Widowmaker (forestry)
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A Widowmaker or Fool Killer, also known as broken limbs, and broken tops, is aptly named for causing fatalities to forest workers. Used commonly in the logging and forestry professions to describe the presence of a hazardous object in the canopy of a tree. OSHA describes widowmaker as: “Broken off limbs that are hanging freely in the tree to be felled or in the trees close by.”[1]
[edit] Hazards
The object poses a risk to equipment or personnel working under or around the tree. The object can become dislodged by wind, or in the process of tree felling. Responsible for 11% of all fatal chainsaw accidents.[2] NIOSH offers ways to eliminate risks by avoid working underneath them, knocking them down or pulling them down with a machine.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ U.S. Department of Labor photos representing the workforce - Occupational Safety & Health Administration
- ^ Peters, P.A. “Chainsaw Felling Fatal Accidents” 1991. American Society of Agricultural Engineers. MI. Vol. 34, No. 6, pp. 2600-2608.
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