Widowmaker (forestry)

In forestry, a widowmaker or fool killer is a detached or broken limb or tree top.

The name indicates that such objects can kill forest workers by falling on them, thus "making widows" of their spouses.

[2][3][4] Other causes include damage from other falling trees or stress on a branch.

They can become dislodged by wind or during tree felling, and are responsible for 11% of all fatal chainsaw accidents.

[5] The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers ways to eliminate risks by avoiding working beneath widowmakers, knocking them down, or pulling them down with a machine.