TCIA Aligns with OSHA

Following Assistant Secretary Ed Foulke’s keynote address, the Tree Care Industry Association renewed its Alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  to further safety and health for employees in the tree care industry. The Alliance, signed Nov. 10 at TCI EXPO in Baltimore, will focus on providing TCIA members and others in the industry with information, guidance and access to training resources with a particular focus on preventing exposure to tree removal, electrical, falls, and struck-by hazards.

“Employees in the tree care industry are often exposed to very dangerous hazards,” said OSHA Administrator Ed Foulke. “By working with industry leaders, we believe we can make positive strides in ensuring that employees in this important industry are armed with the tools they need to stay safe and at work.”

Added Cynthia Mills, TCIA president & CEO, “The Tree Care Industry Association strives to keep safety at the forefront of all our efforts, and our Alliance with OSHA reinforces that mission. We are committed to lowering the accident and fatality rate and TCIA is proud to form this relationship with OSHA.”

Through the Alliance, OSHA and TCIA will work together to develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and communicate that information throughout the industry. Information will be shared among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding TCIA’s best practices or effective approaches, and then publicized through OSHA- or TCIA-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures.

The Alliance also provides opportunities for OSHA and TCIA professionals to speak, exhibit or appear at various conferences or other events, including TCI EXPO, Certified Treecare Safety Professional Workshops, Student Career Days and the Winter Management Conference. Both organizations will also develop and disseminate case studies illustrating the business value of safety and health.

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health.

The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) is a 68-year old public and professional resource on trees and arboriculture. For more information, call 800/733-2622 or visit www.treecareindustry.org.