Thursday, February 9, 2012

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Tree Climbing Accident to kill in Shatin) (沙田夺命攀树意外)

国内朋友请查閱 "百度博客 --- 国际树木学会" (http://hi.baidu.com/%B9%FA%BC%CA%CA%F7%C4%BE%D1%A7%BB%E1/blog ) 以取得其他文章。本分会的发表文章都已放弃版权, 任何人都可以自由转载作为教育目的, 但不能作为商业目的盈利。 任何人仕都可以申请免費加入本分会, 本分会员名单从不公开, 有意者请将真实姓名、年龄、单位、职衔、最高学历、电邮和手机号传真到 +852-2679-5338 便可. 如有查询, 请电邮至 egc@netvigator.com 。本分会的一切发表内容, 谨供参考。


会员们:

在2012年1月7日, 香港的沙田发生了一宗致命攀树意外, 当中的攀树工人不幸的从10米以上的树上掉下, 经抢救无效后死亡, 事件令整个香港攀树界震惊.

对此有关的传媒报导, 可於以下连结看到:

1. http://news.now.com/home/local/player?newsId=22062#!msg

2. http://hk.dv.nextmedia.com/template/dv_channel/index.php?
fuseaction=dv15.player&mode=section&id=all&range=d&dv_iss=20120108&sec_id=4104&art_id=15962893&av_id=15963171

3. http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/template/apple/art_main.php?
iss_id=20120108&sec_id=4104&art_id=15962893

4. http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/template/apple/art_main.php?
iss_id=20120108&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=12731&art_id=15962894

对於事件的发生, 本分会感受沈重悲痛, 唯有寄望家属方面能得到妥善处理, 令创伤减到最低. 另一方面, 此事件也带出了不少问题, 例如:

1. 为何一个没有受过正统攀树训练的工人, 能够在发生同样意外而且受伤之后, 依然能够重返同一岗位去重操他已被证明是能力不足的工作? 监管在哪里?

2. 为何会由一家建筑工程公司去包揽高空树木修剪, 这是方便了谁?

3. 此次的修树工作是按照什么国际标准来进行? 是否又采用 "英国标准" BS3998 啊? BS3998 是1987年写的, 会否太老旧? 如果是采用2006年写的 ANSI z133.1 去作为参照, 则此项修树的每一个环节都可能不达标. 谁又要为此负责任?

4. 为何没有要求 "注冊攀树师" 参于修树工作? "注冊攀树师" 的报考资格是 `18月攀树经验 + 急救证书 + 空中拯救证书', 然后再要通过2小时的笔试和30分钟的操作试. 是否这个国际承认的技能牌照, 还不能满足有关方面的要求? 哪还有什么是更好的代替品啊?

5. 2008年8月份, 香港赤柱大树倒下压死女大学生的事件引起香港社会广泛关注, 传媒连番报导, "树木专家" 纷纷扬扬发表意见, "死因研究庭" 排期聆讯, 而最终香港政府甚至成立了 "树木办" 去管理城市树木. 但在这次同样的树木死人事件, 传媒只是小标题的报导了一两天, 没有听到 "树木专家" 发表伟论, 没有 "死因研究庭" 排期聆讯, 过去一个多月来, 也没有听到香港政府或民间有什么强烈回响. 何解?

在中华地区天天有人修树. 如果修树工作不被重视, 同样的意外相信日后也会在某地发生, 同样会有工人丧命, 同样会有家庭破散. 有人会问, 是否要等到一个家庭富裕的女大学生从树上工作掉下来的时候, 社会态度才会改变, 行政法规才会得到完善, 攀树师才会被重用啊?

诸位经常在树上高空工作的会员们, 保重吧!

谨此致意!

国际树木学会中国地区分区会会长

欧永森
美洲顾问树艺师学会 顾问树艺师号 RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-rac-in-asia.html)
澳洲顾问树艺师学会 顾问树艺师号 ACM 0412011 (http://www.iaca.org.au/)
资深树艺师/注册攀树师号 HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-frist-bcma-in-asia.html)
执业树艺师号 IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-tree-news-1441-report.html)
专业调解及谈判学会 注册调解员 (http://www.wegomediation.org.hk/)

“不深入诊断和参照研究来批出处方, 是专业失当。 ”


“速成出来的树木评估员, 只会作出胡乱的树木评估。 大自然会决定成败。 ”


*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments from outsiders are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Anyone can join ISA HK/China by providing their full name, age, organization, position, highest education, email & mobile no. to egc@netvigator.com . Joining is free & withdrawal is at an email notice. Station Membership is never publicly disclosed. Please note that Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com , although images are usually not attached due to size. All our information is for reference without liabilities. ***

Dear Station Members,

A tragic Tree Work accident has happened on 1.1.2012 in Shatin, where a Tree Worker was killed after falling from more than 10 m of height. He left a family of two who lived on him.

From the media reports so gathered, the victim appeared to be climbing up in ladder to the maximum length, & then was pulled up by fellow workers from ground, while seating himself on a Bosun Chair to get to the working point on tree. He had actually completed his pruning, but then lost his balance while lowering down on the Bosun Chair to reach the ladder to return to ground. He fell out of it to hit the ground on his head from more than 10 m of height, resulting in death after reaching hospital.

