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In forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
, a widowmaker or fool killer is a detached or broken limb or tree top. The name indicates that such objects can kill forest
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
workers by falling on them, thus "making widows" of their spouses. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA; ) is a regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. The United States Congress established ...
describes widowmakers as "broken off limbs that are hanging freely in the tree to be felled or in the trees close by."
Etymology
The phrase "widow maker" was first applied to eucalyptus trees by early European settlers logging in Australia. If a limb or tree top fell on a logger, their spouse a widowed. The logging industry was exclusively male at the time, hence why the phrase became "widow maker" instead of "widower maker".Causes
Widowmakers are often caused by fungal growth over a sustained period. They can also occur with age, as old trees will carry dead wood in their canopies. While this dead wood is usually sturdy enough to not fall on its own, a storm or heavy wind can cause it to fall. Other causes include damage from other falling trees or stress on a branch.Hazards
Widowmakers may pose a risk to equipment or personnel working under or around the tree. They can become dislodged by wind or during tree felling, and are responsible for 11% of all fatalchainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable handheld power saw, power saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar.
Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline or electric and are used in activities such as t ...
accidents. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers ways to eliminate risks by avoiding working beneath widowmakers, knocking them down, or pulling them down with a machine.
See also
* SnagReferences
{{forestry-stub Logging