12 SPRING 2015 n ARBOR AGE www.arborage.com
TRAINING & EDUCATION
PPE and Tree Care
Operations
Any tree person who has spent more than a few minutes outside
the truck has quickly seen evidence that tree work involves a lot
of machinery, actions, and objects that can cause a variety of pain
and discomfort should they come into contact with the worker's
pieces and parts. ANSI Z133.1 is the standard that dictates a great
deal about tree care operations, but of particular importance to this
article are the "Z's" directives on personal protective equipment, or
PPE. The industry itself plays a role in developing these standards; so
tree people are, up to a point, fi guring out and writing the rules for
tree people. Although some might feel that the PPE requirements
are simply meant to "shackle their buzz" and interfere with their
personal freedoms, the reality is that the rules are pretty much all
a result of tree folks losing their lives, limbs, or other pieces and
parts. In the end, the rules on PPE — and the personal protective
equipment itself — are meant for one simple thing: protecting the
person who is wearing the equipment. So not only are certain items
of PPE required by standard, they also are intended to protect the
tree folks who might complain about their use. PPE is certainly
underappreciated and, all too often, underutilized, but modern
materials and manufacturing have done their best to make PPE
more comfortable, easier to use, and less sweat/heat rash inducing.
Of course, the person killed or injured due to a lack of required
PPE will no longer be able to feel uncomfortable or sweaty, so that
in itself might be an encouragement to use it. Personal protective
equipment cannot do all the work on its own; and it is obviously
only as good as the user wearing it, their experience, knowledge,
and safe work practices. But simply wearing the required personal
protective equipment is a great start to keeping all those pieces and
parts where they belong.
ACTIVITIES AND REQUIRED PPE
PPE CLIMBING/AERIAL GROUND
Head Yes Yes
Eye Yes Yes
Leg/lower body No Yes
Hearing Yes (noise Yes (noise
dependent) dependent)
The table above shows how required PPE can be broken down
into four general areas, head, eye, chain saw-resistant leg/
lower body, and hearing protection. Boots and clothing are
Take care of them parts,
and them parts will
take care of you
n BY MICHAEL "HOUSE" TAIN
Another example of a well-equipped tree crew member with all
required PPE.
