Chainsaw Safety Training for Landscape and Tree Care Workers

In the past four years we have successfully trained 4,174 landscape workers in safety and other topics.  In 2015, we expanded the training program to include tree care workers.  The training sessions focused on chainsaw safety.  The chainsaw is arguably the most dangerous tool used in the landscape and tree care industries.  Landscape workers use it occasionally; tree care workers may use it daily.  Landscape workers risk accidents from inexperience, tree care workers from confidence.  Both landscape and tree care workers tend to be visual and hands-on learners.  Demonstration and picture-rich training materials are important for both.  Peer-to-peer training and the street credibility of the trainer are also very important for both groups.  Despite these similarities, training programs for the two groups quickly diverged.   Large landscape companies are keenly interested in safety training and eager to host training onsite, while large tree care companies have strong internal safety training programs and little interest in external trainings.  Small and mid-sized landscape companies can be reached via state industry associations (the Urban Ag Council and the Georgia Green Industry Association).  There are no comparable state tree care associations (the Georgia Arborist Association brings together tree care professionals and tree enthusiasts, but lacks a business focus).  Though it is relatively easy to draw participants in both groups who are interested in continuing education credits (CEU), these participants were often middle managers, rather than workers. Landscape companies were not willing to send workers to all-day trainings and asked that trainings be shortened.  Small to midsized tree care companies were willing to send workers to all day trainings.  Landscape companies suggested pole saw safety be included and were far more interested in ladder safety than tree care companies.  Despite effort, we were not able to connect with Hispanic tree care workers and trainings held in Spanish were canceled due to a lack of interest.  Very few Hispanics participated in the English trainings. It remains to be determined if the low Hispanic turnout resulted from reliance on online marketing efforts, the seasonality of tree care workers, or employer preference.  Public sector managers and employees expressed far more interest in chainsaw safety than landscape safety.  Buy-in from business owners and management is critical to successful worker training programs. Because management needs are as critical as training content, the chainsaw safety program diverged into two distinct programs.