An Overview of Risk Assessment for Tree Climber Arborists
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paper_title: Quantified Risk Assessment for Fall From Height

paper_content:

Logical models for quantifying occupational risk owing to fall from height developed under the Workgroup Occupational Risk Model (WORM) project are presented. Sixty four logical models quantifying corresponding occupational risks are developed under the WORM project. The overall objective of quantifying occupational risk through detailed logic models in WORM is twofold: First from a qualitative point of view the model helps in identifying the specific factors that contribute to the risk by outlining the sequence of events that constitute an accident, starting from the undertaking of an activity by a worker to the final undesirable consequence. Second, from a quantitative point of view, a logic model allows for the quantitative assessment of the risk of the particular activity to the workers allowing a rational ordering of the various activities on the basis of quantified risk rather than on, the potentially misleading, number of observed accidents. Furthermore, a quantified detailed logical model allows for the assessment of the relevant contribution of the various factors to the risk enabling this way a rational prioritization of the available risk reducing measures. Fall from height models presented in this paper simulate the logical and stochastic interdependences of the various events involved with the occurrence of a fall and its consequences. Fall from heights logical models consist of two main parts (a) the part incorporating the events preceding the fall consisting mainly of fall preventing measures; and (b) the part incorporating events following the fall and consisting mainly of measures mitigating the effects of the falls or otherwise affecting the consequences of a given fall. Three levels of consequence severity are considered; lethal injuries, non-lethal permanent injuries, and recoverable injuries. A generic logical model developed for quantifying occupational risk is specialized to six particular instances corresponding to six different work related ways of falling from a height, namely falls from ladders, scaffolds, roofs and roof openings, holes in the ground, moveable platforms and falls from non-moving vehicles. Safety measures engineered or procedural aimed at preventing the fall, mitigating the impact of a fall and influencing the consequences of a given impact along with the required data for quantification are presented. As an example preliminary quantification results are presented for the risk of a fall from a movable ladder.
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paper_title: QUANTIFIED TREE RISK ASSESSMENT USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AMENITY TREES

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A system of tree risk assessment is proposed that expands concepts developed by others and enables a probability of significant harm to be applied to tree failure risk. By evaluating the components of a tree failure hazard and assigning to them estimates of probability, the proposed system enables the skilled tree inspector to calculate the product of those probabilities to produce a numerical estimate of risk. The use of quantification in the assessment of tree hazards enables property owners and managers to operate, as far as is reasonably practicable, to a predetermined limit of reasonable or acceptable risk.
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paper_title: An evaluation of arborist handsaws.

paper_content:

A review of the scientific literature reveals little research on the ergonomics of handsaws and no literature on the specific challenges of arborist saws (saws for cutting and pruning living trees). This study was designed to provide some insight into the effects of saw design and height of sawing activity on the biomechanical response of the upper extremity. Eighteen participants performed a simple sawing task at three different heights using six different arborist handsaws. As they performed this task, the electromyographic activity of several muscle groups of the forearm (flexor and extensor digitorum), arm (biceps brachii long and short heads) and shoulder girdle (posterior deltoid, infraspinatus and latissimus dorsi) were sampled. Also gathered were the wrist postures in the radial/ulnar plane at the beginning and ending of the sawing stroke, the time to complete the sawing task and a subjective ranking of the six different saws. The results show an interesting mix of biomechanical and subjective responses that provide insight into handsaw design. First, there were tradeoffs among muscle groups as a function of work height. As work height increased the biceps muscles increased their activation levels (approximately 19%) while the posterior deltoid activity decreased (approximately 17%) with the higher location. The results also showed the benefits of a bent handle design (average 21% reduction in ulnar deviation). The subjective responses of the participants generally supported the productivity data, with the saws demonstrating the shortest task completion time also being the ones most highly ranked. RELEVANCE TO INDUSTRY: Understanding the stresses placed on the upper extremity during sawing activities, and design features that can reduce these stresses, may help saw designers to create products that reduce the risk of injury in workers who use handsaws.
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paper_title: Risk and the Arborist in the Remaking of the Australian Urban Forest

paper_content:

The emerging profession of arboriculture has influenced Australian urban landscapes ::: over the past decade. Arborists manage the urban forest as a core ::: component of urban sustainability. We analyse qualitative interviews with 53 ::: professionals involved in tree management in six eastern Australian cities to ::: determine the ways in which a concern with risk management has shaped both the ::: urban forest and the professional status and role of arborists.We found tree-related ::: risk has, in part, worked against urban greening by reducing tree size. However, an ::: emerging risk culture has encouraged the development of the profession of ::: arboriculture, which, in turn, has pioneered sophisticated ways, familiar to neither ::: engineers nor ecologists, of ensuring the cohabitation of people and trees.
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paper_title: The risk of musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive movements of upper limbs for workers employed in hazelnut sorting

paper_content:

In the agro-industrial sector there are many activities whose urgent rhythms can cause a considerable exposure to bio-mechanical risk factors. In the hazelnut sorting, the workers are subject to several biomechanical risks, with repetitive movements, and operations that require a remarkable degree of strength. A thorough study of the workers’ exposure to repetitive manual movements has been carried out, with the aim of setting up the necessary measures to reduce the risk factors. The aim of the research is to assess the risk of work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to repetitive work, for workers employed to hazelnut shells sorting. The research was carried out in an agricultural cooperative in the Viterbo’s area. For risk assessment authors used a method (Occupational Repetitive Actions “OCRA” index according to ISO 11228- 3:2009, Ergonomics - Manual handling - Part 3: Handling of low loads at high frequency) which keeps into consideration several risk factors (such as repetitiveness, prehension force, posture). The risk was assessed for 16 female workers (in eight workplaces and in two different shifts) through this classification: workers with experience less than 1 year, from 1 to 10 years and more than 10 years. This classification is very important for knowing if the professional experience could be considered a “prevention measure” for the risk reduction. The results show a high risk level for the right and left limb. The factors which more have contributed to reach such risk level are the great number of movements and the lack of recovering time.
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Title: An Overview of Risk Assessment for Tree Climber Arborists

Section 1: Introduction
Description 1: Introduce the topic of tree climbing as a necessary yet hazardous operation, highlighting the specific risks faced by arborists.

Section 2: Materials and Methods
Description 2: Describe the literature review process, including the sources consulted and the methodologies employed to gather data on tree climbing safety.

Section 3: Key Findings on Tree Climbing Safety
Description 3: Summarize the main findings on tree climbing safety, including discussions on fall risks, ergonomic challenges, and regulatory standards.

Section 4: Arborist Risk Assessment
Description 4: Explore the specific risk factors for arborists, including fall from height, use of chainsaws, and electrocution, and how these risks are assessed.

Section 5: Regulatory Standards and Guidelines
Description 5: Detail the existing regulatory standards, such as the ANSI Z133 standard, and their relevance to arborist safety, as well as noting any gaps in these regulations.

Section 6: Case Studies and Practical Applications
Description 6: Provide examples of risk assessment in practice, including case studies or examples from conferences, publications, or industry guidelines.

Section 7: Conclusions
Description 7: Summarize the importance of improved safety measures, further research recommendations, and the need for better ergonomic practices and methods in the arboriculture profession.