Author, Rory Anderson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Every year, Federal OSHA conducts hundreds of inspections and issues costly citations to tree care companies. Although the Occupational Health OSHA citations can be issued for many reasons, there are five specific citations that continually plague the tree care industry every year.

1. Violation of standard 1910.132, PPE General Requirements
Employers of tree care companies can be cited for a violation if they fail to assess the workplace hazards, don’t provide personal protective equipment and fail to train employees on when and how to use it.

• Average penalty: $1,300

2. Violation of standard 1910.1200, Hazard Communication
This citation is served if the employer lacks a hazard communication program for hazardous substances such as gas or hydraulic fluid periodically encountered in the tree care workplace.

• Average penalty: $454

3. Violation of standard 5(a)(1), OSHA General Duty Paragraph
This is when an employer fails to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. OSHA did not have a standard to describe the hazards specifically encountered in the tree care industry, but general duty citations usually cite passages from the ANSI Z133 standard.

• Average penalty: $2,992

4.Violation of standard 1910.67, Vehicle-mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms (e.g., bucket trucks and aerial lifts).
This citation can be issued if the employer fails to provide fall protection for the lift operator or fails to properly inspect the lift.

• Average penalty: $3,325

5. Violation of standard 1910.135, Head Protection
This citation occurs when the employer fails to ensure that employees wear hard hats when required.

• Average penalty: $1,262

As a tree care company, it is important that employee trainings routinely cover these five topics. While the standard safety training topics for the tree care industry are impactful (e.g., fall protection, chainsaw safety, etc.) and vital to your company’s safety success, these top five OSHA citations should be considered a high priority for regular review.

Access these specific trainings from our Risk Management Center library. If you’re not a Rancho Mesa client, please contact me at (619) 486-6437 or randerson@ranchomesa.com for a free Risk Management Center trial.