When you think of dangerous occupations, you’ll likely consider things like astronauts, stunt people, firefighters, and bomb disposal experts. However, amongst these roles in terms of levels of danger is the very common profession of tree surgery.
Is tree surgery dangerous?
The short answer is “yes”. From working at height through to the use of dangerous machinery, tree surgery can be one of the most treacherous jobs there is. In fact, according to the Health & Safety Executive, 24 tree surgeons and arborists have been killed in the last 10 years when completing tree work, and over 1,400 have suffered an injury.
Tree surgery is also listed as one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, which means that they are up there alongside deep sea fishermen, light aircraft pilots, and miners. For that reason, it’s essential you only ever employ qualified, trusted and insured professionals to carry out tree work on your property.
Why is tree surgery dangerous?
There are many aspects of tree surgery that render the job dangerous. We explore some of these below:
The tree itself
As you might imagine, trees can pose many dangers for tree surgeons to tackle. One of these dangers is gravity. When felling trees, the risk of falling from height is ever-present. On top of this, there is also a huge risk for those working on the ground that the tree could fall onto them.
Trees can often be decaying inside and show no signs of this from the outside, which could result in the climber falling or a large tree limb breaking off, which is why it’s essential that the tree surgeon is an expert in all types of tree species.
Dangerous equipment
Tree surgeons are often equipped with an arsenal of equipment, such as chainsaws and axes, both of which have sharp blades and immense cutting power. It is absolutely vital that tree surgeons remain focussed throughout their work in order to avoid injury or even worse, death.
Precarious locations
Trees are often left to grow unchecked until they become a problem, which means that they are often in difficult locations such as tangled with power lines, next to busy roads or in small spaces with limited access. Tree removals in these types of locations require proper planning, occasional traffic control, and great levels of care.
Fatigue
Tree surgery is both mentally and physically demanding, with surgeons required to carry heavy machinery and wear thick protective clothing. This means that any physical fatigue they may also be feeling becomes a risk, as they cannot afford to make mistakes when at work.
Expert tree surgeons in Surrey
DH Tree Services is a family-run business that provides professional tree surgery services to those based in and around Surrey. With decades of experience, we pride ourselves on our unparalleled levels of care, providing tree care and garden maintenance services for both commercial and domestic clients.
Keeping your garden in great shape all year round, we have the knowledge we need to tackle a wide variety of jobs, thanks to our extensive training and accreditations.
To find out more about what we do or to get a free, no-obligation quote, contact us on 01737 215 718.
