BEST PRACTICE

GUIDELINES

Safe Manual Tree Felling

FEBRUARY 2014
BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

DISCLAIMER

WorkSafe New Zealand has made every effort to ensure the information contained in this publication
is reliable, but makes no guarantee of its completeness. WorkSafe NZ may change the contents of this
guideline at any time without notice.

This document is a guideline only. It should not be used as a substitute for legislation or legal advice.
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document, or for any errors or omissions.

ISBN: 978-0-478-42503-1 (print)

ISBN: 978-0-478-42502-4 (online)

Published: February 2014. Current until: 2017

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INTRODUCTION

This best practice guideline has been

developed by WorkSafe New Zealand for
principals and contractors involved in
tree felling operations. The guide offers
some advice on managing the key causes
of harm in manual tree felling. Note that
this advice is primarily relevant to clearfell
harvest operations. While many of the
recommendations are relevant to thinning,
there are other factors to consider.
Input into the development of this
guide has been received from industry
stakeholders and Competenz.
This guide is a practical way of meeting the
requirements of the Health and Safety in
Employment Act 1992 (the Act), and the
recommendations in the Approved Code
of Practice for Safety and Health in Forest
Operations (ACoP).

1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The guide has been split into two parts.

Part one is for principals and contractors. It includes guidance

on the process a principal and contractor should use before tree
felling commences to communicate hazards and agree on how
to manage them.

Part two is for the contractor and crew members involved in felling. It
includes advice on planning, the five tree felling plan, the seven causes
of harm, tree driving and wind-throw and machine assisted felling.

01 PRINCIPAL AND CONTRACTOR 03

1.1 HARVEST PLAN 04

1.2 HAZARD MANAGEMENT 05

1.3 HEALTH AND SAFETY SYSTEM 05

02 CONTRACTOR AND CREW 07

2.1 PLANNING 08

2.2 FIVE STEP TREE FELLING PLAN 08

2.3 THE SEVEN KEY CAUSES OF HARM 11

2.4 TREE DRIVING 20

2.5 WIND-THROW AND MACHINE ASSISTED FELLING 22

 01/
PRINCIPAL AND
CONTRACTOR

1.1 HARVEST PLAN

1.2 HAZARD MANAGEMENT
1.3 HEALTH AND SAFETY SYSTEM

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

ACOP Rule 2.4.4

The principal shall identify significant hazards specific

to each work area which are caused by operations over
which they have control and then:

>>supply the employer with documentation on

the hazards
>>jointly with the employer, determine measures to
control the hazards.

1.1 HARVEST PLAN

Before harvesting starts, the principal and contractor should agree
on a plan for the area to be harvested. At this time, principals and
contractors should share information on any potential hazards
involved in the work or the site, as well as other health and safety
management requirements. The harvest plan should include the
principal’s requirements for the tree felling operation.

The harvest plan should contain the following information:

>>maps showing road and landing locations, as well as key landmarks;

>>terrain;
>>mean tree height;
>>all known felling hazards including:
>>natural features like cliffs and tomos;
>>physical features like power lines and fences;
>>stand features like areas of wind-throw, dead trees and vines;
>>stand characteristics including piece size, species, pruned/
unpruned; and
>>resource consent conditions.

04
This harvest plan should be used by the contractor when developing
a tree felling plan. This felling plan should include the identification of
areas of wind-throw or steep terrain and other issues that should be
communicated to their crew before the harvest starts.

1.2 HAZARD MANAGEMENT

The principal has an obligation to do more than just provide
information on the hazards. The ACoP states that the principal and
the contractor (or employer) shall jointly determine measures to
manage the hazards.

1.3 HEALTH AND SAFETY SYSTEM

Before any work begins, the principal is required to verify that
the contractor (or employer) has a documented health and safety
system in place. When a WorkSafe New Zealand inspector visits,
they will want to see evidence of that system, and will look for the
following things:

>>the tree faller holds the appropriate unit standard and has been
deemed competent using a robust process;
>>where the faller does not hold that unit standard, that they are
working towards achieving it and, in the interim, have been deemed
competent to do the work or are under close supervision;
>>there is a system to audit competence on a regular basis, especially
for high risk work like felling wind-throw;
>>there is a designated, competent observer for complex
felling situations;
>>there is a documented process to deal with a hung-up tree;
>>there is a documented process to deal with tree driving;

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

>>there is a process to deal with an unsuccessful tree drive, including

stopping the work until an observer is available;
>>there is a documented process to stop tree felling due to high
winds or other extremes of weather; and
>>there is a documented process to establish the two tree
length zone and communicate the boundaries of the zone to
all affected parties.

These processes can be customised by the contractor (or employer)

for their operations, and should be reflected in their training records
and hazard register. The processes should be known to, understood,
and followed by, the tree faller. There should also be a system to
record any on-the-job deviation from the planned processes.

