The primary objective of arborists is to conserve trees, but it cannot always be sorted out. Many theories justify tree removal. The safe tree removal techniques used rely on certain reasons for removal plus the position of the tree on the land.
Sometimes, over time, trees die or just decline. It is important not to wait for limbs to fall before you order a tree assessment if you have a tree that you think may be in a diseased condition or have pests or have not had enough rainfall.
Why Do We Want To Remove A Tree?
In the first place, let’s start with why we want to remove a tree. Usually, the most common explanations include aesthetics, structure, and risk mitigation. Too many times, however, trees are removed only to retain a desired shape or size to match a position in the landscape. This may be the product of bad positioning or because the intended space was chosen for the wrong tree. To remove dead or dying branches or those damaged by insect damage or illness, removing is often required. This helps to protect against the pest’s spread and prevent further damage.
Safe Tree Removal Techniques
It is a complicated, dangerous process to remove a large tree, and it’s a bad idea to try to remove it by yourself—there are just so many things that can go wrong. Felling a tree successfully requires knowledge of tree science, genetics, hazardous equipment, specialized techniques for cutting, and more. Homeowners who try to cut their tree can be wounded by falling branches, malfunctioning machinery, or the tree itself. The easiest way to go is to employ a professional tree removal service, but you should also familiarize yourself with proper protection procedures for tree removal so that you are confident that the company you have hired is operating properly.
Below, we compiled all the tree removal techniques you need to know about. Check out the list we made.
Safely Access The Trees Beforehand
Safe tree removal techniques allow staff to easily enter the trees. First and foremost, all people who assist in the project should have workplace training and experience. And if one team member lacks expertise, he or she will make errors that pose a danger to everyone at work.
The first step in entering the tree is to have an experienced person do an examination from the ground and then assist in bringing together a plan of action. If capable of assessing the structural weaknesses of the tree and any conditions that have caused weakening, a person can be considered eligible.
They will need to be able to grasp the effects of the weather and wind. To recognize possible threats from power lines, dropping objects, and wildlife, including stinging insect nests, caution must also be taken. Recommended clothing, including high visibility colors, cut-resistant trousers, and other apparel designed to improve protection, should be worn by those directly involved in trimming and removal.
Skilled people must assemble and maintain equipment such as ropes, harnesses, and emergency rescue measures during the access process to ensure that those operating above the ground remain safe.
1. Draft Your Plan Before Executing Tree Removal
Even if the tree you want to cut is not close to power lines, it is important to prepare ahead to ensure a secure removal. If workers are to climb the tree, such as broken branches or weak limbs, the tree removal service should check the site for possible hazards. They’ll need to decide how best to dismantle it into smaller parts if the tree is incredibly tall, so it’s easier to take down. Taking the weather into account—on a windy, rainy, or snowy day, the tree should not be cut, which may make the removal process more dangerous.
2. Wear Safety Gear And Equipment
Proper safety gear and equipment must be used when cutting a tree. To protect their hands from bites, splinters, and other injuries, staff should wear heavy-duty work gloves. To prevent debris from flying into the eyes, safety goggles or glasses are also important. In the event of a branch or other debris falling from the tree during the removal process, a hard hat is also a good idea. A protective belt with lines attached to the tree should be used in case of a fall while the staff is scaling the tree to dismantle it. Before beginning the removal process, all other equipment and materials, including chainsaws, should be properly maintained and checked.
3. Ropes Are Very Crucial
Arborist ropes are built to withstand up to 6000 pounds of tensile strength and are brought into the tree when the time has come to cut the tree and branches are marked as being removed. Each limb in a managed fall is removed and let down. They are transferred to the truck when the tree limbs are taken down, so that there is no accumulation in the work zone. It is both a safety measure and an effective use of crew time to keep removed limbs out of the work zone. They become entangled and difficult to extract if limbs are left to collect in a pile. The yard is raked or the parking lot swept to have a neat look after the tree has been safely removed.
4. Safe Falling Of A Tree
Although all aspects of tree trimming and removal carry a risk, when a tree has to fall, the most dangerous stage comes. To ensure the safety of those concerned, felling a tree takes expertise and patience. Necessary qualifications and expectations should be met by all team members working to fall a tree.
It is necessary to evaluate a tree properly before cutting into it. The equipment used to cut the tree may be harmed by rot, foreign objects, and other hazards, and even damage operators and others.
Next, a strategy for safe tree felling must be put together by the team. When cutting and clearing the area properly, figure out where the tree should fall. Account, however, for the chance of errors that might cause the tree to fall in the wrong direction. In case things go wrong, each person involved needs to stay clear of the butt of the tree and also have an escape plan.
A minimum distance of two tree lengths should be cleared before the tree is fallen, if necessary.
5. Always Remain Vigilant And Alert
During the entire process, the secret to the safe removal of a tree is to remain alert. Having several individuals to assist with the operation offers multiple sets of eyes and ears to pick up on potential risks, so maintaining contact during the process is vital to ensure that the tree comes down properly. Workers can never turn their back on it after the tree is felled— twigs, branches and other debris will fall from the tree when it comes down so that a worker will need to clear in a hurry.
6. Emergency Planning And Rescue
Disaster will happen at some point. Proper site management requires rescue and safety preparation when accidents arise.
Consideration of the site itself should include rescue and emergency preparation. Will injured individuals be reached by emergency services quickly? Is there a plan in place to help responders attempt to reach places that may lack good roads and GPS?
