Here's the release from TCIA's Peter Gerstenberger:
On June 25, OSHA’s Compliance Directorate released a Directive that would have wiped out commercial arboriculture as we know it, forcing all companies to adopt unsafe practices designed for the logging industry.
TCIA went to work immediately in Washington and pledged in an Aug. 8 Regulatory Alert to members that the association would “not rest until this directive is rescinded.”
Effective August 21, the Directive has been rescinded!
TCIA was successful in convincing OSHA that the onerous June 25 Directive that placed arboriculture squarely under the logging standard was unsafe, arbitrary and contrary to established safe practices derived from decades of industry experience embodied in the ANSI Z133 standard.
Your Voice for Trees Political Action Committee has worked hard over the past four years to develop strong relationships on Capitol Hill. TCIA has also devoted countless hours working through our Alliance with OSHA to educate and advance safety in the industry. Both efforts proved crucial in getting the directive rescinded.
In its place, OSHA issued a new directive on August 21. We are still reviewing and analyzing it, but our first impression is that the new directive is a significant improvement over what OSHA issued on June 25. That said, we will be asking for clarifications from OSHA on issues that may be confusing in order to comply and to gain a better understanding of the process when a Compliance Safety and Health Officer writes a logging citation.
Tree care companies should begin to become familiar with the contents so that you can comply with its requirements. Be sure to note the information on hearing protection. Inclusion in this directive of what has been a requirement for our industry, but perhaps not heavily enforced, will place it on enforcement officers’ radar when looking at your operations.
We are continuing to review the document, will be working with our Hill contacts over the next few weeks, and are seeking another meeting with OSHA the week of September 22.
On behalf of tree care companies across the nation, TCIA would again like to thank David Marren, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Advisor; Josh Ulman, TCIA lobbyist; Kevin Caldwell of Caldwell Tree Care, Rebecca Moran of Superior NW Tree and Shrub Care, Erich Schneider of Schneider Tree Care and Chris Freeman of Sox & Freeman Tree Expert Company – along with our Voice for Trees Political Action Committee and its supporters – for being key partners in our effective government relations program that allowed us to be successful in our goal to rescind the June 25 Directive.
