# A tree trimmer dies when he is crushed by palm tree branches



## Booshcat (Dec 22, 2010)

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ca/10CA002.html



On Saturday February 13, 2010, at approximately 11:00 a.m., a 40-year-old Hispanic tree trimmer was asphyxiated when he was crushed by the palm branches he was trimming from a palm tree. The CA/FACE investigator received notification of this incident on February 16, 2010, from the Monrovia District Office of the Department of Industrial Relations (Cal/OSHA). On March 11, 2010, the CA/FACE investigator went to the incident site and interviewed the homeowner. On March 15, 2010, a telephone interview was held with the victim’s brother. A second telephone interview was held on March 19, 2010, with the gardener employed by the homeowner who knew the victim for about eight years and was at the residence when the incident occurred.

The victim was born in Mexico and had been in the Los Angeles area for 25 years. It is not known how long the victim had been in the United States. The victim had an eighth grade education. According to his brother, the victim was fluent in both Spanish and English. The victim had been self-employed as a gardener and tree trimmer for 25 years. There were no documents or witness statements to verify the safety training he had received.


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## jefflovstrom (Dec 22, 2010)

California. The home-owner is the general contractor in this case I believe. Happens more than probably noticed. It amaze's me the one's who pick up on these are usually from area with no palms. This scenario can totally be avoided, but..............
Jeff


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## bunchgrass (Jan 18, 2011)

My thought was why does it take a month (mid Feb to mid Mar) to investigate or even follow-up on a death in the workplace?


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## Shaun Bowler (Jan 20, 2011)

There really needs to be an effort by the ISA to rein in the hiring of "undocumented workers."
THe ISA is always talking about ethics.
Yet never will touch the fact that Tree Companies-International, National, and Local all hire illegals.
The industry treats them like a throw away tool.
I work with many Latin tree workers and they are great!
At times I trust them with my life.
However, everytime I read about a serious accident or death it seems it is another Latino.
It is heartbreaking.


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## jefflovstrom (Jan 20, 2011)

Shaun Bowler said:


> There really needs to be an effort by the ISA to rein in the hiring of "undocumented workers."
> THe ISA is always talking about ethics.
> Yet never will touch the fact that Tree Companies-International, National, and Local all hire illegals.
> The industry treats them like a throw away tool.
> ...



I hear ya, I am glad our's are with a good company.
Jeff


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