Thank an Asplundh Worker

Asplundh’s bright orange trucks are the most recognizable of any tree company on the Main Line. While they are busy pruning trees and vegetation away from our power lines all year round, their presence on my own street last week reminded me of a recent conversation with retired Asplundh worker, Clark Williams.

Clark worked for Asplundh for 20 years in various roles from 1987 to 2006. Last month, I met him while taking a class to receive recertification credits toward my Commercial Pesticide Applicators license (a certain number of credits are required to keep the license active). Clark was the instructor of the class, drawing on 30+ years of experience in tree care to recommend the best products and application practices.

In his role as Compliance Coordinator at Asplundh, Clark said he started every conversation with line clearance men the same way - by telling them how dangerous their job is.

Clearing away trees and vegetation from power lines combines three of the most deadly jobs in the world: tree work, electrical line work and roadside work.

We’ve all done it at some point - we zoom past Asplundh workers in our cars, gripe to friends about how slow they are to come out and later, once they’ve completed the work, how we aren’t happy with the job they did on our trees. In doing so, we forget to appreciate the incredibly dangerous work that these men (and some women!) do day-in and day-out to keep our power running.

These men work high off the ground, surrounded by heavy machinery, running chainsaws, feeding chippers and working close to hot power lines that will kill a person upon contact. Often times they are on narrow, busy roads with heavy traffic. Distracted, impatient drivers add even more risk to their already dangerous jobs.

All of that being said, I encourage you to join me in thanking our Asplundh workers next time you see them, whether they are working on the trees on your own street or you are driving by their trucks somewhere else on the Main Line.

If at your house or on your street, go out and say thank you to the crew. (Offering water, coffee or your restroom is also really appreciated!) If you pass them on the side of the road, SLOW DOWN and ROLL DOWN your window and say thank you to the crew.

We owe a lot to these hard-working men and women that are risking their lives daily for us. For PECO Tree & Power Line resources, visit https://www.peco.com/SafetyCommunity/Safety/Pages/TreesandPowerlines.aspx

Thank you, Asplundh workers!