Avoiding Common Tree Mistakes

Dangers You Run Into When Trimming Trees (And How To Avoid Them)

23 March 2016 by Chiara Brun

Trimming your own trees gives you control over the look and style of your backyard. It also helps you feel like a tough homeowner who can handle their own problems. However, there are a variety of dangers you need to consider whenever you trim your trees and many of these dangers are serious enough to be deadly. Thankfully, it's easy to avoid them if you take a few simple precautions.

Injuries That Plague Tree Trimming

If you aren't careful when you are cutting your trees, you run the risk of falling victim to a wide range of injuries. They can happen any time while you are cutting a tree and range in seriousness. The following are some of the most common tree cutting accidents:

• Getting hit by a falling limb
• Falling from the tree when safety equipment fails
• Touching electrical wires
• Getting cut by power tools
• Serious eye injuries
• Stings and bites from insects
• Infected by a poisonous plant

The worst injuries in this list (such as getting cut by power tools or falling from the tree) can be severe enough to cause permanent injure and even death. And even the minor ones (such as getting stung or poked in the eye) may distract you during the trimming process or cause more serious problems, such as allergic reactions to stings.

Avoiding These Dangers

The litany of dangers that can impact tree trimming can make it feel like a hectic activity. However, it's still possible for you to trim your own trees safely by following a few simple protocols. The following steps will help you safely trim your tree:

• Tie a rope around each limb you are cutting and have a friend stabilize it on the ground
• Inspect your climbing equipment to ensure it is in good shape, especially any climbing items, such as ropes or straps
• Use hand tools, instead of power tools, to avoid accidental cuts
• Wear goggles whenever you're up in a tree to avoid getting poked in the eye
• Inspect trees for stinging insects (ants, centipedes, clover mites, bees, wasps, hornets, etc) and exterminate them first
• Learn how to spot the poisonous plants (like poison ivy, oak, and sumac)

As for dangers like electrocution, it's best to simply avoid trimming your tree if it is anywhere near electrical wires. While you may only be stunned or injured from touching an electric wire, the potential for death is too strong to risk.

Following these safety tips can help keep you safe when you are trimming your trees. However, if you still feel like this procedure is too dangerous to perform on your own, call a professional like Northern Virginia Tree Experts, Inc.. They can do the hard work for you and may be worth the extra money to ensure your safety.

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