TCIA SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING OSHA TO PLACE A
SEPARATE STANDARD FOR ARBORICULTURE
ON THE REGULATORY AGENDA
For over ten years, TCIA has been working with OSHA to get them to replace the patchwork of inconsistent regulation with a separate standard for arboriculture to increase worker safety and minimize confusion on how to comply.
On September 18, our dream became a reality with the appearance of The Advance Notice of Proposed Rule-making (ANPRM) in the Federal Register. It officially announces the intention of OSHA to write a separate standard for arboriculture.
We met with OSHA on September 25 to continue our preliminary discussions. As your trade association, TCIA is coordinating the response on behalf of the entire industry with comments due by December 17.
The ANPRM has over 114 questions. In order to have the most up-to-date information, we are surveying our members this week to gather information. TCIA will then draft comments to file on behalf of the industry.
In addition, it will be very important to have a large number of responses going into OSHA from you. TCIA will prepare draft comments that you can file before December 17 as well and will notify you when they are ready.
We are also working with other organizations and Congressional staff. For instance, TCIA’s legislative and regulatory affairs advisor, David Marren, and Peter Gerstenberger from our staff will be present with OSHA at the next ANSI Z-133 meeting to explain the progress we are making as an industry and the steps that need to be followed. OSHA indicated in our September meeting in Washington that basing a standard on Z-133 will not freeze the standard. They will continue to look to Z-133 as technologies and methodologies advance in the years to come.
We will also contact our friends in other tree organizations to help us. ULCC (Utility Line Clearance Coalition) and TCIA have been communicating closely. PLANET has also agreed to send out a survey and gather information from their members who perform tree work. We are calling upon our friends in the Massachusetts Arborist Association, Professional Tree Care Association of San Diego, Kansas Arborist Association, Michigan Green Industry Association, Society for Commercial Arborists, Society for Municipal Arborists, International Society of Arboriculture, American Society of Consulting Arborists, Connecticut Tree Protective Association, Maryland Arborist Association, New Hampshire Arborists Association, and many others to help get the word out to file the draft comments when we have completed them.
What do you need to do now?
• Complete the TCIA survey coming this week and help us collect information to answer OSHA's questions
• Keep your eyes open for a communication from TCIA with the draft comments you need to send to OSHA in support of a separate standard for arboriculture before December 17.
This is a great day for TCIA to celebrate over ten years of volunteers and staff working together to achieve a separate OSHA standard for arboriculture.
SEPARATE STANDARD FOR ARBORICULTURE
ON THE REGULATORY AGENDA
For over ten years, TCIA has been working with OSHA to get them to replace the patchwork of inconsistent regulation with a separate standard for arboriculture to increase worker safety and minimize confusion on how to comply.
On September 18, our dream became a reality with the appearance of The Advance Notice of Proposed Rule-making (ANPRM) in the Federal Register. It officially announces the intention of OSHA to write a separate standard for arboriculture.
We met with OSHA on September 25 to continue our preliminary discussions. As your trade association, TCIA is coordinating the response on behalf of the entire industry with comments due by December 17.
The ANPRM has over 114 questions. In order to have the most up-to-date information, we are surveying our members this week to gather information. TCIA will then draft comments to file on behalf of the industry.
In addition, it will be very important to have a large number of responses going into OSHA from you. TCIA will prepare draft comments that you can file before December 17 as well and will notify you when they are ready.
We are also working with other organizations and Congressional staff. For instance, TCIA’s legislative and regulatory affairs advisor, David Marren, and Peter Gerstenberger from our staff will be present with OSHA at the next ANSI Z-133 meeting to explain the progress we are making as an industry and the steps that need to be followed. OSHA indicated in our September meeting in Washington that basing a standard on Z-133 will not freeze the standard. They will continue to look to Z-133 as technologies and methodologies advance in the years to come.
We will also contact our friends in other tree organizations to help us. ULCC (Utility Line Clearance Coalition) and TCIA have been communicating closely. PLANET has also agreed to send out a survey and gather information from their members who perform tree work. We are calling upon our friends in the Massachusetts Arborist Association, Professional Tree Care Association of San Diego, Kansas Arborist Association, Michigan Green Industry Association, Society for Commercial Arborists, Society for Municipal Arborists, International Society of Arboriculture, American Society of Consulting Arborists, Connecticut Tree Protective Association, Maryland Arborist Association, New Hampshire Arborists Association, and many others to help get the word out to file the draft comments when we have completed them.
What do you need to do now?
• Complete the TCIA survey coming this week and help us collect information to answer OSHA's questions
• Keep your eyes open for a communication from TCIA with the draft comments you need to send to OSHA in support of a separate standard for arboriculture before December 17.
This is a great day for TCIA to celebrate over ten years of volunteers and staff working together to achieve a separate OSHA standard for arboriculture.