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 02/
CONTRACTOR
AND CREW

2.1 PLANNING
2.2 FIVE STEP TREE FELLING PLAN
2.3 THE SEVEN KEY CAUSES OF HARM
2.4 TREE DRIVING
2.5 WIND-THROW AND MACHINE
ASSISTED FELLING

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

ACOP Rule 2.5.1

The employer shall ensure that a competent person is in

charge of each operation, who shall supervise and ensure
work is supervised and performed in a safe manner.

2.1 PLANNING
The person in charge of tree felling operations controls and
supervises the work to ensure that safety precautions are being
observed. That person should be fully experienced in the kind of
work to be undertaken.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

The tree fallers and the person in charge of the operation shall
identify hazards specific to the site.

COMPETENCY

Tree fallers need to be deemed competent to the task following a

robust assessment process, and where there is a complicating factor
such as a hung-up tree, the faller should have a greater degree of
experience and proven skill.

2.2 FIVE STEP TREE FELLING PLAN

Any tree faller should ensure that they follow the five step tree
felling plan.

1. Site assessment

>> Assess the stand for hazards relating to the trees, terrain,
other operations, and power lines.
>> Assess the strength and direction of the wind and whether
it will affect safety.

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2. Individual tree assessment

>> Look for tree defects, decay, heavy lean, or any other
characteristics of the tree that may affect the felling plan.
>> Note the ground condition and soil moisture.
>> Check the surrounding trees for interlocked branches, dead
tops or branches that may fall into the work area.
>> Determine if you can fell it safely and plan the felling cuts.
>> Decide on the felling direction. This will help determine which
side of the tree will be the safest for the escape route.

3. Preparation of the work area and escape route

>> Clear vegetation and obstacles from around the base

of the tree.
>> Always think about your escape route before you begin any
felling cuts. Where possible, the escape route should be at a
45-degree angle opposite the felling direction (see Figure 1).
>> Be sure your escape route is clear of obstacles or hazards
before beginning.

4. Fell the tree using safe felling techniques

>> Good felling technique is critical to safe, accurate,

consistent results.
>> All trees over 200mm at the stump must be felled using
a scarf and back cut.
>> The degree of forward or back lean will determine how many
wedges and/or whether a pull rope will be necessary and how
much power may be required to pull the tree over.

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

5. Retreat and observe

>> Remember to finish the felling cut on the safe side of the tree
and use your escape route as soon as the tree begins to fall.
>> Watch for falling material and be far enough from the base
of the tree to avoid a kick back, butt swing, or bounce.
>> Avoid walking directly behind the tree.

DIRECTION OF FALL

A DA
RE N G
A

ER
R
GE

AR
DAN

EA Scarf
Hingewood
Tree
Backcut

Escape route Escape route

DANGER AREA

Figure 1 – Escape route positioning

10
2.3 THE SEVEN KEY CAUSES OF HARM
The seven key causes of harm in tree felling are:

1. Faller working too close to other people or plant

2. Incorrect or poor felling technique

3. Broken limbs or top hitting the faller

4. Hung-up trees left standing, or not felled using correct methods

5. Stem movement/rebound and butt swing

6. Felling dead trees

7. Faller being struck from behind by an object or tree

These seven key causes of harm need to be addressed. A process

should be put in place by the principal and the contractor (or
employer) during the harvest planning stage to assess a block before
the tree faller starts work. This process will assist in developing hazard
management plans for more obvious hazards in the stand.

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

1. Faller working too close to other people or plant

ACOP Rule 11.4.3

No person shall be closer than two tree lengths

to a tree being felled, unless that person is:

>>the faller

>>assisting the faller

>>supervising

>>training others or being trained

>>observing or auditing.

Any person within two tree lengths of a tree being

felled shall be under the direct control of the faller.

Exception: The faller is under the direct control

of a trainer.

Rule 11.4.4

Aside from the tree faller no person shall

operate a chainsaw within two tree lengths of
a tree being felled.

Buddy cutting is not permitted.

12
 The danger zone of a felled tree consists of a circle with the
centre at the stump of the felled tree and a radius equal to twice
the height of the felled tree (see Figure 2). This rule takes into
account the chance that a falling tree may bring down another
standing tree.

The ACoP sets out clearly who, apart from the tree faller, can be
within two tree lengths or more of a tree being felled. Further to
that, those people should be:

>> able to communicate with the tree faller, using clear,

prearranged procedures, techniques, and signals via radio
transmitter (RT), earpiece, or other established method;
>> using that communication system to advise when they’re
coming and when they arrive;
>> positioned up the escape route in full view of the faller; and
>> able to see the top of the tree being felled from a safe position.

