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Tree trimming helps improve the aesthetics of your trees by maintaining their shape. Also, trimming helps prevent accidents. Overgrown branches can fall on people and buildings, leading to severe injuries and costly repairs. Moreover, tree trimming boosts the health of a tree. Cutting off infected branches will prevent the spread of the infection to other healthy parts of the tree. 

You might run into trouble if you decide to trim your trees yourself. You may lack safety equipment, such as a hard hat, gloves, climbing gear, leg protection, goggles, face shield, and hearing protection. Hence you might be susceptible to an accident. Here are common tree trimming accidents you should know.

Electrocution

If your trees are near power lines, you may be at risk of electrocution. Wood doesn't conduct electricity. However, wet wood does. So, if you are in contact with a damp branch that accidentally touches a power line, you can get electrocuted. Also, a branch might fall on power lines, causing them to sag or touch the ground. You can be electrocuted if you make contact with the cables. 

If an electricity pole falls to the ground, you should immediately call emergency tree services. Such an accident can be catastrophic if there are puddles of water on the ground, as water is a good electricity conductor.

Stings

Trees harbor insects and pests, such as wasps, bees, hornets, yellow jackets, termites, spiders, and fire ants. These animals can sting you and cause pain or allergic reactions, such as redness, swelling, hives, flushing, and itching. Severe allergic reactions can cause chest tightness, throat and tongue swelling, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you are stung by an insect, you should seek medical intervention immediately before the condition worsens.

Fall-Related Injuries

If you are sitting on a branch and it snaps, you can fall and injure yourself. You may also try to trim peripheral branches, which is dangerous without proper safety gear. If you fall from a significant height, you risk head injury, joint dislocation, and even death. Why put your life in danger when you can hire tree trimming experts to handle the job? The professionals have the proper equipment and gear to trim your trees safely and effectively.

Corneal Injury

Sawdust and other debris from the trimmed branches can get into your eye, leading to a corneal injury. Such an injury is uncomfortable, and it might cause an eye infection. You may experience symptoms like blurred vision, eye pain, itchiness, light sensitivity, redness of the eye, swollen eyelids, and watery eyes. You will have to seek medical treatment, making you incur unnecessary costs. 

For more information on tree trimming accidents, contact a professional near you.