Close Call Reporting: The Keep the Clearance (KTC) peer initiative has been promoting the Close Call program for near hit reporting. Close call to date has collected 62 reports from tree trimmers, 27 that have been placed on the Local 1245 “Near Miss/Close Call” portion of the website. Close call reports have also been the catalyst for a monthly newsletter sent to tree supervision at various companies. Local 1245 business representatives developed a contact list of supervisors at the companies whose employees they service. The hope is to use the newsletter to get close call reports to tree trimmers and open a dialogue between tree companies, the union and PG&E regarding safety issues and challenges on both sides of the fence. The overall goal is to promote safety, increase communication and improve safety awareness for tree trimmers. The hope for KTC is to put safety in the forefront of everyone’s minds, especially those who do the work and need the work done.
Presentations for 2015: KTC committee members and safety stewards will be promoting a presentation schedule for 2015. A video for tree trimmers has been in use and will be used at company safety meetings and unit meetings in 2015.
Tree Trimmer Fatality: The death of tree trimmer Chanthavy Chanthapasueth was reported to the Keep the Clearance committee at the November 6 meeting. Details are few but he was reported to have been killed on October 19 while working on a private job in which he was topping a tree near Marysville. He was 40 years old. Chanthapasueth was an employee of Utility Tree Service.
–Rich Lane, IBEW 1245 Safety Rep