Drought exacerbates dangers to tree care workers

The West Coast drought has caused mounting hazards to tree care workers, with a NIOSH-funded program raising concern about the issue after the recent suffocation death of a worker who was encased in palm fronds. Crushing hazards are on the rise as more trees become heavy with dead fronds due to lack of water, experts say. At least four similar fatalities including the Aug. 13 incident have occurred since the California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (CA/FACE) program issued a...