OSHA Inspection: THE TREE COMPANY, LLC

Issued

2019-12-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-01-22 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $3789.00 · Current $2500.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were exposed serious injuries or death from falling tree limbs/branches sections while performing tree trimming activities:     JOBSITE: The employer did not ensure through conducting onsite job briefings, visual hazard assessment(s), providing employees with specific and step-by-step procedures, methods and other relevant topics prior to "commencing" the tasks, such as (but not limited to) trimming and/or cutting large tree branches and manually handling limbs that employees were performing the all tasks safely at all times by positioning themselves in proper and safe location(s).    On or about 07/12/2019, a large tree branch fell and landed on live tree limb and both of them fell on the bucket of the aerial lift while an employee was attempting to manually loosen the rope from underneath the anchor point of the live limb so the branch could fall to the ground with out damaging a bench on the ground. The employee sustained serious injuries including broken ribs, a fracture scapula, a fractured cheek bone, a crack in the lower eye socket and cervical fracture.