A tree crew job briefing, often called a tailgate or job briefing, is the few minutes at the truck where the crew leader walks everyone through the job before a saw is started. It is where the crew agrees which tree comes down first, where the wood lands, who climbs, who can get the climber down if something goes wrong, and what to say before a limb drops. This template records that conversation: the job, the hazards on this site today, the roles, the drop zone and the words the crew will use, the gear that was checked, the aerial rescue plan, the address to give 911, and a signature from everyone who heard it. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Why brief every job, even the routine ones
Most tree care injuries do not come from unusual jobs. They come from familiar ones where one thing was different: a service drop hidden in the canopy, a dead top nobody looked up at, a new ground worker who did not know the call before a limb was cut. A short briefing at every site is how a crew catches that one difference before it matters.
ANSI Z133, the safety standard for arboricultural operations in the US, expects a job briefing before work begins and again when the job changes. Many employers, insurers and utility contracts ask for a written record of it. This form is that record; it does not decide whether a job meets any standard.
Power lines come first
The first hazard question on the form is about electrical conductors, because contact with a line is the hazard that kills tree workers most often and gives the least warning. The crew records what lines are near the tree or the equipment, whether there is a plan for them, and the approach distance the crew will keep as their qualifications, state rules and the utility require.
If nobody can say what a line is, the form treats it as energized. If the plan for the lines is missing, that is recorded as a safety finding and the work near them should wait.
Roles and the rescue plan
Whenever someone works aloft, by climbing or from an aerial lift, someone on the ground should be trained and equipped to get them down. The form names the climber or lift operator, the ground workers, and the rescue-trained person, and asks how a rescue would actually happen at this tree: who goes up, on what line or by which controls, and where the rescue kit is.
It also records the job address and nearest emergency room, the phone signal on site, and who to call. When someone is hurt, nobody should be searching a phone for the street name.
The drop zone and the words the crew will use
Every job has a zone where wood lands. The form asks where it is, how it is marked, and how the crew will communicate: voice, hand signals or radios, and the exact call and answer used before anything is cut or dropped. A ground worker who walks into the drop zone because they misheard is one of the most common near misses in tree work.
Sign-on, and briefing again
Everyone on site signs, including subcontractors and visitors, so there is a record of who heard the plan. If the plan changes during the day, because the wind picked up, a crane arrived or a new crew member joined, brief again and note it.
Common questions
How long should a tree crew job briefing take?
Usually five to ten minutes at the truck for a routine job, longer for a removal near lines, a crane job or storm work. The aim is that everyone knows the plan, the hazards and their role, not that every box is ticked.
Who should lead the briefing?
The crew leader or the qualified arborist in charge of the job. Ask the crew to add hazards they have spotted; the newest person on site often sees something the regulars walk past.
Is a job briefing required?
ANSI Z133 calls for a job briefing before work begins, and many employers, insurers and utility contracts require a written one. OSHA rules for line-clearance tree trimming also expect crews to be briefed. Check what applies to your work; this form records the briefing but does not make a job compliant.
What if conditions change after the briefing?
Stop and brief again. Wind picking up, a storm moving in, new equipment arriving or a person joining the crew are all reasons to go over the plan once more. Note the change and the time in the last section.
Do we need a rescue-trained person on every job?
Whenever anyone works aloft, the crew should have someone on the ground trained and equipped to perform an aerial rescue. The form records who that is and flags it as a safety finding if nobody is.