Tim Walsh, CTSP, The Townsend Co
In the evolving world of residential tree care, safety practices are experiencing a significant transformation. The traditional approach, known as Safety I, has been pivotal in shaping our safety culture, focusing heavily on preventing incidents by addressing workers’ behaviors. While it has contributed to reducing recordable injuries, evidenced by the decreasing Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) or Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR), a persistent challenge remains: reducing Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs). Safety I, being reactive in nature, often sees workers as the issue when incidents occur, placing blame on individuals for mistakes or violations. This focus on failure overlooks the day-to-day realities that tree care professionals face in the field. Safety II, or Safety Differently, offers a fresh perspective. Instead of only preventing incidents, it seeks to understand how work truly gets done by utilizing the experiences and insights of workers. This approach fosters positive outcomes through resilience, adaptability, and the recognition that workers are central to maintaining safety in dynamic, complex environments. Safety II focuses on building capacity within teams, not just avoiding negative events. It shifts away from blaming individuals and instead examines the broader system in which work takes place. While personal accountability remains important, it is considered within the context of the organization’s structure and external factors influencing decision-making in the field.
When incidents occur, Safety II encourages the use of learning teams to dig deeper into what failed rather than who failed. This proactive approach strengthens safety culture, promotes continuous learning, and helps tree care operations evolve in a forward-thinking way. For residential tree care business owners and executives, adopting Safety Differently principles can drive a more resilient safety framework, ensuring the well-being of your crews and the long-term success of your operations.
In conclusion, the shift from Safety I to Safety II represents a transformative step forward in safety for residential tree care businesses. By focusing on building strength in systems, understanding the real nature of work, and emphasizing holistic learning from incidents, Safety Differently can enhance the overall resilience and adaptability of your company’s safety culture.
Biography
Walsh, Timothy, CTSP – The Townsend Company, LLC
Tim is the vice president of safety and training for The Townsend Company, LLC. He is pursuing a PhD in industrial engineering and safety from the University of Massachusetts. He holds a master’s in Ergonomics from UMass-Lowell and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Urban Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Tim’s credentials include Certified Utility Safety Professional, TCIA Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP), ISA Certified Arborist, and Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist. With over three and a half decades as a climbing arborist and ownership of a tree care business, Tim has global experience in the field.
He actively contributes to industry standards, serving as a voting member for ANSI 2133 revisions and as task chair for two groups for the 2024 revision. He is involved with the National Occupational Research Agenda Safety Workgroup, stimulating innovative research.
He is on the board of directors for the International Society of Arboriculture and is the past president of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA), Tim has chaired the Safety and Professional Development Committees. In 2022, he received the UAA Will Nutter Silver Shield Award. Additionally, he serves on the Tree Care Industry Magazine Editorial Advisory Committee.