Landscape and Horticultural Services

What are the hazards associated with landscape and horticultural services?

Landscaping and horticultural service employees are exposed to a variety of hazards including including chemical and pesticide exposures, ergonomic-related injuries. noise, equipment (i.e., mowers, chain saws, hedge trimmers), and weather related hazards. 

What can I do to protect myself?

Be sure that there is proper clearance from nearby power lines before initiating cuts on trees. Your employer is required to provide employees with all necessary personal protective equipment such as, but not limited to, hardhats, gloves, chaps, hearing protection and fall protection equipment, prior to beginning work.

Before using any chemical or pesticide, information on the label and accompanying information (e.g., safety data sheets) should be consulted in order to identify any personal protective equipment necessary to prevent direct contact through inhalation, splash or spatter to eyes, nose or mouth, or skin contact.

Loud noise can create physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communication and concentration, and contribute to workplace accidents and injuries by making it difficult to hear warning signals.

What resources are available to assist employers?

Safety and Health Programs

An arboriculture tree trimming policy, chain saw policy, lockout/tagout program, a PPE hazard assessment and a first aid, CPR and AED policy are available and can be customized to fit the specific hazards and conditions in the work settings in which employees will work.

In addition, customizable programs including those for hearing conservation, bloodborne pathogens, hazard communication, electrical safety, and respiratory protection can be modified to meet the employer's needs where applicable.

Training and Outreach Services

Presentations on hazard communication, walking and working surfaces, electrical safety, hearing conservation, struck by/caught between, personal protective equipment (general industry), lockout/tagout and personal protective equipment (construction) can be used to assist employers with training requirements. Other example presentations are available along with pre-recorded webinars which can be accessed at any time. 

In addition, the education, training and technical assistance bureau provides free online safety and health training and outreach services (i.e., speaker's bureau requests, safety booths) upon request. 

Lastly, the NCDOL Library offers free safety and health videos (including streaming video services) and related research assistance on consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, NFPA, NEC).

Safety and Health Topics

More resource information can be found on the safety and health topics pages for hazard communication, heat stress, noise, amputations, bloodborne pathogens, PPE, chain saw safety, electrical safety, walking and working surfaces, logging, aerial lifts, medical services and first aid, arboriculture, telecommunications and respiratory protection.

Consultation Services

The consultative services bureau provides free and confidential onsite consultation regarding worksite safety and health hazards.

Which standards apply?

OSH has adopted the following standards which are applicable to landscape and horticultural services in North Carolina. This is not all inclusive.

Note: Please also check the standards information and activity webpage to see if there has been any recent or upcoming regulatory activity on this topic.

General Industry

29 CFR 1910 Subpart D - walking-working surfaces

• 29 CFR 1910.22 - general requirements
• 29 CFR 1910.23 - ladders
• 29 CFR 1910.27 - scaffolds and rope descent systems

29 CFR 1910 Subpart G -  occupational health and environmental control

• 29 CFR 1910.95 - occupational noise exposure

29 CFR 1910 Subpart I - personal protective equipment

• 29 CFR 1910.134 - respiratory protection
• 29 CFR 1910.135 - head protection
• 29 CFR 1910.136 - foot protection
• 29 CFR 1910.138 - hand protection

29 CFR 1910. Subpart J - general environmental controls

• 29 CFR 1910.141 – sanitation
• 29 CFR 1910.147 - the control of hazardous energy

29 CFR 1910 Subpart K - medical services and first aid

• 29 CFR 1910.151 - medical services and first aid

29 CFR 1910.Subpart N - materials handling and storage

• 29 CFR 1910.178 - powered industrial trucks

1910 Subpart P - hand and portable powered tools and other hand-held equipment

• 1910.243 - guarding of portable powered tools

29 CFR 1910 Subpart R - special industries

• 29 CFR 1910.268 - telecommunications

29 CFR 1910 Subpart S - electrical

• 29 CFR 1910.332 - electrical, training
• 29 CFR 1910.334 - electrical, use of equipment

29 CFR 1910 Subpart Z - toxic and hazardous substances

• 29 CFR 1910.1020 - access to employee exposure and medical records
• 29 CFR 1910.1030 - bloodborne pathogens
• 29 CFR 1910.1200 - hazard communication

Construction

29 CFR 1926 Subpart C - general provisions

• 29 CFR 1926.20 – general safety and health provisions
• 29 CFR 1926.21 – safety training and education
• 29 CFR 1926.25 - housekeeping

29 CFR 1926 Subpart D - occupational health and environmental controls

• 29 CFR 1926.50 - medical services and first aid
• 29 CFR 1926.51 - sanitation
• 29 CFR 1926.59 - hazard communication

29 CFR 1926 Subpart E  -  personal protective and life saving equipment

• 29 CFR 1926.100 - head protection
• 29 CFR 1926.101 - hearing protection
• 29 CFR 1926.102 - eye and face protection

29 CFR 1926 Subpart I - tools - hand and power

• 29 CFR 1926.307 - mechanical power-transmission apparatus

29 CFR 1926 Subpart K - electrical

• 29 CFR 1926.403 - general requirements

29 CFR 1926 Subpart L - scaffolds

• 29 CFR 1926.451 - general requirements

29 CFR 1926 Subpart M - fall protection

• 29 CFR 1926. 501 - duty to have fall protection

29 CFR 1926 Subpart O - motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations

• 29 CFR 1926.600 - equipment
• 29 CFR 1926.601 - motor vehicles
• 29 CFR 1926.602 - material handling equipment
• 29 CFR 1926.604 - site clearing

29 CFR Subpart P - excavations

• 29 CFR 1926.651 - specific excavation requirements

29 CFR 1926 Subpart W - rollover protectives structures; overhead protection

• 29 CFR 1926.1000 - scope
• 29 CFR 1926.1001 - minimum performance criteria for rollover protective structures for designated scrapers, loaders, dozers, graders, crawler tractors, compactors, and rubber-tired skid steer equipment
• 29 CFR 1926.1002 - protective frames (roll-over protective structures, known as ROPS) for wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors used in construction
• 29 CFR 1926.1003 - overhead protection for operators of agricultural and industrial tractors used in construction

29 CFR 1926 Subpart X - stairways and ladders

• 29 CFR 1926.1060 - training requirements

Recordkeeping

• Refer to Recording and Reporting

Other Applicable Standards

The Which OSHA Standards Apply webpage can help identify other standards that may also be applicable to your worksite.

Where can I learn more?

Fact Sheets

• NCDOL Investigates: Tree Trimming/Logging describes the investigation process when a work-related accident involves tree trimming or tree removal.

Compliance Documents

• Operational Procedure Notice: OPN 88, Special Emphasis Program for Logging and Arboriculture, describes the conduct of inspections and associated activities under this special emphasis program.

Industry Guides

• Industry Guide 48 - OSHA Construction Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training provides requirements for standards related to landscape and horticultural services in construction.
• Industry Guide 49 - OSHA General Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training provides requirements for standards related to landscape and horticultural services in general industry.

Technical Assistance

• Inquiries about workplace safety and health requirements can be submitted to Ask OSH online or by phone at 919-707-7876.