Virginia Administrative Code › Title 16 - LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT › Agency 25 - SAFETY AND HEALTH CODES BOARD › Chapter 73 - REGULATION APPLICABLE TO TREE TRIMMING OPERATIONS › Section 16VAC25-73-20 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall
				  have the following meanings unless the context indicates otherwise:
"Aerial device" means any one of the following types of
				  vehicle-mounted apparatus used to elevate personnel to jobsites above
				  ground:
1. Extensible boom
				platform.
2. Aerial
				ladder.
3. Articulating boom
				platform.
4. Vertical
				tower.
5. A combination of any of
				the above, as defined in ANSI A92.2.
"Anti-two block device" means a device consisting of a hollow
				  weight suspended from the boom nose or jib of log loaders, cranes, or related
				  hoists by a chain. The weight hangs with hoist cable running through its
				  center. An electromechanical switch mounted on the boom nose or jib is
				  connected to the chain via a retractable steel cable. When contact is made with
				  the suspended weight by the hook block or any other lifting device nearing the
				  nose or jib, the anti-two block switch circuit is deactivated, and hoist up or
				  telescope out is prevented.
"Apex" means the point at which two saw cuts meet to form a
				  notch.
"Applicator" means a qualified person engaged in the
				  application of materials such as, but not limited to, pesticides, growth
				  regulators, and fertilizers.
"Approved" means acceptable to the federal, state, or local
				  jurisdiction having enforcement authority.
"Arboriculture" means the art, science, technology, and
				  business of utility, commercial, and municipal tree care.
"Arborist" means an individual engaged in the profession of
				  arboriculture.
"Arborist climbing line" means a line designated to support
				  the climber while aloft in a tree or attached to a crane, constructed according
				  to specifications outlined in
				  16VAC25-73-90 A 8.
"Arborist saddle" means an arrangement of straps, fittings,
				  and buckles or other elements in the form of a waist belt with a low attachment
				  element or elements and connecting support encircling the legs, suitably
				  arranged to support the body in a sitting position.
"Ascender" means a mechanical device used for climbing
				  rope.
"Authorized" means designated by the entity that has care,
				  custody, and control of the unit.
"Back cut" means the cut made in a tree limb or trunk on the
				  side opposite the intended direction of fall.
"Belay" means roping technique, managed by the ground person,
				  to safeguard the arborist while climbing.
"Brush hog" means a heavy-duty rotary mower, normally pulled
				  by a farm-type tractor, used for cutting and mulching brush.
"Bucket" means a basket-type platform approximately four feet
				  (1.22 m) high, which is attached to the end of the upper boom on an aerial
				  device, providing a work platform for working aloft.
"Bucking" means the act of sawing trees, limbs, or both, into
				  smaller sections once they are on the ground.
"Cant hook" means a long-handled lever fixed with a blunt
				  metal end to handle logs; includes a swinging, metal hook opposing the blunt
				  end to create leverage.
"Carabiner" means a connector generally composed of a
				  trapezoidal or oval-shaped body with a closed gate or similar arrangement that
				  may be opened to receive an object and, when released, automatically closes to
				  retain the object.
"Chopping tool" means a wooden, fiberglass, or steel-handled
				  tool with a sharp, single- or double-edged steel head or blade mounted to it
				  that is used to cut or split wood (for example, an ax or machete).
"Climbing/friction hitch" means a hitch used for securing a
				  tree climber to the climbing line, permitting controlled ascent, descent, and
				  work positioning. Examples of climbing hitches include, but are not limited to,
				  the tautline hitch, Blake's hitch, and the Prusik hitch/knot.
"Climbing system" means the various pieces of gear, or
				  components that the arborist relies upon to secure himself while aloft in the
				  tree, such as, but not limited to: an arborist saddle, one or more arborist
				  climbing lines, and one or more lanyards as well as carabiners and/or snap
				  hooks approved by their manufacturer for climbing.
"Conventional notch" means a directional felling cut into the
				  side of a tree, facing the intended direction of fall and consisting of a
				  horizontal face cut and an angle cut above it, creating a notch of
				  approximately 45 degrees.
"Crew leader" means the qualified arborist designated as the
				  individual in charge of a specific job or group of workers.
"Crotch" (n.) means branch union; the angle formed by two
				  branches in the tree. "Crotch" (v.) means to place a line through a branch
				  union.
"Damaged" means a defect, impairment or injury to machinery,
				  vehicle, tool, material or equipment that would meet the manufacturer's
				  criteria for removal from service, or in the absence of such criteria, would
				  materially effect the safe operation or safe use of the item during tree
				  trimming operations.
"DBH" means acronym for diameter at breast height; diameter
				  of a tree measured at 4.5 feet (1.3 m) above ground.
