Thursday, January 31, 2008

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Chainsaw Accident on Fishtail Palm)

Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments from outsiders are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/ , although images are usually not attached due to size. ***

Dear Station Members,

Attached is yet another case of Chainsaw Accident not widely reported by our media community, even though Chainsaw is one of the most dangerous tools used in tree work anywhere in the world.

Two tree workers were removing a Fishtail Palm with a Chainsaw but were hit by the re-bounce of the trunk which caused injury to their head & face. Luckily the damage was minor & both workers did not require hospitalization.

Chainsaw Use & Safety, like proper Tree Climbing, is one important subject which is rarely available publicly in greenery institutes & classes in our territory besides within Govt Depts. Yet most of the time tree work is done by contractors in our territory . Chainsaw knowledge & Tree Climbing appear to be exclusive to Arborists & not available in the common teaching of landscape design & horticulture. After all, it would be rather an excessive effort to prune a rose with a chainsaw or climb a camellia for any treatment. And Chainsaw isn't much of an appearance in landscape design. But for the Arborist, it is a day-in day-out job required by some for a living.

It is sad that Chainsaw Accidents keep on happening in our territory & the many so-called ' Safety Training ' does not cover this popular tool for work sites. There are public classes on ' Gardening Safety ' given by many institutes, but hardly any for Chainsaw Use or Tree Climbing. Is it becasue that we do not have enough qualified tutors for the training? Or is it that Chainsaw is a less dangerous tool?

Anyone who wishes to learn more about Chainsaw Accident is welcomed to browse:

1. http://www.whscc.nb.ca/docs/Chainsaw.pdf
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3534320.stm
3. http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz/kidz/gore/kickback.shtml
4. http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1484363/01142004/nugent_ted.jhtml
5. http://nz.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080129093317AATeJzg

This Station has more if anyone desires.

TCHK will offer a free 3 hour Chainsaw Safety seminar with demonstration exclusive to TCHK Members in the coming month, with announcement on TCHK Blog (http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/treeclimbinghk) very soon, since all TCHK Members have signed a Disclaimer to join TCHK. TCHK will also organize Tree Climbing & Chainsaw Training open to public in the near future, targeting mainly tree workers & contractors to upgrade their knowledge & to prevent accident.

Please stay close at TCHK Blog for announcement.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

The ISA Mission - Through research, technology, and education, promote the professional practice of arboriculture and foster a greater public awareness of the benefits of trees. (http://www.isa-arbor.com/)

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