Pruning your trees can be very dangerous if it’s done incorrectly. We want to help you with staying safe while you’re doing this. So we have some tree pruning safety tips that you can use to help you remain safe while pruning your trees.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 1 – Read Your Equipment Manual
The first thing that you want to do when you are pruning your tree is to read the manual of your equipment. This is where you are going to find all the information you’re going to need about your tool and how to keep yourself and others safe.
Read any safety labels and warnings which could be about the saw on its box or on the item itself.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 2 – Wear the Right Gear
Make sure that you are wearing the right gear to protect yourself. From your head to your feet, you should be wearing:
- A helmet
- Facial mask or safety goggles
- Ear Protection
- Work gloves
- A good thick shirt
- Thick pants
- Boots that have good traction
Remember to remove any jewelry and put long hair up.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 3 – Use the Equipment Properly
Make sure that you are using your equipment the right way. Just use your pole saw for cutting and pruning your tree limbs. It shouldn’t be used for cutting shrubs, plants, trees, and bushes.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 4 – Check Conditions Beforehand
Inspect the area for any kinds of obstacles. Since you shouldn’t trim trees if it’s’ rainy, windy, or dark, it’s a good idea to check out the weather the day before. Inspect the condition of those trees that you are going to cut or prune. If the branches are dying or dead or if there’s wood rot, it can impact your cutting and make things dangerous.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 5 – Check Your Pruning Equipment
Make sure that it’s in good shape. See if your chain’s oiled and if there is any worn-out or missing teeth. Check for any guide bar or sprocket damage. Finally, try to run the saw’s safety features to make sure that they are functioning.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 6 – Clear Your Area
Make sure that you’re keeping a secure zone of around 50 feet around you. Don’t use your pole saw if there are pets, children or bystanders close by. It’s a good idea to have someone else who is keeping people and pets away from the area.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 7 – Keep Your Tools Away from the Power Lines
Pole trimmers, ladders, and other kinds of tools can conduct electricity if they get in contact with electrical conductors or power lines. Even when a power line is down, it still might contain a lot of energy so that serious injury happens. A great way to keep safe is to assume a power line is energized until confirming they’re not. So make sure that you’re careful when you move your conductive tools close to them.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 8 – Don’t Cut Branches Above You
You should never cut branches that are directly overhead. If you aren’t careful the branch that you have cut can come down on your head. Steer clear from any branch you’re cutting or pruning and make sure everyone else does.
Tree Pruning Safety Tip 9 – When in Doubt, Hire a Professional
If you are unsure if you can do the pruning yourself, it’s always a better idea to hire someone to do the pruning for you. This way, you don’t have to worry about the other tree pruning safety tips and just let them do their job!
Are you interested in making it so much easier to follow these tree pruning safety tips and have someone else do the work for you? Contact us to get a no-obligation quote for winter tree pruning.
