There are a lot of serious injuries and fatalities they never get time on the news. Accidents caused by unskilled tree removal and tree pruning are among them. Most of these accidents happen on private property and are not often witnessed by the public other than the immediate family. Buying a chainsaw to hack down a tree is easy, but pruning or removing a tree safely is a different story. Five Star Tree Services wants you to understand why it is important to hire professional arborists to perform tree care safely.
Regular Safety Updates
Professional teams will often hold monthly meetings to go over current safety measures that have been put in place as well as those that should be added. If there were any near misses or accidents, those will be reviewed to see if they could have been avoided. Contrary to popular belief, a fall to a hard surface from a height as minor as 10 feet can be fatal.
This is one of the many reasons that professional arborists will only use ladders that are roped in. They have also been trained in the specific use of rigging, heavy equipment, chainsaws, and how to work safely at height. To gain the title of an arborist, you will have to have trained under a master arborist for at least three years.
The Dangers of Felling a Tree
Many property owners will avoid climbing to cut branches, and instead will cut the tree or its branches down from its base. This may seem like a good alternative, but even more dangers accompany cutting down a tree.
Trees are pretty heavy, once they start to fall in one direction, there is no force that will stop its momentum. A solid surface is the only thing that will stop a falling tree, and even then the tree may bounce back toward the direction of the person who cut it down. Call it nature’s revenge if you like. Part of the tree may also break off and strike accidental targets causing injury or property damage.
Wind can suddenly pick up and blow your tree in a new direction other than what the cutter intended. The cutter standing at the tree base may also be stricken with falling branches as the tree falls down.
How a Professional Will Cut Down a Tree
Our Richmond Hill tree removal experts use wedges, notches, and ropes to help secure the direction a tree will fall. In addition, there are special cutting techniques that help a tree to fall in a more controlled manner. Heavy pull can cause the tree trunk to split, or there can be a loss of control due to rotting inside of the tree. Professionals are able to manage these changes on the fly which is safer for those cutting the tree and for the surrounding property. In some cases there may be hidden hydro wires that can cause electrocution, our arborist always double-check the area well before starting any tree work.
Cutting down the tree and avoiding its path as it falls is not the only concern. When a tree has fallen, the branches under it are placed under a lot of pressure. This can cause the tree to be rolled or even for the branches to whip up unexpectedly and cause serious injury. Cutting down a tree requires the effort of a practiced, experienced team that has the right tools and the skill to get the job done safely.
How We Can Help
Being safe is always better than being quick. Working with the professionals here at Five Star Tree Services will ensure that your trees are trimmed or removed in a safe manner. Contact us now at (416) 990-3355 to find out more about our services.