Solo Tree Work

[stihlmadasever]

Ok just got round to watching this and although i enjoyed watching reg- its not for me.

Maybe 50 foot up with a decent view of the deck with no targets under me fine,but 80 foot plus and your rope on your back,i wouldnt do it.

I wouldnt have a go at anyone who does this though,as experienced climbers we know the inheriant risks involved.

As for rescue climber,in the real world we know self rescue is best,regardless of what HSE say.

This is my opinion and reading the previoys replys others dont agree.

To each his own.

[RC0]

Agreed, there is a risk in everything we do, and all you can do is reduce those risks to an acceptable level. People will disagree about where to draw the line. Some folk will argue that PPE is not needed, in the 12 plus years I was climbing I always wore but never needed a helmet trousers or boots. In fact I have never experienced any PPE saving anyone... You argue that that is not required.

 

 

Unfortunately when you find you can't do the job it's a bit late... I have never had a serious incident climbing but in the last 3 years I have broken my collar bone 3 times falling off my bike, I always thought I was a pretty OK cyclist and doing stuff I had done before.

 

 

 

But compare residential tree work to plumbing or teaching..

 

 

Herein lies the rub, you are at the top of your game, there are however many more climbers out there who think they are, but are not.. Many respect and look up to you and as said before you have a status in the UK arb world and your views will influence others who may not be as able as you.

 

...

 

ben and others, thanks for airing your thoughts in a respectful manner. I made the vid because its honest, and I thought a relevant topic.

 

To touch on your last point Ben. Ive been posting videos and pics for probably 10 years now. Through that time Ive posted many potentially dangerous situations i.e. dead and dangerous trees, big rigging, cranework, high climbing, topping and falling. Through all that time theres no evidence to suggest I've ever influenced anyone to go out and jump into deep water. I don't see this as any different.

 

If I were to give some advice it would be to encourage aspiring tree workers to think for themselves, and take responsibility in that sense. Question the information they are being fed, and the credentials and motives of which ever expert or rule-maker is putting it out there.

 

A little while back there was a video on AT showing a world renowned Corporation/Franchise Tree Company, losing control of a poplar on a road side. Not just that the actually felling was bad, but the whole management of that situation and site was just about as bad as it gets....in regards to the conditions, traffic and pedestrian management. Now I have every sympathy with the lads on site, because it was clearly the last outcome they wanted. But, consider....with all history, prestige, equipment, training/certification, safety policy, code of practice, not to mention number certified bodies on that site....a fat lot of good it did them. It begs the question, what are the workers being taught and by whom ?

 

Incidentally, the thumbnail for the video is a pic of me knocking 40ft off a dead fir not long ago. Ill post it below. A 15 min task is all it was i.e. climb up, cut off some branches and then wedge the top over. But that's not quite the whole story. It took me 3 visits/attempts to make that cut, the first 2 times it was just too windy to take aim in the direction I needed it to go. It was somewhat annoying, but you cant fit a square peg into round hole. That's just common sense....not training, certification or having someone stood there with me on site.

 

If you scroll through the 50,60 comments that have appeared on youtube since the vid was posted, you'll notice dozens of which run a similar set up and seem quite content at that. Are they all wrong for having that preference ? You have to appreciate that not everyone wants to be an employer....but that surely shouldn't mean they have no right to work for themselves. If a person want to be an employer, great, good for you But for me personally, the lifestyle and workstyle that goes with it doesn't appeal. Doesn't make me any less safe or worse at my job.

 

To answer a couple other questions, sorry if Ive overlooked any. Re: the risk of third parties entering the jobsite. Well, firstly, without and invite they'd be trespassing. Second, I make it very clear and obvious that its a work site. Having said that, there are inevitably some locations where its just too risky to manage solo. One such job just came in tonight....really simple previously topped fir tree, about 40 ft, good money, probably 20 mins to flatten it. But, I just don't like the location, so, tempting as it is, Ill have to wait util I have help. Believe it or not, often the most risky and stressful situation I find myself in is backing the chipper across a busy road and in a driveway. With nobody to jump out and stop traffic, I have to plan and pick my moments with great care.

 

Mark, I don't like the way the HASS was and still is marketed and managed in certain aspects. I wont go into detail, but I wont buy one for that reason.

 

How did I get my rope down ? with my hands. cheers

[Mike Hill]

Saying that Reg endorising solo climbing will lead to new commers hurting themselves is akin to arguing that televisning motor racing leads to road deaths.

 

People should be allowed to make decisions themselves,trail and error.Unfortunatly many people are afraid to step outside the rule book.A book often written by people with little experiance in the game or financial interest.

