ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Tree Work Accident in Lantau Island)

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Dear Station Members,

Below is yet another sad case of Tree Work accident which, according to the media report, has resulted in critical injury of a Tree Worker while he was cutting down a 20 m tall Eucalyptus citrioda in Lantau Island yesterday. The tree was said to fall unexpected in the wrong direction to pull the crane lorry along with it, hitting & pressing the Tree Worker while he was trying to escape. From the photos so shown, the section of tree would weigh at least a ton to cause serious damage to any human being underneath.

Tree Work is very dangerous!! In the West, Tree Work is mostly carried out & supervised by trained personnel like Certified Tree Worker (CTW) or equivalent, & would not be administered by construction workers or ordinary landscape workers. ISA HK/China also does not believe our current Govt Specialist Contractors are trained in Rigging, Tree Climbing, Arboricultural Safety Procedures, Tree Pruning & Chainsaw Operation like an ISA Tree Worker, & would recommend at least a CTW to be present on site to supervise or carry out any proper Tree Work, if not an Independent Practicing Arborist (IPA) who is expert in both.

Tree Work appears to be carried out some time somewhere in our territory everyday. ISA HK/China frequently hears accidents due to one reason or another. We have also noticed that this critical injury did not draw as much attention in media like the Stanley Tree Failure case. Would it be because it was a construction worker who got hit this time & not a prominent member of public? Or would it be becasue it was not a case resulting in fatality? Would any improvement in working procedure or supervision be reviewed & by whom?

In any case, Tree Workers in our industry may have to take special prayer at present to protect themselves. What else can?

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

"Trees are good for the community. Trees need care like human beings. Arborists are the Tree Care Professionals."

工人鋸樹走避不及被壓危殆

9月18日 星期四 05:15

【明報專訊】東涌昨日發生罕見「塌樹」傷人意外。數名工人在東涌道鋸斷一棵高20米、直徑1米的大樹時，為安全計已利用24噸吊臂車及鐵鏈固定樹身，惟大樹被鋸下時疑因樹身太重，吊臂車不勝負荷被扯至翻側。一名工人走避不及被大樹壓傷背部，重傷昏迷，由工友合力救出送院搶救。

受傷工人歐國輝（譯音），35歲，由救護車送往瑪嘉烈醫院 ，經搶救後情况危殆。警員調查後相信事件無可疑，正了解是否因工序出錯引致意外，已聯絡勞工處 及有關部門跟進。

24噸吊臂車被拉至翻側

現場為大嶼山東涌道北行線近18區墳場路邊，路政署在上址進行東涌道擴闊工程，外判工程公司工人需將路旁數棵俗稱「檸檬桉」的桉樹鋸除。數棵桉樹均約20米高、直徑約1米，工人用鐵鏈綑綁樹幹後，再將鐵鏈連接到一輛24噸工程車的吊臂以固定樹身，然後用電鋸砍伐。

事發於昨午5時05分，歐某與工友在砍伐一棵桉樹時，大樹被鋸下翻側，疑因樹身太重，吊臂車不勝負荷被扯至翻側，在場工人大驚走避，但歐某走避不及被塌下大樹壓中背部倒地重傷，工友見狀合力將他救出，交由救護車送院。

路政署發言人表示，東涌道擴闊工程根據設計，承建商需在工地範圍分別移除、移植及新植樹木，數目共超過20萬棵。這次塌樹傷人意外，署方已要求承建商提交報告。