Injury prevention when felling trees at home

Cutting down trees at home is complex and the risk of serious injury is high. There is even a risk of death. That is why it’s recommended to work with a professional who has followed mandatory training in manual tree felling.

If you decide to do it yourself, it is essential to respect safety measures to reduce the risk of injury and death.

Here are basic safety measures to follow when cutting a tree at home:

• Never consume alcohol or drugs before or during felling.
• If you are feeling tired, postpone this work.
• Have a first-aid kit ready with compression bandages.
• Don’t cut down a tree if you are alone. If no one can accompany you, inform a family member that you are about to cut down a tree. This way, they can intervene if they do not hear from you within a few hours, if needed.
• It is recommended that at least one person with basic knowledge of first aid be present when felling a tree.
• Keep a portable phone with you, in case of an accident.
• After felling the tree, put all the tools used away safely. This is to avoid someone getting hurt falling on the tools.

It is recommended to always wear the following equipment when felling a tree:

• a safety helmet to protect you if branches or the trunk fall elsewhere than planned
• safety goggles or a face shield to protect you from wood chips and splinters
• hearing protection
• protective gloves to avoid injury, especially when using the chainsaw
• safety pants
• safety boots with non-slip soles

It is important to have the right tool for the work you are doing:

• pruning shears
• handsaw
• chainsaw

Pruning shears might suffice for a small tree, but a larger tree would require a hand saw, or chainsaw, and perhaps felling wedges. Check with a professional to determine what are the best tools to use.

If you use a chainsaw to fell a tree, it must:

• comply with current standards
• be equipped with adequate safety devices
• have regular maintenance

If one of the safety devices is defective, stop your work immediately and repair it before continuing the work.

You can find all the standards for the safe use of chainsaws on the website of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and in the guide Abattage manuel by the CNESST (in French only).

Always plan carefully before felling a tree at home. Follow these steps:

• Check with your municipality whether you need a permit to cut down a tree. Have the permit with you, if needed.
• Study the area to choose how the job can be performed. Take into consideration the tree to be cut, the nature of the terrain, the weather, and the work to be done (pruning or felling).
• Check with the Hydro-Québec website to verify whether the work you are planning presents a danger to people or to the electrical service.
• Clear around the base of the tree trunk, remove branches and clean the ground around the tree before starting to cut. This allows for precise work and prevents potential injuries caused by a change in direction of the falling tree, or by the projection of splinters, branches, or objects.
• Use the right tool.
• Make sure that no one is in the range of the falling tree before starting to cut.