2 1
Figure 2 – The two tree length rule

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

2. Incorrect or poor felling technique

The danger zone in the case of incorrect or poor tree felling

practice consists of a circle with the centre at the felled tree stump
and the radius equal to twice the height of the felled tree

A number of serious harms have occurred where the felling

technique was clearly contrary to standard recommended practice.

Basic tree felling practice should follow the five step tree
felling plan.

1. Site assessment

2. Individual tree assessment

3. Preparation of the work area and escape route

4. Fell the tree using safe felling techniques

5. Retreat and observe

At the very first step, you should consider if you can fell the tree
safely. Checking for hazards like dead or broken branches, rot,
branch weight, and lean, as well as the surrounding trees, can help
identify that you may need assistance to fell the tree.

The tree faller should hold the appropriate unit standards for
the work they are doing, and undergo refresher training and
competency assessments on a regular basis. Tree fallers should
know and recognise the situations in which they can be fatally
injured including when that situation is developing around them.

The tree faller should be audited on a regular basis to ensure that

they are safely felling in different circumstances. These audits
should be done by a person who is experienced and competent in
auditing felling operations.

Fallers should know and adhere to the processes that require tree
felling to stop until a support person is in place.

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3. Broken limbs or top hitting the faller

The danger zone in this situation is equal to the width of the

crown of the tree being felled, assuming the limbs or top fall while
the scarf and back cuts are being put in.

In the event that a felled tree falls into or brushes past another,
the danger zone extends some distance behind the felled tree,
as the top or limb could rebound backwards. Note that the
recommended escape route could be in the danger zone.

Assessing a tree and its surroundings should be the first step in

felling, and at this time you may be able to identify broken limbs
or top. If you can’t see the top of the tree, get an observer. If you
are concerned about felling the tree safely, you could consider:

>> using a felling assistant/observer;

>> using a machine to fell the tree; or
>> driving the tree (only where necessary).

4. Hung-up trees left standing, or not felled using correct methods

ACOP Rule 11.6.1

A hung-up or cut-up tree shall be brought to the

ground immediately or the hazard managed until
such time as it can be brought to the ground. If the
cut-up tree is to be brought down, refer to section
11.7: Tree driving.

A hung-up tree is a cut-up, wind-thrown, or pushed tree that is

caught up or lodged against another tree, which prevents it from
falling. (A cut-up tree is one where felling cuts have been made
but the tree remains standing.) Attempting to bring down a hung-
up tree is the leading cause of fatal injuries in tree felling.

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

If a tree faller creates or identifies a hang-up, they should alert

other co-workers immediately. No one should work or be within
two tree lengths of the likely direction of fall.

>> never work under a hang-up;

>> never leave hung-up trees unattended;
>> bring down hung-up trees immediately or isolate the area from
other activities and workers;
>> use a machine to pull down the hang-up if possible; and
>> follow ACoP Rule 11.7.4 regarding driving hang-ups that
exceed one on one driving, and use a felling assistant/observer
where appropriate.

Where tree driving must be employed to bring down a hang-up,

there are specific rules in the ACoP to ensure it is planned and
executed safely.
Support tree

A DA
RE N G
A
ER
R
GE

AR
DAN

Falling
EA

Falling
hangup hangup

Base of hung tree

Hangup may fall in either direction

Figure 3 – Danger area when felling a hung-up tree

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5. Stem movement/rebound and butt swing

Stem movement back into the work area after felling can be
caused by a number of factors. These include:

>> uphill felling;

>> falling into standing trees; and
>> the tree striking an obstacle as it falls, e.g. a rock, another stem,
other terrain features.

In the event that a felled tree falls into or brushes against another,
the butt of the tree can rebound and strike the tree faller. Spars
are most likely to rebound. A tree that is felled uphill may also
slide back down the hill and strike the tree faller, so it’s important
to move further along your escape route. Tree-to-tree contact can
also snap off branches or tops of trees, which ricochet backwards.
Any of these situations may compromise the escape route. Where
a hung-up tree kicks back off the stump, the danger zone extends
back behind it.

Felled tree
direction of fall

Stump

Butt swing

Direction of
butt rebound Escape route

Figure 4 – Danger zone extending back into the escape route where a felled
tree hits another and causes a rebound
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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

To minimise the hazard of stem rebound:

>> always have an escape route cleared at a 45-degree angle

opposite the felling direction, and finish the felling cut on that
safest side of the tree;
>> always keep your eyes on the tree as it falls;
>> move away from the stump as the tree falls; and
>> avoid felling trees uphill.

Assuming the five step felling plan has been followed

and the faller is well along the escape route, this hazard
should be minimised.

6. Felling dead trees

Dead, broken or rotted trees are particularly hazardous, and need

to be felled or removed before the tree faller begins working
in the area. If that is not possible, they should be felled as soon
as possible. Do not leave a tree like this standing as you work
around it; it may fall at any time. Until a dead tree is removed, no
work shall be done in the danger zones except for the purpose
of making it safe (e.g. clearing an access way to the dead tree).
Machine felling is the best way to fell a dead tree.

