Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists

I climbed and took down a 25-30ft apple tree today with a Silky and no rope. I was safe as houses. Yesterday, at the composting yard, I kicked a banana skin out of the footwell of the truck, I then stepped out of the truck, stood on the banana skin, slipped and almost landed flat on my back. This was witness by one of the guys working there who laughed his butt off and proper took the mick. This was far more dangerous than today's job on the apple tree. I need to check H&S to see what is said about banana skins.

do you mean no rope and harness or a harness and a strop ???

I enter about 40 plant decks on shopping centres a year for the last 20 years without incident or accident. I have played email ping pong this week with reams of virtual paper and they still wont issue a permit. I am more likely to get brained with a blackbury dropped by a chav as I walk through the mall on the way to the managers office than I am on a plant deck with handrails and barriers.

Trying very hard to do the same thing over here with the present regime in power. I believe in the end it will fail, I hope. Otherwise the Republic I have known and loved for the last 52 years of my life will be finished. November will not come soon enough, God save the Republic.
easy-lift guy

Your the exact reason why we have all the hassel we get with hse, to advertise the fact that you can free climb 25/30ft and its ok is shameful, any new guys on here are going to look at that and think its ok, any one on a site who is new to the industry and easily led will think its ok, seen it go on and it boils me that people advertise such things as been ok.

I'm no saint and I've done some stupid stuff that makes me cringe now, but for me now its do it right or dont do it, seen to many people pick up some of my bad ways and when you mention it they come back with usual line "well you do it".

Go with the flow or get off the bus
H&S compliance gets you on tender lists
If you are working for joe public then odds are you don't need to bother except if you have an accident that gets reported or someone you work with gets all litigious.
Once you start working for the big boys it pays to get compliant
I know it's a pain and we are always saying you really just need a ticket for common sense
The problem is the government allowed the 'no win, no fee' boys to advertise about 20 years ago and we are now reaping that whirlwind.
How many times a week do you get texts asking if you have recently had an accident at work/ no fault. This is what drives all this crap.
We had a site where there were forklifts and big lorry movements- Our method statement said it would be best if we worked Saturday as no lorries on site. Company didn't like that because they were worried about security.
Just got to remember the customer is always right!!!
Sometimes I wish I lived in France

I will be getting off the bus very soon. Alot of the skilled engineers and electricians my age have paid off their mortgages and got low paid low hassle jobs. Soon there will be no time served workforce to look after vital kit.

True, maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Certainly wasn't intending to advertise the fact that it's ok, but it's something I did. I certainly wasn't at the top of a 25 to 30 ft tree - probably only 15ft up and wedged in a really tight connie. Just took the top out from there and dropped it. In my defence, trying to get into where I had to be using a rope could have resulted in strangulation, and without rope, in this particular case, I couldn't have fallen more than a couple of feet if I tried - that connie was so dense.

I'm jealous
In truth- they don't want time served - they want young keen compliant well trained workforce who accept this culture as normal
Oh yes I forgot - preferably cheaper

I dont do cheaper and I am definately not compliant. I think the powers that be like to charge £600 for a 2 day course and £840 for a licence. I gave 4 years of my life as an apprentice and then went to evening college for 3 years to gain electrical quals. I have studied for the last 20 years keeping on top of current legislation even the stupid bits. I should point out I am 44 this year and looking forward to semi retirement.