1910.266(h)(1): Tree Felling General Requirements
Logging employers must not fell trees in a way that creates a hazard, such as striking a rope, cable, power line or machine, and must consult the supervisor for unfamiliar or unusually hazardous conditions. Workers and yarding machines must stay at least two tree lengths away from trees being felled, with listed exceptions. Danger trees must be felled, removed or avoided, and checked for loose bark and damage first.
Key takeaways
- 1910.266(h)(1) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart R).
- OSHA cited it 23 times in the last 3 years, in 20 inspections, with $172,167 in current penalties.
- 4 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: VA (4), PA (3), WV (3).
- Related part: 1910.266(h) Tree harvesting (63 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.266(h)(1) ("General requirements") is one requirement inside 1910.266 Logging operations, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart R). It includes 9 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(1) General requirements. 23 citations
(i) Trees shall not be felled in a manner that may create a hazard for an employee, such as but not limited to, striking a rope, cable, power line, or machine. Open (h)(1)(i) 4 citations
(ii) The immediate supervisor shall be consulted when unfamiliar or unusually hazardous conditions necessitate the supervisor's approval before cutting is commenced.
(iii) While manual felling is in progress, no yarding machine shall be operated within two tree lengths of trees being manually felled. Exception: This provision does not apply to yarding machines performing tree pulling operations. 1 citations
(iv) No employee shall approach a feller closer than two tree lengths of trees being felled until the feller has acknowledged that it is safe to do so, unless the employer demonstrates that a team of employees is necessary to manually fell a particular tree. Open (h)(1)(iv) 5 citations
(v) No employee shall approach a mechanical felling operation closer than two tree lengths of the trees being felled until the machine operator has acknowledged that it is safe to do so.
(vi) Each danger tree shall be felled, removed or avoided. Each danger tree, including lodged trees and snags, shall be felled or removed using mechanical or other techniques that minimize employee exposure before work is commenced in the area of the danger tree. If the danger tree is not felled or removed, it shall be marked and no work shall be conducted within two tree lengths of the danger tree unless the employer demonstrates that a shorter distance will not create a hazard for an employee. 9 citations
(vii) Each danger tree shall be carefully checked for signs of loose bark, broken branches and limbs or other damage before they are felled or removed. Accessible loose bark and other damage that may create a hazard for an employee shall be removed or held in place before felling or removing the tree. Open (h)(1)(vii) 1 citations
(viii) Felling on any slope where rolling or sliding of trees or logs is reasonably foreseeable shall be done uphill from, or on the same level as, previously felled trees. Open (h)(1)(viii) 2 citations
(ix) Domino felling of trees is prohibited.
The definition of domino felling does not include the felling of a single danger tree by felling another single tree into it.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.266.
Export the list: 20 inspections cited 1910.266(h)(1) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
4 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.266(h)(1).
At 1:30 p.m. on June 6, 2024, Employee #1 and Employee #2 were removing a tube from a fence when a palm tree, approximately 33 feet long and 4 feet wide, fell and struck them. Employee #1 was fatally injured, while Employee #2 sustained fractures…
Full case list with employer, penalty, filters and download is part of OSHA Data (Purple Belt).
Unlock with Purple BeltWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 | 10 |
Top states: VA (4), PA (3), WV (3), MN (2), CA (2)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| 110799 - SAVATREE LLC | WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN | $25,000 |
| KENNETH LUNSFORD | KLAMATH, CA | $22,355 |
| TNT LOGGING, L.L.C. | LEXINGTON, VA | $18,380 |
| S AND K ENT, LLC | HINTON, VA | $17,011 |
| BK LOGGING, LLC | WILLIAMSON, WV | $16,550 |
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.266(h)(1), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.266(h)(1).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.266(h) Tree harvesting 63 citations
- 1910.266(h)(2) Manual felling 33 citations
- 1910.266(h)(2)(ii) 12 citations
- 1910.266(h)(2)(i) 9 citations
- 1910.266(h)(1)(iv) 5 citations
- 1910.266(h)(2)(vi) 5 citations
- 1910.266(h)(1)(i) 4 citations
- 1910.266(h)(6) Loading and unloading 4 citations
- 1910.266(h)(1)(viii) 2 citations
- 1910.266(h)(2)(vii) 2 citations
- 1910.266(h)(6)(vii) 2 citations
- 1910.266(h)(1)(vii) 1 citations
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Frequently asked questions
How close can workers get to trees being felled?
No closer than two tree lengths until the feller or machine operator acknowledges it is safe, with a limited exception for team felling.
What must be done with a danger tree?
It must be felled, removed or avoided; if not removed, it is marked and no work is done within two tree lengths unless the employer shows a shorter distance is not hazardous.
When must the supervisor be consulted?
When unfamiliar or unusually hazardous conditions require the supervisor's approval before cutting begins.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.266 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.