"Deadman control" means a safety switch, electrical or
				  mechanical, that deactivates the equipment's function when released by the
				  operator.
"Dielectric" means nonconductive of electrical
				  current.
"Direct contact" means a direct contact is made when any part
				  of the body touches or contacts an energized electrical conductor.
"Direct supervision" means direct supervision occurs when a
				  qualified arborist or a qualified arborist supervisor is physically present on
				  the jobsite.
"Drop-starting" means the act of starting a chain saw by
				  pushing the saw away from the body with one hand while simultaneously pulling
				  on the starter cord handle with the other.
"Electrical conductor" means any overhead or underground
				  electrical device capable of carrying an electric current, including
				  communications wires and cables, power lines, and other such fixtures or
				  apparatus.
"Electrical hazard" means an object or situation that poses
				  risk of injury or death due to direct or indirect contact with an electrical
				  conductor. Where unguarded, energized electrical conductors are present,
				  specific minimum approach distances based on the arborist's or worker's level
				  of training, as set forth in this regulation, shall be followed.
"Electrical system owner/operator" means an organization that
				  operates or controls the transmission and/or distribution of electric power
				  through electrical conductors.
"Electric supply" means conductors used to transmit electric
				  energy and their necessary supporting or containing structures. Signal lines of
				  more than 400 volts are always supply lines, and those of less than 400 volts
				  are considered as supply lines if so run and operated throughout.
"Energy (shock) absorber" means a component of a climbing
				  system whose primary function is to dissipate energy and limit deceleration
				  forces that the system imposes on the body during fall arrest.
"Fall-arrest lanyard" means a rope or strap designed to be
				  used with a full-body harness to limit maximum arresting force on a climber to
				  1,800 pounds (8 kN) in a fall.
"False crotch" means a device installed in a tree to set
				  ropes during climbing or rigging because there is not a suitable natural crotch
				  available, or to protect an available crotch, and/or to reduce wear on
				  ropes.
"False crotch for rigging" means a pulley, block, sling,
				  lashing, or metal ring affixed to a tree's leader or limb, through which a load
				  line is passed, to lower or raise limbs or equipment.
"False crotch redirect" means the use of a false crotch in
				  conjunction with either a natural crotch or a second false crotch in instances
				  where the arborist is working away from the trunk of the tree and could
				  otherwise be subject to an uncontrolled pendulum swing in the event of a
				  slip.
"Footlock" means to climb up a suspended rope by pulling with
				  the hands and arms and pushing upward with the feet. The loose end of the rope
				  is wrapped under the middle and over the top of one foot and is locked in place
				  with pressure from the other foot.
"Friction point" means the point at which the rope surface of
				  the climber's hitch rubs against the climbing line.
"Good working condition" means a term describing a piece of
				  equipment that has no mechanical defects, has all guards in place, and is
				  operated as intended by the manufacturer.
"Ground fault" means any undesirable current path from a
				  current-carrying conductor to ground.
"Guarded" means covered, fenced, enclosed, or otherwise
				  protected by suitable covers or casings, barrier rails or screens, mats, or
				  platforms that have been designed by the electrical system owner/operator to
				  minimize the possibility of dangerous approach or accidental contact by persons
				  or objects under normal conditions. Also see unguarded.
"Handline" means a length of rope designated as a tool to
				  leverage, lift, and hold tools, equipment, wood, or other objects; the proper
				  rope strength is specified for each particular use.
"High-pressure excavation" means the removal or displacement
				  of soil using pressurized air or water.
"Humboldt notch" means a directional felling cut into the
				  side of a tree, facing the intended direction of fall and consisting of a
				  horizontal face cut and an angled cut below it, creating a notch of
				  approximately 45 degrees. A Humboldt cut is usually reserved for larger trees
				  on steep slopes.
"Indirect contact" means indirect contact is made when any
				  part of the body touches any conductive object, including tools, tree branches,
				  trucks, equipment, or other objects, that is in contact with an energized
				  electrical conductor. Such contact can also be made as the result of
				  communication wires and cables, fences, or guy wires being accidentally
				  energized.
"Job briefing" means the communication [ before work begins ]
				  of at least the following subjects for arboricultural operations: hazards
				  associated with the job, work procedures involved, special precautions,
				  electrical hazards, job assignments, and personal protective equipment.
"Kilovolt, kV ( [ Table 1 )" means the term for 1,000 volts,
				  abbreviated as kV. Higher voltages are generally given as kilovolts. Example:
				  12.5 kV (12,500 volts) and 19.9 kV (19,900 volts).
