Focus on Safety: Good physical conditioning is a tree planter’s best defence
by Ontario Forestry Safe Workplace Association

Planting trees and competing in a triathlon are a lot alike. The main difference is that a tree planter has to get up at dawn the next day and do it all over again.

It’s no wonder that some tree planters miss some or all of a planting season because of injuries to wrists, back, shoulders, and knees caused by strenuous, repetitive motion. Strain and sprain injuries (also known as musculoskeletal disorders) occur when excessive stress is placed on muscles, joints, nerves, ligaments, and tendons. Common injuries include tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle pull or tear (strain), tendon pull or tear (sprain), and ligament stretch (sprain). The injury can be sudden or have a gradual onset depending on the magnitude, frequency, and duration of exposure to the risk factors.

A number of risk factors arise over and over again in tree planting, from unavoidable circumstances such as heavy loads, frequent bending, and rough walking surfaces, to worker-based factors such as improper tools and poor planting techniques. The long workdays and the financial incentives to plant as many trees as possible also contribute to fatigue and physical stress.

Common signs and symptoms of a strain and sprain injury include pain or numbness; tingling the wrist, hand, shoulder or neck; loss of strength or numbness in grip; decreased range of motion; a burning sensation in a muscle or joint; swelling or bruising; and limb, back or joint aches and stiffness.

Individuals will react differently to the physical risk factors of tree planting. Different body size, stamina, or muscle strength and co-ordination may make some planters more susceptible to injury than others. Planters can reduce the odds of injuring themselves - especially during the hectic first weeks of strenuous work - by being in good shape when they report to camp. 

A mix of the following physical assets is necessary for tree planting:
• aerobic capacity (stamina) to deal with long, hard days of planting 
and fatigue
• muscular endurance to manage repetition and fatigue
• flexibility of joints to deal with a wide range of movement
• strength to lift and carry heavy loads
Core strength and leg strength are critical to productive, injury-free tree planting. A planter’s physical condition at the beginning of the season directly affects his or her productivity. To ensure the physical condition needed for a safe and productive season, an exercise regime such as the following is recommended prior to the start of the planting season:
• aerobic/cardiovascular training such as running, biking or
hiking
• overall strength training with free weights or resistance
machines
• stretching to ensure flexibility and prevention of muscle
stiffness
• specific tree planting exercises

Each exercise can (and should) be modified to an intensity suitable to that of the individual tree planter. As muscular strength increases, muscular endurance can be improved by adding more repetitions and decreasing the load in each exercise.

The best tree planting companies invest in training programs for new recruits and encourage employees to work efficiently and safely throughout the planting season. They designate the proper equipment that planters must buy and they provide other personal protective gear as required. The best tree planters acquaint themselves early with the do’s and don’ts of safe and efficient planting. 

Once the planting work is underway, planters need to develop a keen awareness of their bodies and learn to differentiate between good pain (muscles are sore) and bad pain (muscles are really hurting). If injured, they have to know how to recognize and treat the symptoms of their injury immediately, and when to seek professional medical help. They also have to be aware of flaws in their working style that could be the root cause of their physical problems. If they are unable to identify the problem with their working style, they should talk to their supervisor and fellow planters. 

The Ontario Forestry Safe Workplace Association has created SafePlanting.com, a comprehensive Web-based health and safety training program for tree planters. For more information or to order the program, visit www.safeplanting.com or contact OFSWA at 705-474-7233.