Tree work words in English and Spanish, as official publications write them

Every Spanish word in the table below is copied as the publication prints it. None is a translation made for this site. A word that no publication gives is not here. The Spanish editions were set beside their English editions, and a row appears only where the two texts are plainly talking about the same thing in the same place. Each publication's own wording is what counts, so a crew that works from a different Spanish text may find a different word for the same tool or job.

The 25 terms

Where the wording differs inside one publication

The Cal/OSHA fact sheet uses two Spanish words for the English word chipper. It writes astilladoras in its list of equipment and tools, and trituradoras in the bullet points on working with chippers. The same sheet uses trituradoras de tocones for stump cutters, so trituradoras on its own is not tied to one machine in that text. The table keeps both words for that reason.

The fact sheet's opening line lists the English words trimming, pruning, felling and removal and the Spanish words poda, recorte, derribo and remoción. Its later training bullet lists pruning, trimming and felling and the Spanish poda, recorte and tala in the same order, which is where the table takes its pairs from. The fact sheet therefore gives derribo in one place and tala in another for felling.

The OSHA hazard bulletin uses camión elevador where the English edition says bucket truck, and also where it says aerial lift. The table lists only the first pairing.

What these publications are

Cal/OSHA is the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Its two-page fact sheet on tree work safety is dated October 2024 in both languages. The California page that holds it also offers a longer Spanish guide to tree work safety and a Spanish brochure. OSHA is the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Its hazard bulletin on falls and falling object hazards in tree care carries the code HB-3731-2014 in English and HB-3740-2014 in Spanish. Its pamphlet on electricity and tree care work is number 3861, dated 2016 in both languages.

The wider list of Spanish-language material for tree work is on the page of Spanish-language resources for tree work. For exam languages, the answer on whether the ISA exam is offered in Spanish sets out what ISA lists.

Sources

• Cal/OSHA, Seguridad en el trabajo con árboles, Spanish fact sheet dated October 2024, read October 9, 2026
• Cal/OSHA, Tree Work Safety, English fact sheet dated October 2024, read October 9, 2026
• OSHA, hazard bulletin 3740 in Spanish on falls and falling objects in tree care, 2014, read October 9, 2026
• OSHA, hazard bulletin 3731 in English, Tree Care Work: Falls and Falling Object Hazards, 2014, read October 9, 2026
• OSHA, pamphlet 3861 in Spanish on electricity and tree care work, 2016, read October 9, 2026
• OSHA, pamphlet 3861 in English, Electricity and Tree Care Work, 2016, read October 9, 2026