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Photos provided by Stihl Inc. Physical training Arboriculture is physically demanding work. Staying in shape and ensuring your body can meet the daily challenges in the field is an important consideration in avoiding minor — and some major — injuries. Treat physical training like exactly what it is — an important part of your job.Too many accidents occur due to a lack of focus, preparation or ability.Training helps to prepare and ensure that you are on your "A game"each and every day;not to mention how it makes your tasks less draining. Product safety It goes without saying that some products arborists use can be dangerous if improperly handled. It's incredibly important to always read, understand and follow the product instruction manual for every product you use. Make sure you're equipped with the proper protective gear, and that both it and your products are always properly maintained.Make sure your equipment is working as it should and is regularly serviced to help catch any issues before they escalate into a problem. SAFETY See something, say something Create a culture of trust in your crew and your company and empower your colleagues to speak up if something isn't being done right. Safety should be the responsibility of everyone — from the lowest level employee to the company owner. Many times, an employee might think that someone else will notice and speak up about an issue — this is a problem.What if no one speaks up and someone gets hurt? One energy lab we work for frequently has a "Stop Work"clause that allows any person on site to stop the work of another even if it is out of their expertise range.This keeps everyone on their toes and highlights their attention level about safety. Encourage everyone to speak up — every time — if there is something that seems unsafe,and provide a confidential,secure way employees can feel safe from any censure in doing so.By giving all employees an equal role in this responsibility,you ensure that it is shared. should be the responsibility of everyone — from the lowest level employee to the company owner. Preserve safety A crew leader takes on the important responsibility of preserving the safety of the crew.You must challenge a new climber to overcome www.arborage.com fears that are natural and common, yet not give them so much confidence that they feel invincible. Creating a healthy respect for the challenges in the field will empower employees to say no to situations that may be unsafe or could even turn fatal.There are always times to walk away and re-evaluate an approach, and making sure employees understand this distinction is important. I make it a point to discuss hazardous trees before and after each job to help new climbers realize that I am using knowledge and experience to make my decisions, and not just blindly doing the job out of stubbornness or machismo. If you are in the game long enough, you may have to walk away from a job a time or two.As one of my mentors, Sam Noonan of Noonan's Tree Care, once said,"No job is priced too low to do it safely!" Lead by example Finally, lead by example. If an owner or crew leader cuts corners on safety, chances are that lower-level employees will too.What the crew sees their superiors doing is what they will emulate. And it is good to remember that a leader is always "on." It surprises a lot of senior arborists how much attention they get from more inexperienced employees.You may think that no one is watching when you make a quick cut without eye protection, but trust me, someone saw you. I know that for the vast majority of my fellow arborists, the information above is pretty common knowledge. But in our profession it only takes a second of inattention or a missed step to send someone to the hospital, or worse. I think you would all agree that a little extra time and attention to the details is well worth protecting ourselves and our fellow climbers. Mark Chisholm is a three-time International Tree Climbing Champion; third-generation, International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist with Aspen Tree Expert Company in New Jersey; and spokesperson for Stihl Inc. He regularly consults internationally on tree care issues. For more information on Chisholm and his work, visit www.treebuzz.com or www.stihlusa.com. Arbor Age / July/August 2013 11