Safe practices with tree saws

My husband and I occasionally trim up our trees, but we don't go up on a ladder to do it. If the branches are too high to reach from the ground, we call an arborist. Many homeowners suffer too many injuries and even fatalities from falling off a ladder or trying to manage heavy limbs as they're cutting them.

Scott Prophett is the Corporate Safety Director at The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company. He says professionals have special equipment that attaches them to the tree to prevent falling. If you insist on cutting a limb yourself, use a saw that allows you to stay on the ground. 

"They have power saws which are chainsaws on the end of a long pole and you can make cuts from the ground that way. There are also pole saws that you can get in many heights, some over 20-feet so you can stay planted firmly on the ground with that," says Prophett. "The risk in making cuts from the ground with an extended pole saw is that be cautious to not let the limb fall down on top of you."

Make sure you know the tool that you're using. If the saw has not been properly sharpened or maintained, it will force you to use too much pressure, causing you to lose control. The cuts you make could also cause the branch to come back and hit you, or swing down and knock the ladder out from under you. 

Prophett says anytime you're in a tree, get the right safety equipment to hold you there.

"There are arborist harnesses that are specifically designed to sit in and there are arborist ropes and specific knots and hitches that can be tied so that you can be secured in the tree, and be able to get in a good position to make cuts," he says. "That also reduces your chances of falling."

Prophett says incorrect use of a saw could also damage the tree, opening it up to microorganisms and decay.