Labor Safety Initiative

In Connecticut, a tree branch contacted a live high-voltage power line as a worker in an aerial lift cut it, electrocuting him. In Massachusetts, a falling tree branch struck and killed a worker cutting down oak trees, while a falling tree limb struck an elevated bucket lift, ejecting the worker whose fall was fatal. In nearby Rhode Island, a log conveyor rolled over a worker performing repairs, crushing and killing him.

These are among the 31 worker deaths in the tree trimming and removal, landscaping, and site preparation industries since 2016 that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration New England region has investigated. To reduce the risks workers in these industries face, OSHA’s Boston regional office has established a Regional Emphasis Program that combines enforcement and outreach with employers.

“The number of fatalities, injuries, and uncontrolled hazards in the tree and landscaping industries in New England is alarming and unacceptable. These incidents are preventable with proper training and effective safety procedures,” says OSHA Acting Regional Administrator Jeffrey Erskine in Boston. “We are taking this action to raise awareness and improve worker safety in these industries. The emphasis program will focus on the industry’s major hazards: falls, being struck-by objects, electrocution, and vehicular and traffic incidents.”

OSHA inspections have identified occurrences such as workers falling from trees and aerial lifts, being struck by falling trees and tree limbs, electrocution or shock from contact with live electrical wires, lacerations caused by saws and other equipment, injuries from vehicle collisions, and being struck by or caught between mechanical equipment.

The program’s initial phase includes outreach to employers, workers, and stakeholder groups by each OSHA area office in New England prior to commencing enforcement activities in November 2021. This outreach can include presentations, informational mailings, articles in trade newsletters, and other activities. OSHA will then conduct programmed inspections of tree, landscape, and site preparation worksites. OSHA inspectors will also be able to open inspections on the spot if they observe hazardous conditions while traveling past worksites in the course of their duties.

OSHA urges industry employers to take steps to identify, reduce, and eliminate hazards related to tree trimming and site preparation and implement safety strategies during the REP’s initial phase. The agency also urges employers to use its free onsite consultation program for advice on complying with OSHA standards.

Regional Emphasis Programs are enforcement strategies designed and implemented at the regional and/or area office levels to address hazards or industries that pose a particular risk to workers in the offices’ jurisdictions. This REP is in effect until August 4, 2026.

Learn more about OSHA at www.osha.gov. If you have questions on this initiative, reach out to OSHA directly.