The General Assembly should adopt licensing and regulation requirements for Georgia's tree care industry, a legislative study committee recommended Monday.
The House Study Committee on Safety & Consumer Protection in the Tree Care Industry was formed this year to look for ways to protect tree care workers from suffering deaths or injuries in an occupation identified by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as among the most hazardous in the country.
OSHA reported in 2020 that the fatality rate for tree trimmers and pruners may be as high as one in 1,000, nearly 30 times higher than the national death rate for all workers.
A 2017 report by the Tree Care Industry Association indicated that Georgia has the third highest rate of reported incidents in the tree care industry, below only California and Florida.
The danger tree care workers face was driven home this month when a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found a Marietta tree trimming contractor could have prevented the death last May of a 38-year-old worker whose equipment came into contact with an unprotected powerline less than 10 feet from an Acworth worksite.
"Serious Tree Services failed to meet their obligation to protect workers by adhering to industry safety standards, resulting in a preventable tragedy," OSHA Area Director Jeffery Stawowy said. "Employers must prioritize training and hazard prevention to avoid such devastating consequences."
The House study committee approved four recommendations, including a suggestion that the tree care industry be encouraged to emphasize safety and training.
The panel also recommended that the General Assembly adopt legislation establishing licensing and regulation of the industry in Georgia.
"There is a place for state involvement from a regulatory and oversight standpoint, said Rep. Victor Anderson, R-Cornelia, the committee's chairman.
The study committee also suggested putting the tree care industry under the oversight of the state Department of Agriculture and asked the General Assembly to appropriate adequate funding to support the program.
Municipalities and utilities that conduct tree trimming operations would be exempt from the regulations.
"The biggest thing we're trying to capture here are the folks who put themselves out as professionals for hire," Anderson said.
The study committee's recommendations will be forwarded to the full House to take up during the 2025 legislative session that starts next month.