ROANOKE, Va. (August 28, 2019) — September is Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month and is the month that most hunters head back to the woods to hang stands in preparation for the upcoming hunting season. Tree Stand Safety Awareness Foundation’s (TSSA) mission is to significantly reduce tree stand accidents through promotion, education and best practices and our goal is to reduce the estimated number of incidents 50% by 2023. TSSA strives to ensure that every hunter comes home safe to their family and friends.
TSSA has designed an educational campaign called the “ABC’s of Tree Stand Safety” to serve as the building blocks to the awareness campaign (attached infographic). Our goal this year is to distribute at least 500,000 (print & electronic) to promote the safe use of tree stands. Please let us know if you are able to assist in meeting this goal through electronic distribution.
? Always remove and inspect your equipment
? Buckle on your full-body harness
? Connect to the tree before your feet leave the ground
By performing these 3 simple steps, tree stand users can virtually eliminate their risk of falling to the ground as the majority of falls occur outside the stand. TSSA encourages all hunters to take tree stand safety seriously, every time you hunt from, hang, or remove a tree stand.
TSSA is also excited to share that we are continuing to see positive changes in the estimated numbers of falls that requiring emergency care on a national level. Based on the 2018 data, there were an estimated 3001 tree stand falls requiring an emergency department visit. This reflects adecrease of 46.5% (2010 – 2018) in the number of estimated falls requiring an emergency department treatment (source NEISS, 2018). This significant drop in the estimated number of falls reflects the industry wide efforts of TMA, NBEF, WTU, IHEA, NDA, state DNR’s, our supporting partners, TSSA and others focusing on tree stand safety.
While we are making great progress, it’s important that we continue the industry efforts to support this momentum and meet or exceed our goal of reducing the estimated number of incidents 50% by 2023. To accomplish this, let’s get the season started by putting safety first.
Hunters and members of the industry alike can help spread the message of TSSA Foundation. Visit the TSSA website at https://treestandsafetyawarenessfounda.godaddysites.com/ or on social media at www.facebook.com/TreeStandSafetyAwareness or www.twitter.com@TreeStandSafety .