 

Look at the AA allowing companies to bring in Subbie Climbers for the Climbing part of the AA assement.You may as well set up a yard that companies can hire for a day,a yard that exisits only to comply to the letter with the AA requirements.

[Mark Bolam]

ben and others, thanks for airing your thoughts in a respectful manner. I made the vid because its honest, and I thought a relevant topic.

 

 

 

To touch on your last point Ben. Ive been posting videos and pics for probably 10 years now. Through that time Ive posted many potentially dangerous situations i.e. dead and dangerous trees, big rigging, cranework, high climbing, topping and falling. Through all that time theres no evidence to suggest I've ever influenced anyone to go out and jump into deep water. I don't see this as any different.

 

 

 

If I were to give some advice it would be to encourage aspiring tree workers to think for themselves, and take responsibility in that sense. Question the information they are being fed, and the credentials and motives of which ever expert or rule-maker is putting it out there.

 

 

 

A little while back there was a video on AT showing a world renowned Corporation/Franchise Tree Company, losing control of a poplar on a road side. Not just that the actually felling was bad, but the whole management of that situation and site was just about as bad as it gets....in regards to the conditions, traffic and pedestrian management. Now I have every sympathy with the lads on site, because it was clearly the last outcome they wanted. But, consider....with all history, prestige, equipment, training/certification, safety policy, code of practice, not to mention number certified bodies on that site....a fat lot of good it did them. It begs the question, what are the workers being taught and by whom ?

 

 

 

Incidentally, the thumbnail for the video is a pic of me knocking 40ft off a dead fir not long ago. Ill post it below. A 15 min task is all it was i.e. climb up, cut off some branches and then wedge the top over. But that's not quite the whole story. It took me 3 visits/attempts to make that cut, the first 2 times it was just too windy to take aim in the direction I needed it to go. It was somewhat annoying, but you cant fit a square peg into round hole. That's just common sense....not training, certification or having someone stood there with me on site.

 

 

 

If you scroll through the 50,60 comments that have appeared on youtube since the vid was posted, you'll notice dozens of which run a similar set up and seem quite content at that. Are they all wrong for having that preference ? You have to appreciate that not everyone wants to be an employer....but that surely shouldn't mean they have no right to work for themselves. If a person want to be an employer, great, good for you But for me personally, the lifestyle and workstyle that goes with it doesn't appeal. Doesn't make me any less safe or worse at my job.

 

 

 

To answer a couple other questions, sorry if Ive overlooked any. Re: the risk of third parties entering the jobsite. Well, firstly, without and invite they'd be trespassing. Second, I make it very clear and obvious that its a work site. Having said that, there are inevitably some locations where its just too risky to manage solo. One such job just came in tonight....really simple previously topped fir tree, about 40 ft, good money, probably 20 mins to flatten it. But, I just don't like the location, so, tempting as it is, Ill have to wait util I have help. Believe it or not, often the most risky and stressful situation I find myself in is backing the chipper across a busy road and in a driveway. With nobody to jump out and stop traffic, I have to plan and pick my moments with great care.

 

 

 

Mark, I don't like the way the HASS was and still is marketed and managed in certain aspects. I wont go into detail, but I wont buy one for that reason.

 

 

 

How did I get my rope down ? with my hands. cheers

 

 

Hahaha! Just spotted the base tie, cheers.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[Marc Lewis]

Alot of people talk about how dangerous this job is, but is it really? I think not. Whilst of course there are dangerous aspects to the job, ie dead or damaged trees to name a couple, 90% of the work i undertake is not at all dangerous if you follow correct technique, procedures etc. It then only becomes dangerous when you cut corners or rush or poor work positioning etc. So no, i do not have a problem on lone working for the smaller more straight forward jobs and that is mostly because i hate to come down and then clear up a bitds nest of mess i have just made.

[treequip]

Solo climbing

Under the right circumstances

 

Solo clean up

[kcstevens]

Yeah worse thing about solo work is the clean up 😣 haha

 

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[Adam Bourne]

Some company's I worked for made you leave feeling like the 2/3 men teams were left in the yard, so when you say solo I can completely emphasise on your words Reg.

On a serious note, we do what we do what we have to do.

[Steve Bullman]

Some company's I worked for made you leave feeling like the 2/3 men teams were left in the yard, so when you say solo I can completely emphasise on your words Reg.

On a serious note, we do what we do what we have to do.

 

 

Ha, know the feeling sometimes

 

 

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[Adam Bourne]

Ha, know the feeling sometimes

 

 

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And then some...