First aid, CPR & electrical contact rescue

Why tree crews need it

• ▸ANSI Z133 requires workers exposed to electrical hazards to be trained in first aid and CPR.
• ▸OSHA 1910.269 requires trained first aid/CPR people on line-clearance crews: at least 2 for field crews of 2 or more.
• ▸OSHA 1910.151 requires a trained first aid person when no clinic or hospital is near the work.
• ▸Cardiac arrest from electrical shock needs CPR and an AED within minutes. Survival drops about 10% for every minute without it.

Where to get certified

What the course covers and how long it lasts

• ▸Typical class: 3–5 hours in person, or online lessons plus a 1–2 hour skills session.
• ▸Typical cost: about $70–$130.
• ▸Certificates last 2 years. Many crews refresh CPR every year.
• ▸Ask for a course that covers severe bleeding and tourniquets, burns, shock and chainsaw cuts.
• ▸Keep your card number in My certificates so you get a renewal reminder.

Someone contacted a power line: what to do

The person may still be energized. Rushing in can kill a second worker.

• ▸1. STOP. Don't touch the person, the tree, the rope, the truck or anything touching them.
• ▸2. Call 911 and the utility emergency number. Say "electrical contact, tree worker" and give the address.
• ▸3. Keep everyone at least 35 ft away from a downed line or energized truck. Shuffle with feet together if the ground may be energized.
• ▸4. Wait for the utility to confirm the line is dead and grounded. Only qualified line-clearance workers with insulated tools may try to free someone sooner, following utility rules.
• ▸5. Once it is safe, check breathing. If they aren't breathing normally, start CPR and send for the AED.
• ▸6. Use the AED as soon as it arrives and follow its prompts.
• ▸7. Treat burns: cool with clean water and cover loosely. Look for entry and exit wounds — damage inside is often worse than it looks.
• ▸8. Treat for shock: lay them flat, keep them warm, don't give food or drink.
• ▸9. Everyone who had an electrical contact goes to the hospital, even if they seem fine. Heart rhythm problems can show up hours later.

Aerial rescue near power lines

• ▸Before going up, look for any contact between the victim, tree, rope or bucket and a conductor. If there is any chance, wait for the utility.
• ▸Only a qualified line-clearance arborist may climb or use a bucket inside the minimum approach distance during a rescue.
• ▸Climber in the tree: climb on a separate, safe tie-in, get the victim on your system, then lower them with a friction device.
• ▸Worker in a bucket: use the lower (ground) controls to bring the bucket down — but only after confirming the truck and boom are not energized.
• ▸Get the victim to the ground fast. CPR doesn't work well aloft.
• ▸Practice rescues every year in a safe tree with no lines nearby.

CPR quick steps (adult)

• ▸Check the scene is safe. Tap and shout. Call 911 and send for an AED.
• ▸Push hard and fast in the center of the chest: at least 2 in deep, 100–120 pushes a minute.
• ▸If trained, give 2 rescue breaths after every 30 pushes. If not, keep doing chest pushes only.
• ▸Turn on the AED as soon as it arrives and follow the voice prompts.
• ▸Don't stop until EMS takes over, the person starts breathing, or you can't keep going.

Kit for the truck

• ▸AED, kept charged and checked monthly.
• ▸Trauma kit: tourniquets, pressure bandages, hemostatic gauze.
• ▸Burn dressings and clean water.
• ▸Emergency contacts: 911 address, nearest hospital, utility emergency number, in the job briefing.