For more than 30 years, Arbor Age magazine has been covering new and innovative products, services, technology and research vital to tree care companies, municipal arborists and utility right-of-way maintenance companies
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www.arborage.com Arbor Age / September 2014 21 The number one choice of tree care professionals now comes in a liquid. We've combined the most widely used fertilizer in the industry with the most abundant compound on earth. The result? Three Doggett fertilizers that now come in 100% soluble liquids. Arbor 20-0-6 E A complete package with micronutrients and a 50% slow release formulation Fall Arbor 6-12-12 E Stimulates roots without pushing top growth that might not harden before a freeze Palm & Southern Ornamental 8-0-12 E A full complement of a minor element package, including manganese and magnesium With no mechanical agitation necessary, tree care professionals can feed more responsibly and easily than ever with this expanded line from Doggett. It's that simple. the doggett corporation NPK MEETS H2O 800-448-1862 | doggettcorp.com their exact location, including the town and the nearest cross street. If an ac- cident occurs, this information will be vital to emergency personnel. Additionally, should a worker receive an electric shock and be unresponsive, after fi rst call- ing 911, other crew members must be sure the accident victim is clear of any electric danger before attempting to perform an aerial rescue; if not, do not attempt a rescue. Rushing to try to save someone could create multiple victims. Emergency fi rst responders will also need to keep in mind that the source of electricity could still be present. It is critical for all involved at the scene to continue to use the utmost caution and ensure additional workers are not put in harm's way. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines on Safety Requirements for Arboricultural Operations, Z133, addresses electrical hazards and provides the minimum approach distances for persons other than qualifi ed line-clearance arborists. Remember: tree workers should assume all wires are energized, non line- clearance qualifi ed arborists should maintain at least a 10-foot clearance from overhead wires, and everyone should remain at least 30 feet from downed wires. Special issues: Storm cleanup and line-clearance-qualifi ed workers Tree workers performing town or residential cleanup after a storm event face additional safety considerations. Electric utility customers may be dealing with power outages in the area, and workers must make sure no wires are present in a felled tree area. If wires are present, workers need confirmation from the utility that the customer's service line has been disconnected until repairs have been made and it can be safely reat- tached. Workers additionally must be cautious that downed trees are not leaning on an electric service wire (a customer may still have power at his or her home, but downed trees in contact with wires remain hazard- ous to workers). Utility storm tree cleanup is performed by line-clearance-qualifi ed work- ers hired directly by the electric utility. Line-clearance-qualifi ed workers have specialized training that allows them to prune or remove vegetation within 10 feet of energized power lines. They often wear special gear, including "EH" (electrical hazard) rated safety shoes designed to impede the fl ow of electricity through the shoe to the ground, which reduces — but does not eliminate — the possibility of electrocution. There is no shoe, glove, or apparel item that negates the risk of electric shock. After a storm event, all workers should be aware of the potential for electri- cal hazards created by improper generator hookup. If a homeowner's generator is hooked up improperly, it can back-feed into the electrical grid and cause otherwise de-energized lines to become energized. This is another reason to always treat all electric wires as hot. The bottom line Regardless of their qualifi cation level, tree workers working around electric wires must stay alert at all times, and not become so preoccupied with cutting that they don't see potential dangers. If nothing else, workers should remember to stay 30 feet from downed wires, at least 10 feet from overhead wires, and always assume a wire is hot. Sara Sankowich is system arborist at Unitil, a public utility holding company, headquartered in Hampton, New Hampshire, that provides electric and natural gas distribution services in New England.