After work on March 8, 2017, during a High Wind Warning issued by the National Weather Service, Joe Kilar’s (HSE) next door neighbor stopped by to tell him that the ground beneath one of his trees looked like it was shifting. Joe went outside to investigate and saw that the tree trunk was moving and its roots were lifting above the earth at each wind gust.
“With this 40-foot tall tree near my house, deck and my neighbor’s garage and house, it was scary to watch,” said Kilar. “Fortunately, the wind gusts died down and the tree no longer shifted. The next morning, I called a tree service company to come out and take a look. They advised me that the tree was unstable and needed to be removed. There was a good chance it could come down in high winds or a storm. This was, of course, a high-priority safety concern for me, so I had the company take the tree down the very next day.”
“Though it was difficult to lose a tree that our family enjoyed,” said Kilar, “we are all quite thankful that it was removed in a controlled manner, rather than it falling on its own, resulting in potentially serious damage or injury.”
Check out this safety share to learn more about Kilar’s experience and the lessons he learned from the situation. Please print this info and use it to help kick off a team discussion at your next meeting with colleagues and/or staff.
All employees are encouraged to submit safety shares for inclusion in the Safety Share Library. Submission details are available on Inside Argonne.
Each month a safety share submitted by an individual will be selected to receive a Spot Award for demonstrated safety leadership. The Spot Award program offers three award levels: gold ($100), silver ($50) and bronze ($25).