"Kilonewton, kN" means the measurement of force, abbreviated
				  as kN. Equal to 224.8 pounds. Example: 24.02 kilonewtons equals 5,400
				  pounds.
"Ladder" means a two-, three-, or four-legged structure that
				  utilizes vertical side legs with cross sections uniformly placed between the
				  side legs to be used as steps; available in wood, aluminum, or fiberglass; used
				  to ascend to and descend from a height. Also see tripod/orchard ladder.
"Lanyard" means a component of a climbing system consisting
				  of a flexible line of rope, wire rope, or a strap that generally has a
				  connector at each end for connecting the body support to a fall arrester,
				  energy absorber, anchorage connector, or anchorage.
"Leg protection" means personal protective equipment
				  constructed with cut-resistant material, such as ballistic nylon, intended to
				  reduce the risk of injury to the legs during chain-saw operations.
"Line-clearance tree trimming" means the pruning, trimming,
				  repairing, maintaining, removing, or clearing of trees or the cutting of brush
				  (vegetation management) that is within 10 feet (3.05 m) of electric supply
				  lines and equipment . Line-clearance tree trimming activities are performed by
				  the employees of the owner or operator of the electrical or communication
				  systems, or independent contractors engaged on behalf of the owner or operator
				  of the system to perform the work.
"Load binder" means a synthetic strap with a ratchet
				  mechanism or a properly secured rope or chain to encircle a tree trunk or limb
				  as a means of preventing splitting.
"Manual land clearing" means the removal of trees, shrubs,
				  and vines using chain saws or other cutting tools where there are no structures
				  or objects that need to be avoided and pull lines are not used to pull or drop
				  a tree and/or trunk to the ground.
"Maul" means a heavy-handled hammer, sometimes made with a
				  single edge; used to drive wedges or split wood.
"Minimum approach distance" means safe working distances from
				  overhead electrical conductors as defined in Table 1 of
				  16VAC25-73-50.
"Open-face notch" means a directional felling cut into the
				  side of the tree, facing the intended direction of fall and consisting of two
				  cuts creating a notch greater than 70 degrees.
"Outrigger" means built-in device used to stabilize cranes,
				  aerial devices, and similar equipment.
"Phase" means any current-carrying conductor that has an
				  electric potential other than ground (ground is assumed to be 0 volts).
"Phase to ground ( Table 1 )" means the electric potential
				  (voltage) between a conductor and ground.
"Phase to phase" means the electrical potential (voltage)
				  between two conductors, each having its own electric potential relative to
				  ground.
"Primary conductor" means any conductor, including aluminum,
				  copper, or aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR), that is bare, covered,
				  or insulated, with a nominal voltage above 750 volts.
"Proximity" means an area within 10 feet (3.05 m) of
				  energized overhead electrical conductors rated 50 kV phase to phase or less.
				  For overhead electrical conductors rated more than 50 kV phase to phase, the
				  distance is increased 4/10 inch (10 mm) for each additional kV.
"Prusik knot" means a sliding friction knot, as in a
				  work-positioning lanyard.
"Prusik loop" means an endless loop of rope used to fashion a
				  Prusik knot. The endless loop may be spliced or knotted with, at minimum, a
				  double fisherman's knot.
"Qualified arborist" means an individual who, through related
				  training and on-the-job experience, is familiar with the equipment and hazards
				  involved in arboricultural operations and who has demonstrated ability in the
				  performance of the special techniques involved.
"Qualified arborist trainee" means an individual undergoing
				  on-the-job training under the direct supervision of a qualified arborist. In
				  the course of such training, the trainee becomes familiar with the hazards and
				  equipment involved in arboricultural operations and demonstrates ability in the
				  performance of the special techniques involved.
"Qualified crane operator" means an individual who, by reason
				  of a recognized credential or professional standing, or through related
				  training and on-the-job experience, is familiar with the equipment and hazards
				  involved with arboriculture crane operations and who has demonstrated
				  competence in operating a crane and performing the special techniques
				  involved.
"Qualified line-clearance arborist" means an individual who,
				  through related training and on-the-job experience, is familiar with the
				  equipment and hazards in line clearance and has demonstrated the ability to
				  perform the special techniques involved. This individual may or may not
				  currently be employed by a line-clearance contractor.
"Qualified line-clearance arborist trainee" means an
				  individual undergoing line-clearance training under the direct supervision of a
				  qualified line-clearance arborist. In the course of such training, the trainee
				  becomes familiar with the equipment and hazards in line clearance and
				  demonstrates ability in the performance of the special techniques
				  involved.
"Qualified personnel" means an individual who, by reason of
				  training and experience, has demonstrated the ability to safely perform
				  assigned duties and, where required, is properly licensed in accordance with
				  federal, state, or local laws and regulations.
