Columbia tree trimming company under investigation after employee falls from tree

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into Nelson’s Tree Service LLC, after one of its employees fell from a tree and had to be hospitalized.

OSHA spokesperson Scott Allen said the incident happened Jan. 23 and was reported by the company the next day.

Allen said the incident happened in Columbia, but did not have a more specific location. The extent of the employee’s injuries are unknown at this time.

OSHA will now work to determine what caused the employee to fall out of the tree by interviewing potential witnesses and speaking with the company to see if there were any violations, Allen said.

In August 2016, a Nelson’s Tree Service employee was killed after he was hit by a tree limb and crushed by the falling tree, according to an OSHA inspection detail report. OSHA cited the company with two violations in October of the same year.

Allen said the company has set up a payment plan, but has not paid the $17,471 fine in full yet.

Allen said if a company receives the same type of violation in a five-year period, then the fines increase 10-fold.

ABC 17 News emailed the company for a comment Friday, but has not yet received a response.