Working with trees and tree care equipment can be dangerous work. This is why tree care services usually buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for their workers. If you're contemplating taking up a career as a tree arborist, it is important to know about these PPE.
Check out this list of essential PPE required for people working in the tree service industry.
Protective Clothing
If you're going to work as an arborist, then you'll have to dress up well for the job. You'll need to wear tight-fitting clothes that protect your body from equipment-related hazards. Chainsaw protective pants and chaps, for example, will protect your legs from a running chainsaw as well as sharp objects. You may also need to put on a high visibility safety vest to easily stay visible on site.
Wearing the proper shoes for the job is also essential to ensuring your safety. If you'll be climbing trees, you'll need to wear shoes that are specially designed for tree climbing.
Safety Gloves
Safety gloves are essential for maintaining a firm grip on tree care equipment so that you don't injure yourself or someone else while on the job. They can also help to provide a better grip when you need to climb trees.
Fall Arresters
The risk of fall accidents is always inherent when people are working at height. For this reason, you should protect yourself against this risk. Personal fall arrest equipment like full-body harnesses and anchorage connectors are an integral part of any safety program when working on top of trees.
Hearing Protection
Cutting down trees with powered chainsaws can be a noisy job. Workers who are exposed to the noise for a prolonged period may develop hearing problems. Wearing hearing protection such as ear muffs and ear plugs can help to reduce the noise and prevent partial or complete loss of hearing ability.
Head Protection
Tree workers run the risk of being hit on top of the head (as well as the side) by falling objects such as tree branches. For this reason, you can benefit from wearing a hard hat, safety helmet or any other appropriate type of heat protection.
Eye Protection
Where there's a risk of dust or flying debris causing infections or injury to your eyes respectively, it is best to wear safety goggles, safety glasses or any other suitable type of eye protection.
For more information on PPE for tree workers, don't hesitate to consult a seasoned tree care specialist.
Share