From the equipment & techniques so deployed, the victim cannot be classified as a trained Tree Climber. He did not wear the proper Personal Protective Equipment like helmet & goggle. He had no tree climbing saddle or safety lanyard. He did not use any internationally approved tree climbing technique like Double Rope Technique or Single Rope Technique for ascent or decent. He did not even install any Fall Arrest system. All he had might be a lot of guts to get up a tree in his manner.

This fatal accident did not raise public concern in HK if compared with the similar fatal Tree Failure accident of Stanley in 2008, or the cyclist death in Shatin in 2010. Hardly any media coverage was given to the incident, & no Coroner Court Enquiry was called. This is showing how the HK public view similar incidents with a vastly different attitude. Tree Work accident is apparently not taken seriously, despite the amount of Tree Work carried out in HK everyday.

ISA HK/China would encourage the employment of Certified Tree Workers (CTW) in any Tree Work to ensure standards & safety. To even qualify to apply for entry tot he CTW exam, a Tree climber has to climb for at least 18 months, possessing both First Aid & Aerial Rescue certs, before taking a 2 hour written exam & a 30 minute practical exam. Passing rate is low due to the stringent requirements. It is not known that any CTW has been seriously injured during Tree Work in HK since the credential appeared in 2005 in HK. Accidents mostly happen to the poorly trained Tree Workers.

Tree Work is full of risks & uncertainties. Hardly any professional Tree Worker has escaped an ordeal of one kind or another some time in their Tree Climbing career. The Station Manger broke his own wrist during Tree Work in 2005, despite all safety measures were taken. Tree Work should be handled by the genuine professionals, never amateurs. "Office Arborists" simply cannot supervise Tree Work, if they have no tree climbing experience themselves.

Looking forward to seeing more CTW to be trained, & less Tree Accidents to occur in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China in time to come.

best regards,

Sammy Au
President (Station Manager) of ISA HK/China
Registered Consulting Arborist no. RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-first-rca-in-asia.html)
Institute of Australian Consulting Arboriculturists Accredited Member no. ACM 0412011 (http://www.iaca.org.au/)
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist / Certified Tree Worker no. HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-first-bcma-in-asia.html)
Independent Practicing Arborist no. IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html)
Certified Mediator of the Society of Certified Mediators and Negotiators (http://www.wegomediation.org.hk/)

"Providing treatment without in-depth diagnosis & research support is professional misconduct. "


"Casual tree assessor delivers wanton tree assessment. Mother Nature makes the rules."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
三年兩墮鋸樹工爆頭亡

沙田發生奪命工業意外。曾在工作時跌碎腳踝而變長短腳的地政總署外判鋸樹工 人,昨午於沙田嶺路鋸樹時禍不單行,意外從約四十呎高的大樹墮下,頭部着地浴血重創,經搶救後不治。據悉,他事發時有繫安全帶, 警方及勞工處正調查意外原 因。死者經歷兩次婚姻,與現任新移民妻子及兩歲稚女組織家庭,生活拮据。

死者梁國橋(四十六歲),籍貫廣州,與前妻育兩兒子(廿一及廿二歲),夫婦早年離婚,梁獨力撫養兩子,兩子分別任職泰國菜廚工 及快餐 店,居於深水埗。○五年梁由內地親友介紹認識現任姓張(卅三歲)妻子,○八年拉埋天窗,妻兩年前來港及生下一女,一家三口以三千 元租住觀塘宜安街廿多呎劏 房單位,生活拮据,正輪候「上樓」。

魂斷40呎 遺孀哭斷腸

昨午二時許,梁偕兩名工友於沙田嶺路工作,兩名工友於地面看守,梁則繫上安全帶,爬梯在樹上修剪樹木,並以麻繩固定樹幹。期 間,梁突失平衡從約四十呎高的樹上墮下,安全帶卻未有發揮效用,他頭部重創昏迷,倒臥血泊中,工友大驚報警。救護員接報到場為梁 急救及送院,惜搶救後終告 不治,家人抵院驚聞噩耗,悲慟嚎哭。

死者的妻子(前中)與親友路祭時,傷心痛哭。

梁國橋從樹上跌下,頭部重創不治,地上遺下大攤血漬。

梁國橋

現場遺有一把電鋸及一條麻繩,警方及勞工處派員調查。十多名家屬及工友昨傍晚返回現場路祭,工業傷亡權益會亦有派員到場協助。 期間,梁妻一度激動跪地嚎哭稱:「你點解一句都無交低就去咗!」聞者心酸。

死者胞弟稱,梁曾任保安員及維修工人,三年前加入現職的建築公司,負責鋸樹工作,屬地政總署外判工。他慨嘆兄長禍不單行,前年 亦曾從五米高樹上墮下,雙腳腳踝碎裂,休養半年後雖可重新投入工作,但因變成長短腳而行動不便。

工業傷亡權益會指去年本港共發生九宗因高處墮下的奪命工業意外,提醒工人若在兩米高以上的地方工作,僱主必須提供合乎規格的工 作台或合適的棚架,亦須佩戴安全帶,否則工友可拒接受工作,亦可向勞工處及該會投訴。

地政總署發言人表示,承辦商已向家屬提供協助。