Why this matters
Being hit by falling, rolling or bouncing timber is one of the main ways tree workers are killed. Under the Code, no worker enters the drop zone while timber is coming down, and the public stays out of the exclusion zone.
Control the risk – in this order
Always work down the hierarchy of controls. PPE is the last line of defence, not the first:
Eliminate – lower or crane-lift sections where the drop zone can’t be kept clear
Substitute – smaller sections that land shorter and more predictably
Engineering – barriers, bunting and signs; a spotter on public edges
Administrative – call-and-reply before every cut; zone sized by risk assessment
PPE – helmet, hi-vis, eye protection. A helmet won’t stop a limb; the zone has to
Key hazards & controls
Falling material
No one in the drop zone while timber is cut, dropped or lowered. Sectional felling: zone at least 1.5 × section length.
Rolling & bouncing
No one downhill. Extend zones down the slope and allow for bounce off roots, structures and paving.
Members of the public
Barriers checked through the day; watch for kids and pets. Control any house inside the zone; schedule work near schools for when they’re empty.
Lowered loads
Never stand under a suspended load or in line with a tensioned rope. Chipper and grinder set up outside the drop zone.
Climber or EWP struck
Cut sections short enough that, stood on end, they can’t reach the climber or bucket.
Critical first aid
Struck by timber
Stop all cutting. Call 000. DRSABCD. Don’t move them if a head or spine injury is possible, unless in danger.
Severe bleeding
Firm direct pressure. If a limb bleed won’t stop, tourniquet high and tight; note the time.
Pinned under timber
Remove the load as soon as it’s safe to. Call 000; treat for shock.
Before every cut – call and reply
Call → Acknowledge → Clear → Cut → All clear
• CALL – the climber or feller warns before every cut, drop or lower.
• ACKNOWLEDGE – every ground worker replies. No reply = no cut.
• CLEAR – ground crew out of the zone; spotter on the public edge.
• CUT – only once every ground worker has replied.
• ALL CLEAR – stay out until the climber calls it. New zone = new brief.
Talk it through
• How big is our drop zone today, and who decided?
• Where could a piece roll, bounce or deflect on this site?
• Does every new starter know our call and reply?
Attendance & sign-off
Be sure to download the toolbox talk and discuss it with your team using the links below.