S-2.1, r. 12.1 - Regulation respecting health and safety in forest development work

Section 30 Disposition versions

2013-06-13

30. The following elements must be considered in manual tree felling:

(1)  before felling:

(a)  identify dangers in the felling area;

(b)  make sure the worker referred to in section 29 is the only person in the felling area;

(c)  remove snags 3 m or more in height from the felling area, preferably mechanically, but otherwise manually. If a snag cannot be hand felled, hand felling of trees that include the snag in the felling area must be prohibited;

(d)  choose a suitable felling technique;

(e)  clear a safe-size working area around the base of the tree;

(f)  trim the trunk of the tree to be felled;

(g)  in the opposite direction of the fall, clear at least 1 skid trail at a 45-degree angle and at least 2 m from the trunk of the tree;

(2)  prohibit hand felling if there are more than 50 snags over 3 m in height per hectare;

(3)  a tree with the following characteristics may not be felled by hand:

(a)  its trunk is broken and its crown is lodged;

(b)  it supports a lodged tree, a snag or a tree that has fallen over;

(c)  it is located on a site with no possible skid trail;

(4)  in the following cases, the tree to be felled must not be hand felled unless a risk analysis has been carried out and determines a safe felling method that will have to be used in those cases:

(a)  it is joined to another tree from which it separates at a height of over 1.3 m;

(b)  it has a split crotch at a height of over 1.3 m.

O.C. 499-2013, s. 30.