Tree felling: The dangers exposed

Safety with regard to tree felling is currently under the spotlight due to a High Court case which involves a businessman and his employee who were injured by a falling tree in Vereeniging in 2007.
The two men were driving in Voortrekker Street when a huge bluegum tree that was being felled by a contractor, accidently fell onto their bakkie in the road. The two men sustained serious injuries and the vehicle was wrecked.
In 2002 a similar accident happened just a few 100 metres further down Voortrekker Street when a tree fell on the vehicle of a Vereeniging school’s headmaster and his son. Although they were not seriously injured, it was a traumatic experience and their vehicle was also wrecked.
According to Mr Piet Voges, the attorney who is handling the High Court case on behalf of the plaintiff who was injured in 2007, it is of paramount importance that companies and the public take note of their legal responsibility when having a tree felled.
Tree felling often seems easy but in fact is a potentially hazardous task when not done by professionals. Many such cases have been reported both in South Africa and around the world which proves that a job like this can cause serious injury or even death.
Mr Quentin Versfeld of Virocon Tree Felling Services in the Vaal Triangle is a specialist witness in the court case and says there are good reasons why you should choose a reputable tree felling contractor or company and not just anyone who thinks he can operate a chain saw.
“One of the key amendments made to the Health and Safety Regulations Act is that the client is primarily responsible for Occupational Health and Safety.
This means that if anybody (a contractor, person off the street or any relevant third party) is injured while working on your property, you become responsible for their treatment and post-accident care, because the accident occurred on your property. You may also be held responsible for their future loss of earnings, should their injuries be of such a nature that they can no longer generate an income.
“Should a death occur on your property you could also be liable for damages and in a worst case scenario, you could be held accountable for culpable homicide,” says Quintin, who has 12 years experience in the tree felling business.