Timber faller killed while working under a hung tree limb

Oregon Case Report:11OR050
Release Date: July 2013

The following report is the product of our Cooperative State partner and is presented here in its original unedited form from the state. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the individual Cooperative State partner and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

SUMMARY

On December 29, 2011, a 41-year-old Hispanic male was killed while working as a timber faller. The incident occurred at about 1pm on a workday. The victim, working as a lone faller, was attempting to fell a tree that had an alder limb hung up in it. The alder limb was approximately 34 feet in length and 11 inches in diameter. The victim’s cutting partner was working on a separate strip of timber approximately 400 to 500 feet away. Witness accounts state that they had observed the hung alder limb in the victim’s cutting strip about two hours prior to the incident (see Figure at right). The victim was found underneath the alder limb and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Timber faller killed while working under a hung tree limbpdf icon [PDF 2.83 MB]