Homeowner Tree Care Accident Prevention in West Virginia

Homeowner Tree Care Accidents

The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) conducted an analysis of 62 civilian tree care-related accidents reported by the media from January 2017 to June 2018. TCIA is a trade association that promotes professional tree care and discourages homeowners from taking unnecessary risks caring for their trees themselves.

While these numbers are not representative of all – or even most – tree care accidents involving non-professionals, they provide insight into the types of hazards homeowners are likely to encounter while attempting tree work.

The findings were grim: Forty-one of the accidents (66 percent) were fatal.

“Homeowners may not realize how dangerous tree work can be, and how much they’re risking by taking the ‘do-it-yourself’ approach,” says Peter Gerstenberger, senior advisor for safety, standards and compliance for TCIA. “Lack of training, equipment or situational awareness undoubtedly contributed to these incidents, which could have been avoided by hiring a professional tree care company.”

The median age of the victim was 43, and the oldest victim was 85. The youngest reported victim was a 2-year-old toddler who was 50 feet away when the tree his father was cutting fell the wrong way, tragically, striking and killing the child. Four of the 41 victims, including the 2-year-old, were uninvolved bystanders.

Most homeowners were struck by a tree while attempting to fell it, or were hit by limbs, wires or chain saws. Others fell or were electrocuted. Chart A provides more details on the accidents.

In two-thirds of all cases where it could be determined, the victims undertook hazardous tree work with nobody to spot them, nobody to assist them and nobody to advise them when it might have been prudent to stop and seek out an expert.

What can you do?

Find a professional. A professional arborist can assess your landscape and work with you to determine the best course of action to care for and maintain the trees and shrubs in your landscape. Viking Tree Service is a fully licensed and insured tree care service that can guide you to making the right decision.

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“What’s this? Another tree/branch/large shrub in my yard that wasn’t there before the storm? I better gas up my brother’s old chain saw and go cut it up.” Stop! Just don’t. If you live in West Virginia , you know places like Martinsburg , Shepherdstown , Charles Town and Harpers Ferry can experience intense storms. In the blink of an eye, another storm has brought distress into your yard in the form of large branches and even entire trees that have broken and fallen into your world view. Before you dig out your brother’s old chain saw, the first question should be, “Am I capable of removing this large tree/limb myself or should I seek professional help?” Major tree-damage cleanup will undoubtedly require the use of a chain saw and climbing equipment. Unless you are experienced in the use of such equipment and comfortable working off the ground, it would be best to have the work performed by a competent professional. Wind places loads on trees, including trunks, branches and roots, leading to higher stress. The varying lengths and sizes of tree branches tend to dampen the overall effects of wind; however, as wind speeds increase, the loads placed on stress points within the tree increase exponentially. When the loads exceed trunk, branch or root strength, various types of failures occur. Only trained professionals like Viking Tree Service LLC should handle storm-damaged tree removal .

tree care worker moving storm damaged tree trunk

Cleaning Up Storm Damaged Trees in WV

By Michael Conell • 18 Oct, 2020

What’s your neighbor’s tree doing sitting on your shed? High winds, ice and snow put tremendous pressure on trees growing near houses or power lines. With winter storms passing through the area, you may see damage to your landscape, including broken tree trunks and branches all over your (or your neighbor’s) property. “Storm cleanup is often when many property owners crank up their first chain saw,” notes Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP* and staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association . “And, not surprisingly, they sometimes hurt themselves. Untrained property owners often attempt to remove large broken tree limbs from their property. Many of these accounts end unfavorably, often with serious injuries or even death. For homeowners thinking of handling post-storm work themselves, here’s a primer on safe tree and brush removal: