Working over water

[carlos]

For the love of god dont do what the limerick boys did, health and safety killed them. life jackets and harneses dont mix. worth a quick read for your own sake

 

Two men who died while repairing Limerick bridge named

 

rember that really sad although id say it was more down to the platform failing rather than their safety gear.

[stihlmadasever]

Rescue boat on standby incase someone takes a dip perhaps...

[workie]

Hey guys just looking for some guidance here really.

What are the legal requirements (if any)for working on trees over water?

The company I currently work for have begun quoting for lots of trees on riverbanks and tasked me with finding the ins and outs(well the ups and downs really).

Thanks in advance

 

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Apart from auto life jackets and safety throwing lines think about bio hazards like leptospirosis, very unlikely but possible when dragging wood out of the water or working on muddy canal/river banks. CRT/EA have quite thorough method statements and risk assessments. In some cases a safety boat has had to be on site as well.

 

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[peatff]

A couple of blokes I worked with got in with a local pub landlord whose pub backed onto the Derwent and they asked if they could clear some of the bank for fishing. He agreed and they set to and were doing alright till one of the trees fell in the river and they couldn't get it up onto the bank so they cut the rope and let it go. A bit later they got a visit from Severn Trent who told them to cease and desist as the tree had caused problems with the canoe club further downstream.

[IRE David H]

rember that really sad although id say it was more down to the platform failing rather than their safety gear.

 

well i believe along with inside info (H and S instructor), that if they didnt have the harness they would have floated to safety.

when they hit the water the life jacket went up and they could reach the harness to free themselves.

Edited December 30, 2016 by IRE David H

[waterbuoy]

As my username may suggest, we do a lot of work in and around riverbanks. The EA issue their own guidance but it is uaually only that (ie guidance) - if you have your own RA that you are happy to stand behind then they are usually happy to go with that.

 

Personally, we don't use autoinflate lifejackets (either on rivers or the sea) - if there is more than one of you they are a bloody menace. Gas inflation jackets can be OK (manually deployed) or buoyancy aids. Usually these have to be worn when within 1.5m of the water itself. Canoe helmets are also a sensible addition if you do not normally wear a lid.

 

A standby boat might be usefuld epending on the scale of what you are doing, failing which a line stretched across the river can be a useful catcher for medium-low flows. I wouldn't have the boat in the water and permanently manned, but instead would have it on the bank with a suitable person available on the ground to deploy if/when necessary.

 

As others have said, a safe means of getting out of the river is perhaps the most useful and practical thing to set up.

[carlos]

No if they didnt have the harness they would have floated to safety.

when they hit the water the lifejacket went up and they could reach the harness to free themselves.

 

i realize what happened i just think that the real problem was the cage attachment failing .

[felixthelogchopper]

As my username may suggest, we do a lot of work in and around riverbanks. The EA issue their own guidance but it is uaually only that (ie guidance) - if you have your own RA that you are happy to stand behind then they are usually happy to go with that.

 

Personally, we don't use autoinflate lifejackets (either on rivers or the sea) - if there is more than one of you they are a bloody menace. Gas inflation jackets can be OK (manually deployed) or buoyancy aids. Usually these have to be worn when within 1.5m of the water itself. Canoe helmets are also a sensible addition if you do not normally wear a lid.

 

A standby boat might be usefuld epending on the scale of what you are doing, failing which a line stretched across the river can be a useful catcher for medium-low flows. I wouldn't have the boat in the water and permanently manned, but instead would have it on the bank with a suitable person available on the ground to deploy if/when necessary.

 

As others have said, a safe means of getting out of the river is perhaps the most useful and practical thing to set up.

 

Genuine enquiry: What's the problem with them?

[Ruskins Trees]

perry ring

Edited December 30, 2016 by Ruskins Trees

[waterbuoy]

Genuine enquiry: What's the problem with them?

 

The main issue is that they can go off when they are not supposed to, which may cause more of a hazard than wearing no jacket at all.

 

Older/cheaper styles were/are activated by a dissolving tablet which, over time, would degrade due to getting damp and can then activate themselves at random. Whilst this can be no more than an embarrassment in some situations (and mildly entertaining in others!), it can be a real hazard in restricting movement or preventing access to other safety gear, release devices etc.

 

Newer/more expensive ones are activated by hydrostatic pressure (ie a head of water) which is an improvement. However, even this can still lead to problems when they activate due to the same issues of restricted movement etc.

 

Personally, I can think of nothing worse than being restrained by a climbing line, potentially to a point some distance above you, and restricted in my ability to move in potentially fast flowing water.

 

Despite having more than 90 auto-inflate lifejackets for our various boats (we charter out boats in the summer months and they are specified by the MCA) we still use fixed buoyancy jackets when working in or close to rivers (we maintain approx 140 sites for the EA each winter). Similarly, most of the diving/workboat contractors I work with also use fixed buoyancy jackets for their deck crew. Even the manual gas inflate jackets can be a hazard if the toggles get snagged and inflate the jacket (the last time it happened to me I was trying to get out of a locker - very amusing for those who were watching:sneaky2:)

 

IMHO, given that most arborists will not be working alone then if your RA advises that some kind of buoyancy aid is required then I would look at fixed rather than inflatable types. These have the further advantage that they can be worn under a chest harness etc if it so suits the individual. Playing devil's advocate, there could also be a case for NOT wearing a jacket if working in a tree but secured by suitable climbing lines etc.