OSHA and tree care

[ProfessorPlum]

Has anyone had the misfortune of being visited by OSHA? It seems that a lot of OSHA's rules are in direct conflict with ANSI guidelines, and are basically rules taken from other industries and misapplied to tree care. The result is a set of standards which every tree care operation in the country is going to fail.

From what I understand, OSHA has a new initiative to investigate our industry, and has started turning their cameras on unsuspecting arborists, and laying out some pretty hefty fines for practices that are the modus operandi for basically everyone in the industry. Things like: climbing above your tie-in, or groundmen walking under the canopy to retrieve limbs while an arborist is still working above them.

Scary stuff. These fines are huge; $5,000 bucks for each infraction on the first visit, up to $70,000 for repeat infractions.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by ProfessorPlum
These fines are huge; $5,000 bucks for each infraction on the first visit, up to $70,000 for repeat infractions.

I've worked federal contracts where I was OSHA-groped. Lastone was ~10 years ago. Wasn't too bad; checked for PPe but didn't mess with the climbing operation much.

Re fines I think an appeal could be successfully mounted, with ANSI as a defense. I hear OSHA is getting rewritten with TCIA etc taking part but since I don't do fed work anymore I stay under their radar and everyone else's and pay little attention to rules outside ANSI. KISS works for me now.

 

[NeTree]

OSHA and tree care

Now THERE'S an oxymoron.

Haven't dealt with them a whole lot, but on the few occasions I have it was like dealing with a tempermental 2 yr old, right down to having to teach them to use the potty.

 

[tjk]

I heard a story about OSHA paying a vist to a local company because of a fatality. Their were no fines. As far I as I know OSHA has adobted the ANSI standards, as they know nothing about our trade. The company had documentation of countinual training. Plus inspection of the site ,gear used, and PPE met all standards.