"Quick-acting connector" means hose connectors in a hydraulic
				  or pneumatic system designed to allow rapid connection or disconnection without
				  leakage when the system is pressurized.
"Saddle, arborist": see arborist saddle.
"Secured (object)" means made firm or tight; fastened.
				  Example: The load is secured to the truck.
"Secured (person)" means when an arborist is safeguarded from
				  unintended movement by utilizing a climbing system that is attached to the
				  arborist and connected to a tree or other stable support. Examples of being
				  secured include, but are not limited to, (i) being tied in, (ii) using a
				  work-positioning lanyard, (iii) being on belay, and (iv) ascending the arborist
				  climbing line using the footlock technique while utilizing a Prusik loop or
				  ascenders.
"Shall," as used in this regulation, denotes a mandatory
				  requirement.
"Should," as used in this regulation, denotes an advisory
				  recommendation.
"Snap hook" means a self-locking or double-locking rope snap.
				  The locking type (required by this regulation for climbing) has a self-closing,
				  self-locking gate that remains closed and locked until intentionally opened by
				  the user for connection or disconnection. A captive eye is an integral part of
				  a snap hook but is independent of the hook and gate portion.
"Split tail system and split tail" refers to a system in
				  which the climbing line is tied to the saddle, preferably indirectly with an
				  ANSI-compliant carabiner or locking rope snap, without leaving a tail beyond
				  the termination. The climbing/friction hitch is then tied onto the climbing
				  line with a separate short section of climbing line called a split tail. The
				  split tail is separately connected to a designated anchor point on the
				  saddle.
"Spotter" means a person within voice and visual
				  communication of the driver and located in a position to view the area in which
				  the vehicle (unit) is backing to help ensure that the backing operation is, and
				  will remain, safe.
"Step potential" means the voltage between the feet of a
				  person standing near an energized grounded object. It is equal to the
				  difference in voltage, given by the voltage distribution curve, between two
				  points at different distances from the electrode. A person could be at risk of
				  injury during a fault simply by standing near the grounding point.
"Tackle blocks and pulleys" means equipment used in most tree
				  situations to take a strain rather than move a load. Critical components of the
				  system are the appropriate ropes, blocks, and, especially, the lock or
				  connecting link.
"Termination knot" means any knot suitable for rope
				  termination, including, but not limited to, double fisherman's loop (scaffold
				  hitch), anchor hitch, and buntline hitch.
"Tied in" means the term that describes an arborist whose
				  climbing line has been run through a natural or false crotch attached to an
				  arborist's saddle and completed with a climbing hitch or mechanical device,
				  permitting controlled movement and work positioning.
"Tool lanyard" means short line or strap used to secure a
				  tool while working aloft.
"Tripod/orchard ladder" means a three-legged ladder that
				  utilizes the third leg to form a tripod to stabilize itself among orchard trees
				  and/or shrubs. It is recommended for use on turf for better stability and to
				  avoid slippage of the legs. Not recommended for use on hard surfaces.
"Unguarded" means not guarded from approach or contact with
				  electrical conductors.
"Volt" means a unit of electric potential difference between
				  two points. Lower-voltage systems are generally expressed in terms of volts,
				  for example, 120 volts or 240 volts.
"Wedge" means a piece of material with two sides meeting at
				  an angle; used to raise or split objects by applying a driving force, such as
				  with a hammer.
"Wheel chock" means wedge-shaped block manufactured or
				  employer approved to prevent unintentional movement of vehicle. Wheel chocks
				  are placed in front of or in back of a vehicle's tires or tracks. If necessary,
				  the chocks can be placed both in front and in back of the tires or
				  tracks.
"Worker" means an individual involved in an arboricultural
				  operation, such as ground operations, equipment operations, and removal
				  operations.
"Working load" means limiting load values derived from the
				  minimum breaking strength of a cord or rope divided by the design factor. For
				  example, given a minimum breaking strength of 10,000 pounds (44.48 kN) and a
				  design factor of 10: 10,000/10 = 1,000 (working load, in pounds) or given a
				  minimum breaking strength of 10,000 pounds (44.48 kN) and a design factor of
				  5:10,000/5 = 2,000 (working load, in pounds).
"Working-load limit" means the working load that must not be
				  exceeded for a particular application as established by a regulatory or
				  standards-setting agency.
"Workline" means rope used for lifting, lowering, or guiding
				  limbs or equipment, or both, into or out of the tree.
"Work-positioning system" means an arborist climbing system
				  designed to be used under tension to support the arborist or other worker on an
				  elevated vertical surface, such as a tree limb, and allow him to work with both
				  hands free.
Statutory Authority
§ 40.1-22 of the Code of
					 Virginia.