a close call – any unplanned event or unseen hazard that does not result in an injury, illness or damage but, had the potential to do so.We have decided to start a series posting Good Catches to our page to help others recognize and deal with situations that may lead to injury, illness or damage BEFORE it can happen.
An approximately 100′ dead grand fir tree marked for removal across from the 3 phase BCH power line. The truck was set up next to the tree to maximize reach (75′ working height).
The CUA took note of the downward sloping ground the fir was rooted in and, once the tree was limbed and topped, radioed the crew to block the road off and stand well back to accommodate the larger danger zone required for blocking the wood down from the tree. Care was taken with the first block of wood to demonstrate that the drop/danger zone must be continually assessed during tree operations. This photo shows the trajectory the first block of wood took over the road, right past where ground workers would have been moving branches.
This aerial shot shows the horizontal distance the block of wood travelled, approximately +50′, the same length as the boom truck and chipper.
An excellent picture taken after the tree stump was reduced to a safe height. Had the danger zone not been extended ground workers would have been directly in the path of a deadly 75lb block of flying wood.
The dead grand fir tree, safely on the ground and cut to firewood.