"Hello, OSHA? Can You Make It To Hudson Today?"

Cut limbs and branches falling, no helmet.

This morning at the 7th Street Park, I came across a scene that was a bit difficult to fathom.  But honestly, I wasn't surprised too much.  DPW has set the bar pretty low when it comes to safety.

Four DPW workers and one hired tree professional were busy trimming trees in the park, a task that was long overdue.  Here is what I witnessed.

No helmets, no worries. 

One worker was operating a chainsaw in a lift bucket cutting branches and limbs from old trees that had no shortage of dead wood. He did not have a helmet on his head. Cut branches and limbs fell to the ground, some quite heavy that landed with a loud thump.

Neither of the two workers who were feeding branches and limbs into the DPW wood chipper was wearing a helmet nor eye protection.  One had ear protection.  Wood chippers can kill, they can maim, they send out chips and branches in all directions and they are incredibly loud and damaging to hearing.  To not be required to wear a helmet or eye and ear protection while operating a wood chipper is absolute stupidity and carelessness.  Ask any living tree professional. 

As the worker in the bucket was cutting branches and limbs high above, the two workers gathering the fallen wood were walking and standing under and near the tree being worked on. Neither of them had on a helmet.  Neither did the so-called tree professional (with her leashed dog at her side!!) nor the DPW worker who appeared to be supervising as they were both standing nearby surveying and guiding the work being done above with branches and limbs falling from at least 20 feet above and landing nearby. He was wearing dark shades certainly not safety glasses.

I asked the DPW worker who appeared to be the supervisor if he was the new DPW foreman.  He replied, "I don't know" and smirked at me.  When I asked him if the workers feeding the wood chipper were not required to wear eye protection, one of the workers standing nearby immediately removed the shades perched on top of his head and put them over his eyes.

Feeding the wood chipper without head, eye
or ear protection.  It's the DPW way.

The tree professional with her dog at her side told me that she had recommended to the crew that two old trees in the park be cut down.  Trees, presumably, that are dead and have been ready for years to fall over and kill someone or a few people sitting at a picnic table.  Or maybe just one heavy, long-dead limb that falls and hits someone on the head and kills them instantly.  

Trees kill and injure all the time, especially the older ones full of dead limbs, and yes, even old trees being worked on and removed by professionals and non-professionals alike.  Trees do not discriminate.  If you don't respect them, especially when working around them, eventually they will find you and possibly kill you before you know what hit you falling from even 10 feet above your unprotected head.  The crack of the breaking limb won't give you ample warning.  Hell, a helmet may not even save you, but at least it shows that you are aware of the serious dangers posed by old trees needing maintenance or removal.

This is Robert Perry's DPW, where safety appears to be a foreign, unknown term and concept.  Ask any true tree professional -- they would agree with me.

Note to Mr. Perry:  Hire a professional tree service next time trees on city property need serious attention or removal.  Your employees deserve it.  And if you do, you would be wise to note how those professional workers protect themselves from being killed or injured by a wood chipper and falling limbs and trees they may or may not be aware of.