Safety Tips For Getting Rid Of A Tree That's Fallen

If you have a tree that has fallen across your driveway, you are going to need to make sure that you take steps to remove it as soon as possible. A tree blocking your driveway can cause people to have cars trapped inside the garage and make it difficult for you to go about your everyday life. If you have checked to make sure that the tree didn't bring down any power lines with it when it fell, then you should be good to remove it with a chainsaw. Here are some safety tips that you need to follow when removing the tree across your driveway yourself.

1. Wear Tight-Fitting Clothing With Protective Gear Over It

You need to wear the appropriate protective gear for performing the job. This means that you should put on a pair of jeans and a shirt that fits snugly around your body, reducing the chances that you are going to catch your clothing on a branch and trip while using the chainsaw. You should then layer para-aramid synthetic fiber chaps over your jeans and wear a heavy coat that will protect against flying splinters. Finally, be sure that you are wearing heavy gloves.

2. Check for Branches Under Pressure

Before you start cutting into the tree, look underneath it for any branches that are under pressure. This is essentially when there are branches that are still strong and supple being temporarily forced down by the weight of the trunk and the rest of the tree. When this weight is removed, such as when you cut it off, the branches have the tendency to spring back up and hurl wood at you. This could create a dangerous situation. You can reduce the chances that this happens by turning the trunk as much as possible so that it is laying relatively flat and carefully trimming these compressed branches before you start cutting into the trunk itself.

3. Have Someone in the House

Finally, don't ever try to get rid of a fallen tree entirely by yourself. Make sure that anyone not wearing the appropriate protective gear is safely inside of the house so that they can call in case something should go wrong and you get hurt. This will allow you to cut the tree away without having to worry as much.

For more information or assistance, talk to a company that specializes in emergency tree services, such as Arborist Services LLC.


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