IS AHK/China --- HK Tree News (Tree Work Accident in Sai Kung)

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Dear Station Members,

Only last Sunday that the Station Manager has learned of a chainsaw accident on a HYD contractor who cut his forearm & had to be stitched 9 times in hospital, below is another case of Tree Work Accident where the victim had two toes trapped by a fallen limb during a regular pruning exercise. The tow toes were eventually removed & were left behind in his shoe.

From the internet news below, a tree worker climbed to remove a 6 inch limb on a Ficus elastica on 7.8.08 in Sai Kung. While the broken limb did not fall in the desired direction, it was said to be snapped off by the wind to drop right on to his left foot. The edges of the falling limb cut into the canvas shoe of the worker & he lost two toes upon injury. It must have been a horrifying scene there indeed.

Without further evidence available, the following questions could be investigated for the event:

1. Was this worker trained & equipped with proper PPE & Climbing Equipment to do his work?

2. Did he have a plan before his work? Was this plan safe & acceptable by industry standards?

3. Was he cutting with the approved cutting technique?

4. Did he anticipate the risks & prepare for them?

5. Did he follow our CAP 509 OSHO procedures for work & safety?

6. If the answer to any of the above question is no, would the insurance company find an excuse to turn down his claim?

Tree Work is full of risks. It can not be casually performed by someone not properly trained & equipped. If safety rules are not observed, accident is a very probable alternative. International & local incidents have proven this fact again & again.

Yet there are hardly any training centre to offer proper tree work in the public sector besides CICTA & TCHK. Attendance for training is also voluntary. CICTA training also does not involve practical sessions so far as well, like tree climbing & chainsaw operation.

Then now, what should we do?

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager


墜枝插鋸樹工人 連鞋帶腳扯斷兩趾

8月6日 星期三 05:10

【專訊】颱風「北冕」襲港下，西貢白石臺昨日發生一宗罕見斷趾工業意外。一名工人在爬上大樹用鋸修葺樹丫期間，疑突然颳起一陣大風將被鋸至搖搖欲墜的巨型樹枝吹斷，樹枝墜下時剛巧壓中工人左腳掌，工人痛極掙扎脫困，左腳掌兩趾被硬生生扯斷，「連趾帶鞋」留在樹丫上，要由消防協助取下，由於斷趾血肉模糊，未知能否駁回。

受傷工人盧×新，42歲，被送聯合醫院救治。其左腳掌第4及尾趾被扯斷至血肉模糊，連同「白飯魚」布鞋留在樹幹上，消防員爬梯上樹用鐵筆撬開樹枝「連趾帶鞋」取出後，再急送院交醫生進行接駁手術，但未知能否成功。

現場為西貢白石臺忠賢里7號村屋對開，上址種有一棵近40呎高的大橡樹，已有近30年歷史，因枝葉繁茂影響附近村屋景觀，每年村民也僱用工人進行修葺。

突颳大風 樹枝砸中腳掌

事發昨午5時許，一名工人爬上站在離地約7呎高樹丫位置用鋸修葺樹枝，其間將一支約6吋直徑的大樹枝鋸至搖搖欲墜時，突然颳起一陣大風，被鋸至的樹枝隨即斷裂向下墜，剛巧壓中工人站在樹丫的左腳掌，樹枝斷口猶如利刀直插中腳掌背，工人痛徹心肺，忍痛用力拉扯解困，但定睛一看，赫然發現左腳掌失去兩隻小趾，傷口一片血肉模糊，大驚呼救，附近居民聞訊代為報警。
救護員及消防員接報趕至，先由救護車將傷者送院救治，消防員則爬梯用繩將樹枝固定後，再用鐵筆「連趾帶鞋 」撬出，只見布鞋背面破開一個大洞，隱約可見斷趾。