AFAG Initial Notifications - 2024
Arboriculture & Forestry Fatalities
June 2024 - AFAG Fatal Notification - Struck by a tree
Initial notification is that a person was struck by a section of tree during felling.
Key messages to promote
Falling trees, falling branches and falling sections of tree can kill or seriously injure people at work or passing by. Any felling, branch removal or dismantling work must be carried out by a trained and competent person, usually a specialist tree work contractor.
Ensure:
- • the layout and organisation of the work area protects all parties from the risk of falling objects.
- • exclusion drop zones are established and people are prohibited from entering the zone.
- • exclusion zones are, where reasonably practicable, clearly marked, signed and guarded
- • communication methods between arborist and ground person are robust and effective
- Additional resources may be required on site, such as lookouts, to help manage any risk associated with anyone possibly entering the work site, including the public. All persons involved should be properly trained and competent for the work that they carry out.
Links to relevant published guidance (HSE and industry publications)
Guidance can be found on the HSE Tree work health & safety web site, the Arboricultural Association and the Forestry Industry Safety Accord (FISA) website.
April 2024 - AFAG Fatal Notification - Struck by a tree
Initial notification is that a worker was crushed and killed by a tree while clearing windblown trees.
April 2024 - Fatal Notification - Struck by an object (tree)
Initial notification is that a person was crushed whilst unloading tree trunks from a forwarder trailer.
The HSE are sharing these notifications. Because the incidents are under investigation exact details will not be available and will not be provided with these notifications (either because the facts haven’t’ been established or release may prejudice enquiries).
Sharing of these notifications helps to raise awareness of broad themes around risk management and promote safety messages.
These notifications should not be seen as a definitive record of the number of fatalities in any particular period or sector of industry (some fatalities may turn out to be not reportable, or be allocated to other HSE Sectors when details are fully known eg amenities). Formal figures are released annually through HSE’s ‘Fatal injuries in Great Britain’ report: Statistics - Fatal injuries in Great Britain (hse.gov.uk)
Additionally the HSE may also share relevant agricultural initial notifications when sent out to agricultural stakeholders particularly if they may be of use to the forestry / arboriculture industries, for example situations that are common to all sectors eg relevant machinery incidents, chainsaw injuries, and working at height matters.