Best Practices for Safety in Arboriculture

Best Practices for Safety in Arboriculture is a reference for tree workers who want the safety side of the job laid out in one place. It suits new crew members learning the basics and foremen looking for material to anchor tailgate meetings.

Who it is for

Most accidents in tree work come back to the same handful of causes: electrical contact, falls, struck-by incidents and chainsaw cuts. A best-practices guide gives a crew a shared way to talk about those hazards, plan the work and set up the drop zone before anyone starts the saw.

It is useful for a new ground worker learning the job, a climber studying for a credential or a foreman planning safety meetings. Read a section, then talk it through on the job site with the crew. Browse more books and training materials for rigging and climbing titles.

Using it well

A book does not replace training. Use it alongside ANSI Z133, your company's written procedures and hands-on instruction from a qualified trainer. Check the edition date and compare it with the current version of the standard, since practices change over time.

Keep a copy in the truck or crew room, and come back to it when a near miss or a new job type raises questions.

The best way to use it is in short pieces. Pick one topic each week, such as work zone setup, aerial rescue readiness or electrical hazard awareness, and spend ten minutes on it before the first cut of the day. Ask the newest person on the crew to explain it back. That kind of steady review builds habits that hold up when the job gets busy or the weather turns.