What kind of equipment does the team have for first aid? Although most kits include bandages, alcohol, and splints, treatments for stings, animal bites, and some wildlife-related injuries should be considered for those working with tree trimming and removal.
In both staff and machinery, tree trimming and removal members should have some redundancy. A second person should be able to extend himself to rescue the injured worker if one person wound himself when above ground.
7. No Planning Ahead Of Time Means Fail Operation
Security on a job site for tree trimming and removal should always be the priority. This requires trained workers, suitable services, and, most importantly, safety preparation. Failure to prepare is almost equal to planning to fail and it could mean the difference between mere injury and premature death in this sector.
Dangers And Risks
- Power lines. It’s dangerous to work near power lines, and you should always believe that the wires are live. Many trees are near power lines and if you need to cut them, that puts you in danger. If your tools or a tree strikes a power line, if you’re lucky, you can cut off the power in your neighborhood. If you may, contact the power company to see if the lines can be turned off, or if the lines can be ground out or insulated for you with blankets. You will most certainly be electrocuted. Another misconception homeowner can believe about power lines. It’s not real. Weather-proofing for the metal cable is the black coating on power lines. The weather-proofing also helps you to get electrocuted. When branches have developed out of control near telephone poles or power lines, be very vigilant. Even so, take care so that when working you do not inadvertently hit a line, as you can never be sure that it is off.
- Improper gears and equipment. Tree removal professionals are expected by OSHA to wear protection garments from head to toe. Professionals in tree care are also qualified to safely fall and dispose of a tree using devices such as cables, cranes, chain saws and wood chippers. All of this equipment and the necessary expertise will be required by homeowners to conduct a safe and secure removal. They expose themselves to needless danger without it.
- Machine or tool injury. While a chainsaw makes it much easier for a tree to cut down, it is also a dangerous weapon. Until using it for the first time, read the instructions and verify that all is in order before each use. Manually remove anything that may damage the chainsaw, such as a piece of rebar or nail, to strike back at you. With a chainsaw, never cut straight overhead, as you cannot always manage its movement and don’t want it near your face or in a position that is hard to control.
- Being struck by trunks or branches. Since cutting down trees requires removing branches and ultimately the whole tree, you risk being struck by one of them. Have a helper help you safely carry branches from upper heights to the ground, and delete all possible branches from ground level. Cut a third of the way through the tree parallel to the ground when a tree is felled, and then down at a 60-degree angle to reach the inner end of the cut, forming a wedge. This will mean that the tree drops in the direction of the wedge as you cut from the other side.
- Dangers of falling. Removing branches first is often important when cutting down trees. Perhaps the most obvious risk of working at heights is that you fall, especially if you bend away from your center of gravity or use unwieldy instruments. When using ladders, before pulling up equipment or starting work, tie them to the tree you are working on securely. Wear a fall-arrest harness attached to a thick, safe branch without any signs of rot or splitting while you are high enough that a fall to the ground might harm you.
- Decaying lumber. From the inside out, a dying or dead tree is always rotting, making it highly unstable. To clear such deadwood, even professionals often use cranes. If you think that your tree is beginning to rot, find a professional to cut it without notice before it collapses. When removing decayed trees, there are important tree biology processes to consider, so professional support is often necessary.
- Gravity. You have no power of where it goes until the tree begins to fall. The way you expect it to, it can also not fall, even though you try to influence it with ropes or carefully cut indentations. Poor judgment may lead to a tree falling on houses, power lines, or individuals.
Traditional Tree Removal Techniques
For property owners, a dead or dying tree is an eyesore and a safety problem. The most common method for the removal of a dead or dying tree is conventional tree removal. For a tree climber to ascend the tree, this method allows the tree to be secure enough. After declining or dying, most trees are still robust enough to climb if dealt with quickly, until rotting starts and the wood becomes unsafe for climbing.
How Will It Be Done?
Using tree climbing spurs that bind to his boots, a rope, and a saddle, a climber will start by working his way up the tree. As he climbs, he must remain firmly attached to the tree. On the way, the climber removes branches, he may prefer to let the branches fall safely to the ground if the job site allows or, with the aid of a groundsman, he may prefer to rope each branch safely to the land.
The climber can then cut handy parts of the trunk to drop to the ground when the tree is stripped of its limbs, or he may opt to rope each piece and lower it in a managed manner to the ground.
What Threats Are There?
With this tree removal method, the possibility of plant damage and landscaping is reduced as each branch is lowered using a roping and rigging technique. To assess the weight and structural strength of the rigging point to safely lower the trunk and branches, the climber and his member must work together to use an adjacent tree to help lower the branches.
How Do I Decide If I Need A Tree To Be Removed?
Make sure you meet with a qualified arborist if you are considering removing one of your trees this year. To decide whether your tree is dead, dying, dangerous, or not in need of removal at all, a professional arborist has the training required.
The best and most cost-effective way to remove your tree and reduce the risk associated with tree removal can only be tested by an arborist.
Conclusion
One of the riskiest work available is tree removal and trimming. To take them high off the ground, employees must use specialized machinery, then deal with dropping items weighing tones. Security in this industry must always be one job. While tree trimming and removal protection can never be assured, those providing this service should become aware of suitable techniques and safety measures.
To summarize, homeowners should never attempt the removal of their tree. The danger is not worth it, and would possibly trigger more issues than it solves. A specialist arborist would be able to decide the best way to safely cut the tree if you have a tree that needs to be removed.