There are lots of home improvement projects you can safely do yourself as a homeowner, like installing a new light fixture or painting your siding. But one thing you should never do is take on a project that puts your safety at risk. Although it might be tempting to pick up a saw and try to cut your own trees, this is something that should only be done by a professional tree trimming service.

 

In this post from Vital Tree Service, we’re discussing the most common tree trimming accidents. Give us a call to schedule your professional tree trimming services and avoid these types of injury or accident.

1. Fall-Related Injuries

Many of the most common tree-trimming-related injuries occur when a person falls from a height while attempting to reach branches and limbs without the proper safety equipment. Getting up on a ladder or climbing up on the roof are both risky activities, and it’s important to use proper safety gear to protect yourself. Because fall-related injuries are common, it’s often best to let an expert take on the job, especially with tall trees. A professional tree service uses special harnesses to prevent falls.

2. Falling Objects

A large tree limb can weigh hundreds of pounds. You don’t want to get hit with a branch or tree limb or have one fall on someone in your yard. Getting struck by something that heavy can cause broken bones or an even more serious injury. When you’re working on trimming up a large tree, accidents can easily happen. Without the proper experience, you might not realize where a branch will fall, or you may not see when a branch is close to breaking.

3. Insect Stings

No one wants to get stung by a bee or wasp or bitten by a spider. When your trees are especially thick and overgrown, it can be easy to miss wasps and insects that might go on the attack when they or their habitat is disturbed. If you are getting up into a tree or trying to cut it down, you need to be extra careful and watch out for signs of wasp nests.

4. Animal Bites

Plenty of critters make their homes in our beautiful Minnesota foliage. When their habitats are disturbed, wild animals can become aggressive and may attack. While most wild animals want to avoid people, they will defend their territory or their babies. Professional arborists have experience using protective gear and being aware of these possible risks.

5. Poison Ivy and Poison Oak

Poison ivy and poison oak often climb all over trees, where they can blend into the leaves and be difficult to identify. It’s important to know how to identify these plants because they can cause annoying, itchy rashes and sometimes severe allergic reactions.

6. Electrocution

Electrocution is one of the most serious risks when working near power lines. Trained tree trimming technicians are experienced working around power lines and can do so safely. Many large trees are tall enough that they are right next to power lines. Often, a tree needs to be trimmed to ensure it’s not impacting these lines. But, because of the safety risks, it’s better to leave these kinds of jobs to the professionals.

7. Corneal Injury

Tree trimming can generate a significant amount of sawdust. This can get into the tree trimmer’s eye, leading to corneal injury or infection. Also, it’s easy for a small twig or pine needle to flick or snap into your eye while you’re working on tree trimming. 

How to Avoid Tree Trimming Accidents

If you’re doing small tree trimming projects on your own, be sure to prepare fully ahead of time. You’ll need to wear protective gear like goggles and gloves. And, you should also be on high alert for risk like wild animals or insects. It’s also important that you use the necessary equipment and to use it correctly. For example, don’t stand on the very top rungs of a ladder.

 

But, for larger or riskier tree trimming jobs, it’s best to let the professionals at A Vital Tree Service take over. With our extensive experience and training, we can get the job done safely.

Call Our Minnesota Tree Trimming Service

With summer finally upon us, now is a great time to get your trees healthy for summer growth. Don’t take a chance on DIY tree trimming that could lead to permanent injury. At Vital Tree Service, our tree trimming and pruning technicians are licensed and insured professionals with a strong commitment to safety and the right tools for the job. We also offer tree removal service if necessary. To connect with a tree trimming expert, call 651-341-4021 or contact us online today.