Bucket Trucks / MEWPs etc - safer than climbing?

[MattyF]

Id have to disagree matty,ive done plenty of conifer hedging where ive had to take alot of the top and waist anchoring in with a lanyard while standing on branches stretching over with a saw or hedgecutter is not great for balance or ergonomic for those of us with a dodgy back and shit elbows.
Given an option id always prefer a overhead anchor point,just allows me to attain better work position.
I get others have and will see this differently but i really dont see a problem in the op's pictures.

Taking a lot off the top ....That’s completely different from trimming a hedge or reducing one by a few feet the customer wants lowering.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

5 minutes ago, stihlmadasever said:

How would you collect the cuttings?

What if the pole pruner got pinched in the cut?

Have you ever used a pole pruner at full extension horizontally?

If you had you wouldnt see it as an option.

Are you aware that pole pruners are very high in hand and arm vibrations

Totally wrong tool for the job!

Could this get any more parochial?

 

Try hedge reductions for dummies chapter 1!

 

Have I ever used a pole pruner?

 

Sounds more like you don’t have the upper body strength twinky ? and even if you did, you’d be spending all day freeing up a trapped bar ?????

[stihlmadasever]

3 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Could this get any more parochial?

 

Try hedge reductions for dummies chapter 1!

 

Have I ever used a pole pruner?

 

Sounds more like you don’t have the upper body strength twinky ? and even if you did, you’d be spending all day freeing up a trapped bar ?????

Dont see why you would say parochial...

Perhaps your meaning im narrow minded or inexperienced in using pole pruners where in fact i am very experienced.

These were just examples of what could happen when using a pole pruner in that situation.

It would seem you dont like being questioned hence you think its ok to poke fun at someone and revert to name calling,almost childlike,for daring to have a different opinion from yourself.

 I can pretty much guarentee im no twinky,climbing for years and weight training at the gym takes care of that.

Im bowing out of this discussion...

Its impossible to exchange opinions with self rightous twits with a stick up there ass....or is it a pole??

 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 minute ago, stihlmadasever said:

Dont see why you would say parochial...

Perhaps your meaning im narrow minded or inexperienced in using pole pruners where in fact i am very experienced.

These were just examples of what could happen when using a pole pruner in that situation.

It would seem you dont like being questioned hence you think its ok to poke fun at someone and revert to name calling,almost childlike,for daring to have a different opinion from yourself.

 I can pretty much guarentee im no twinky,climbing for years and weight training at the gym takes care of that.

Im bowing out of this discussion...

Its impossible to exchange opinions with self rightous twits with a stick up there ass....or is it a pole??

 

Parochial because the discussion has focussed on hedge cutting rather than MEWP V climbing which was the point of the thread. 

 

No need to get all sensitive, I was merely following your lead or did you forget that?

[stihlmadasever]

12 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Parochial because the discussion has focussed on hedge cutting rather than MEWP V climbing which was the point of the thread. 

 

No need to get all sensitive, I was merely following your lead or did you forget that?

Kevin you could call me alot of things but sensitive i aint...

You did offer up the pole pruner as an option to which i offered my opinion but lets get back to the original question.

Mewps are an option when climbing isnt,although mewps have there limitations aswell-rigging a tree with a mewp is very difficult and time consuming in my experience.

Given an option between the two id climb everytime,i just feel more comfortable in the tree than i do in a bucket...

Theres also the fact we call mewps poof wagons...so there is a stigma attatched to using em when you can climb.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

33 minutes ago, stihlmadasever said:

Kevin you could call me alot of things but sensitive i aint...

You did offer up the pole pruner as an option to which i offered my opinion but lets get back to the original question.

Mewps are an option when climbing isnt,although mewps have there limitations aswell-rigging a tree with a mewp is very difficult and time consuming in my experience.

Given an option between the two id climb everytime,i just feel more comfortable in the tree than i do in a bucket...

Theres also the fact we call mewps poof wagons...so there is a stigma attatched to using em when you can climb.

Apologies for being a bit snappy, it’s Boxing Day, it’s been persisting down all day and I’ve got cabin fever! 

Edited December 26, 2017 by kevinjohnsonmbe

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

15 minutes ago, Bolt said:

 

What do you mean by "poorly interpreted HSE requirements"?

 

I never know if people are talking about the governmental department called the health and safety executive, or a bunch of health, safety and environmental petty bureaucrats when they use the abbreviation "hse".

 

 

I have some degree of respect for the government department that is the H&S executive. Not so much for those that seek to misrepresent the Act. 

 

The derail thing, perhaps I should have been clearer. The Dripline link showed a pic of a fairly tired looking bucket truck and the pics I used (it’s not like there are lots of photos of misuse of MEWPs posted online) were another example of how things can be misused / abused once they become established in common use. 

 

We we seem to have focussed more attention on hedge cutting than MEWPs. 

 

Im not sure it’s got much traction as a discussion in hindsight. Maybe worth a re-visit when MEWPs are written into the AFAG (or whatever they are called now)

[Bolt]

3 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

I have some degree of respect for the government department that is the H&S executive. Not so much for those that seek to misrepresent the Act. 

 

The derail thing, perhaps I should have been clearer. The Dripline link showed a pic of a fairly tired looking bucket truck and the pics I used (it’s not like there are lots of photos of misuse of MEWPs posted online) were another example of how things can be misused / abused once they become established in common use. 

 

We we seem to have focussed more attention on hedge cutting than MEWPs. 

 

Im not sure it’s got much traction as a discussion in hindsight. Maybe worth a re-visit when MEWPs are written into the AFAG (or whatever they are called now)

Clearly "The HSE's" viewpoint would be that a risk assessment should be made of both techniques,  and the most appropriate one chosen.  I don't think they are stupid enough to state the one or the other is safer, as it depends on so many variables, not least the specification of the MEWP and the capability of the climber.

 

Anyone who feels that "climbing is safer, period." is as embarrassing as all the jumped up petty bureaucrats who foolishly claim that "mewps are safer".

 

There is no legislation currently in force in the UK that favours MEWPS over climbing, so that is OK.  As long as you can justify climbing, climb.

 

 

 

[Mark Bolam]

That bloke in the pic has got it all wrong Kevin, I agree.

Sitting down is a far more ergonomic work position.

This fella knows the score.

 

 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

http://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Asplundh-truck-overturns-off-Apalachee-Parkway-466828023.html