What Makes Tree Removal Dangerous

Any sort of work with trees presents its own risks. Tree removal, in particular, is no small task. Every year tree-removal-gone-wrong claims the lives of both professionals and civilians. A significant percentage of tree removal service is urban, and this only complicates the work. It’s not quite as simple as hacking away at the base of a tree – knowledge of tree physics and tree biology is a must. Arborists are professionally qualified and have knowledge of advanced cutting techniques and harnessing methods. Thinking about trying it yourself? You may want to think again.

The risks of tree removal seem almost endless – we’ll talk you through a few of the most dangerous ones.

This is the most obvious one but always seems to be forgotten: gravity. Trees can be hundreds of years old, and the weight of their limbs is often underestimated. Once it’s removed from the rest of the tree it’s almost impossible to control – even if you’ve made indentations or used ropes. There’s a good chance it won’t fall the way you want it to, putting power lines, homes and most importantly people at risk.

That leads us to the next risk – power lines. Work of any nature near a power line presents an added risk and tree removal is no different. Are you working with highly conductive metal tools? Is the tree tangled in power lines, meaning that you’ll have to carefully navigate between tree limbs, leaves, and lines? Get this one wrong and you could interfere with the power supply to your neighbourhood. Get it really wrong and there’s a huge change you could be electrocuted.

Arborists perform their work with the best equipment. They wear protective gear and use specialized harnessing equipment. Along with chainsaws, wood chippers, ropes and other specific tools they are trained to use when removing a tree. Not only would you need to purchase this equipment to fell a tree properly, but you’d also need to know how to use it too. If you don’t, you’re creating a huge risk.

To put it mildly, the average homeowner will be putting their life at risk by attempting to remove a tree on their own. If fully trained professionals are injured and killed by the complications of tree removal every year then, certainly you are at an increased risk. We’ve only discussed the most important risks, there are plenty of others to consider including falling from a height, decaying wood, injuring yourself with tools and more.

There’s also a chance that there are local laws in your area which prevent tree removal without the services of trained professionals. You may be forbidden from removing a protected tree, or removal of that specific tree could require a permit.

​We’ve spoken about all of the risks involved with tree removal, so don’t expose yourself to them unnecessarily. While hiring a professional may be more expensive than attempting it yourself, there’s no price on the life of you or your loved ones.

Martin’s Tree Service has highly trained and experienced arborists that will remove your tree in the safest way possible. Before they begin to do any of that, they’ll perform a full risk assessment and minimize any potential hazards to both you and your property. These experts will use advanced techniques with the latest technology to ensure that the tree is removed safely.