City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/84984
The Safety and Woods Worker (SAWW) training program, housed out of Crystal Falls, Michigan, has four levels of training available to sawyers. must meet growing, daily institutional goals and needs. It is obvious that our focus on training regarding chainsaw operation, safety, and maintenance should not stray. However, far too often saws are run and put away dull or simple measures for safety�such as chain breaks or spark arresters�are missing. Personal protec- tion equipment (PPE) is often beyond its useful service period, less than adequate or absent entirely. With the professional and up-to-date training offered by the SAWW member-trainers, there could be a reduction of liabilities and injuries encountered and an increase in worker production and safety in the urban forestry setting. Through SAWW's proactive training program, OSHA standards are explained while at the same time improved upon through hands-on application. Many times, we find ourselves in the heat of storm damage recovery with inadequately trained crew mem- bers, poorly maintained equipment, and a lack of or a less than adequate plan of action. Natural disasters such as windstorms and tornadoes increase the num- ber of chainsaw related accidents. Within a one-week period after the July 3, 2011 blowdown in northwest Wisconsin, there were 36 reported chainsaw related accidents. The recent tornadoes in southern Illinois are further evidence that natural disasters involving www.urban-forestry.com tree removal/disposal occur nationwide and proves the importance of having a plan and training program in place. In addition, with the increasing spread of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), tree removals are happen- ing in greater quantity, resulting in a need for more comprehensive training. In Illinois, the Urban Timber Harvesting for Hardwood Lumber Utilization and Recovery (UTiH2LzR) program was developed based on an internationally known method of directional felling that revolves around hands-on, at-the-tree learning. UTiH2LzR was the intro- duction to this training method of tree worker safety, maintenance, and felling led by Ken Lallemont, owner, operator, and instructor of Timber Resources and an original member of SAWW. Ken communicates to municipal, state, and private sector employees the techniques and knowledge necessary to safely fell and cut trees of any size. Many of the participants have found the program to be extremely beneficial, stating that this type of training has just not been available. Directional felling trees in the urban environment is becoming commonplace. To date, crew members in Illinois, following the method of direction felling taught in the UTiH2LzR program, have dropped close to 2000 trees with no incidents. Municipal equipment is well 11