Driving dead trees can also pose dangers as the dead tree may
break, with the upper stem falling backwards towards the faller.
Where possible, machine-fell dead trees. The faller should notify
the person available (ACoP rule 11.1.2) of a dead tree before and
after felling it.

Always remember that a dead tree can fall in any direction at

any time without warning.

The danger zone associated with a dead tree consists of a circle

with the centre at the base of the dead tree and with a radius of
two tree lengths.

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7. Faller being struck from behind by an object or tree

Although it is not obvious what causes it, sometimes a tree or limb

can fall from a tree behind the faller and the tree they are felling.
One cause can be intertwined branches or vines connecting the
crowns of two trees. Occasionally the vibration from a large tree
hitting the ground is enough to fell a dead or unstable tree.

Assessing the tree you plan to fell should include assessing

the surrounding trees for damage and structural weakness. Look for
branches interlocking with vines or branches of other trees. Clear
vegetation around the tree, and make sure the escape route is clear.

The danger zone in this hazard extends from the felled tree to
the tree behind with width equal to the width of the tree behind
(see Figure 4). Note that this hazard is relative to the direction of
fall, a factor that emphasises the importance of directional felling
techniques and proper use of scarf and back cuts.
Limbs top or tree

Felled tree Pulled tree

Escape route

Direction of fall

Figure 5 – Danger area where the felled tree pulls another with it as it falls

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

2.4 TREE DRIVING

ACOP Rule 11.7.2

Tree driving shall not exceed one onto two trees.

Rule 11.7.4

The faller shall notify the person available to them that

they intend to undertake a tree drive.

>>The faller shall notify the person that the drive has
been completed successfully.
>>If a one onto two drive is unsuccessful, falling shall
cease until an observer is present to help plan
management of that hazard.

The term ‘driving’ means pushing a tree over by felling another tree
into it. Tree driving may be used to fell trees that are hung-up, cut-
up, or broken, or those leaning against the intended direction of fall
which cannot be safely felled using wedges (ACoP rule 11.7.1). Where
conventional felling methods have failed, driving may be used.

A competent person should be advised when a tree drive is to be

attempted, and again when it’s successfully completed. That person
should ask questions about safety issues and not just acknowledge
that a drive is about to take place. If the drive fails, and another
driving tree is needed, get an observer to help plan the next drive,
and to warn on the movement of the trees.

Planning a tree drive should follow the five step felling plan, with
some additional points:

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>>The two tree length rule applies to both the driving tree and the
tree being driven.
>>Both trees can sway forward and then back into the felling zone.
Tree fallers driving any more than one onto one tree should be
properly trained and hold the unit standard for tree driving.

2.5 WIND-THROW AND MACHINE ASSISTED FELLING

ACOP Rule 11.11.1

In areas of wind-thrown salvage, machine assisted felling

shall be the first choice of felling mechanism.

Rule 11.11.2

Any manual faller required to work in wind-throw shall

have their competency assessed against NZQA Unit
Standard 1270.

Rule 11.11.3

No person shall work directly under wind-wrenched trees.

Wind-thrown trees are very hazardous to deal with, as they can be

unstable and unpredictable.

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

Wind-throw can cause:

>>unstable root plates;

>>suspended stems under high tension and compression;
>>stems wedged between standing trees;
>>stems leaning into standing trees;
>>uprooted trees;
>>spars;
>>shattered tops;
>>suspended hazards;
>>heavy leaners;
>> restricted access, i.e. heavy slash; and
>> undesirable or disrupted felling patterns.

Wind-thrown trees should only be felled by competent persons.

As wind-throw doesn’t necessary happen frequently or regularly,
it’s important to reassess the tree faller before felling wind-throw.
Each wind-thrown tree needs to be assessed individually.

Wherever possible, wind-thrown trees should be felled by

machine, rather than manually.

Where access issues prevent machine assisted tree felling, you

should ensure all possible movement of a standing tree or wind-
thrown stem on release of tension or compression is assessed
and cuts planned beforehand.

22
NOTES

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 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

NOTES

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For more information, visit www.worksafe.govt.nz

Approved Code of Practice Best Practice Guidelines for

for Safety and Health in Tree Felling (Competenz)
Forest Operations
(WorkSafe New Zealand)
 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES // SAFE MANUAL TREE FELLING

WorkSafe New Zealand
56 The Terrace
PO Box 165
Wellington 6140

Phone: +64 4 897 7699

Fax: +64 4 415 4015
0800 030 040 ISBN 978-0-478-42503-1 (print)

www.worksafe.govt.nz ISBN 978-0-478-42502-4 (online)