Ep. 563 Understanding the Three Deadliest Hazards in Tree Care

Rancho Mesa’s Marketing & Media Communications Specialist Megan Lockhart sits down with Rory Anderson, Partner with the Tree Care Group, to talk about the deadliest hazards in the tree care industry.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: Megan Lockhart

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory Anderson⁠

Producer/Editor: ⁠Jadyn Brandt⁠

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Megan Lockhart: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive.

I’m your host today, Megan Lockhart, and I’m joined by Rory Anderson, Partner in Rancho Mesa’s Landscape and Tree Care Group. Today, we’re going to talk about the deadliest hazards in the tree care industry.

So Rory, welcome to the show.

Rory Anderson: Hey, Megan. Yeah, Thanks for having me here today.

ML: Happy to have you. Now, you recently wrote an article where you discussed the three deadliest hazards for tree care professionals based on data published by the Tree Care Industry Association. So based on this data, what are the three leading types of accidents in the tree care industry?

RA: Yeah, so when you look at TCIA's data, three things really rise to the top over and over again. The big one is falls, So that's about one-third of all fatalities in the industry. Then you've got electrical contact, which is incredibly dangerous, and that accounts for about 14%. And then lastly, is struck by incidents, which can include falling branches or even ropes and lines getting pulled into chippers. So those are the three categories that really make up the bulk of the severe and fatal events that we see in the industry.

ML: Okay. Well, let's cover the first one. So why do falls account for such a large percentage of fatalities and what specific practices can prevent these incidents?

RA: Yeah. So, you know, falls are obviously a big problem, mainly because climbers are constantly working in these dynamic and unpredictable environments. And so a lot of incidents happen when someone becomes unsecured, even just for a second, or when an anchor point fails, just because of, like, hidden decay that, you know, you couldn't see. We still see climbers going down with the tree because the structure just wasn't sound. So that's climbing.

Arial lifts are another one. People forget that, you know, being in a lift doesn't make you safe by default. If you're not clipped in or your harness is clipped to the wrong spot, a fall can become fatal pretty quickly. So prevention really comes back to doing the basics extremely well; thorough inspections, looking for decay, always staying tied in and being super deliberate about your anchor points. And when you're in lifts, it's simple, harness on and actually attached, right? So don't open the gates when you're in the air. It's those little habits that can save lives.

ML: Yeah, that's really important. So what about the second one? What are the most common scenarios that lead to struck-by injuries in tree care and what steps can crews take to minimize these risks?

RA: Yeah, so struck-by injuries usually come down to branches doing something unexpected, swinging, falling, kicking back, and then a ground worker being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A lot of times it's because nobody called out the cut or somebody just walked into that drop zone because they thought the area was clear. And then you've got chippers and they don't really get talked about enough, but the struck by events around chippers are pretty serious. Usually it's a rope or a winch line getting sucked in, which can whip around and hit the operator.

So the fixes aren't complicated, clear communication, actually establishing a drop zone and respecting it. And then for chippers, it's keeping the ropes bagged and setting the chipper up away from the rigging. So just a few small adjustments can make a huge difference in the long run.

ML: Okay, great. So how do electrical contact accidents typically occur? And what precautions should crews take to avoid them?

RA: Electrical contact is just brutal because there's almost no room for error. Most of the incidents that we see are indirect contact, so the climber doesn't actually grab a line, but their pole saw does or a branch that they're holding swings into a primary distribution line. About half of those involve climbers making contact through a conductive tool rather than grabbing it hands on. So the key is understanding that minimum approach distance is not just about your body. It's your body plus the full length of your tools, plus whatever you're cutting that could swing or fall. So that's where people get, you know, caught off guard.

The precaution is really strict line clearance thinking. So knowing your distances, assume the line is energized, and understand the movement of the tree before making a cut. You can't just like wing it around power lines. That's just too serious of a scenario.

ML: Okay. Well, this was all a lot of really great information that I think tree care companies can utilize. So, Rory, if listeners have questions about managing their tree care risk, what's the best way to get in touch with you?

RA: Yeah, happy to help anybody out. My number is (619) 486-6437, or you can email me at randerson@ranchomesa.com.

ML: Great. Okay, so Rory, thanks for joining me in StudioOne.

RA: Thank you Megan, appreciate you having me.

ML: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne. If you enjoyed what you heard please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.