Nerves getting the better of me...

[JonnyRFT]

So today was my first day felling after a 7 month gap between jobs. The company I work for have just brought tree services in house (social housing). It was a big deal for them so they brought along H&S, Mid Management, my Manager, Marketing (for photos etc) and the yard manager. It’s safe to say I was pretty nervous. 

 

My first job was to remove a dead Whitebeam. It’s was pretty sizeable as far as Whitebeams go. Anyway, its a clear fell jobby with stacks of space around me. Happy days!!!

 

Before I started, I removed some bark from the base as it was flaking and a lot of insects were present. The base seemed pretty good albeit some rot had set in. 

 

After all the other checks I started my cut. I was shaking pretty bad and had to take a moment to calm down. I’ve been working with trees for 6 years and I know what I’m doing but today I felt immense pressure. I went in at 20% to try and keep a hinge on some sap wood. Looked great, straight and tidy.

 

When it came to the felling cut, I started to really become nervous. I ended up withdrawing the saw and I second guessed myself. I suddenly felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I ended up making a second felling cut at a 10% angle from left to right! The tree did fall where I wanted it to (thank god) but it did make me think. When the tree was on the ground I looked at the first cut I attempted, it would’ve been almost perfect. I have no idea why I ended up starting a new cut of which ended up being the mistake.

 

Once my corporate audience left I cleared up the tree and I was totally fine. The pressure lifted and it was like I’d never had a gap from tree work.

 

Today was a good lesson learnt. I obviously don’t cope as well as I thought when the pressure is on. I am far from being professional but I’m normally pretty cautious and sensible with good attention to detail.

 

I’m kicking myself for messing up because that was potentially a dangerous cut.

[stihlmadasever]

Tree came down safe,everyones happy,dont be to hard on yourself bud.

Next time dont second guess yourself.

Look at it this way,you could do everything bang on right and something could still go wrong.We dont have control in life,its a falicey!

Just control what you can,concentrate on your job and and let the office jockey paper pushers do theres.

Edited June 8, 2018 by stihlmadasever

[Treeation]

1 minute ago, stihlmadasever said:

Tree came down safe,everyones happy,dont be to hard on yourself bud.

Next time dont second guess yourself.

Look at it this way,you could do everything bang on right and something could still go wrong.We dont have control in life,its a falicey!

Just control what you can,concentrate on your job and and let the office jockey paper pushers do theres.

Wise words and agree with this

[Treeation]

As long as you learn from it then theres nothing to kick yourself about.......this is how we progress - looking at how we can do things better next time....keep your head up high and move forward!

[Khriss]

Thats pretty harsh , Johhny . I sometimes found myself second guessing a cut , worrying on a what-iff , then stopped and had a fag and started again . Hope yr feeling a bit better now and keep on at it - it will get better :) K

[JonnyRFT]

Cheers guys. Everybody was non the wiser. I was the only qualified operative there and the only one who knew that a mistake had been made. Its easy to move on and get back into the swing of things.

 

i guess it just felt like being back at college with the assessor squinting his eyes at me haha. 

 

Edited June 9, 2018 by JonnyRFT

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, JonnyRFT said:

Cheers guys. Everybody was non the wiser. I was the only qualified operative there and the only one who knew that a mistake had been made. Its easy to move on and get back into the swing of things.

 

i guess it just felt like being back at college with the assessor squinting his eyes at me haha. 

 

Just tell them you were putting in a soft Dutchman with a dog tooth hold and a tapered hinge

[stihlmadasever]

4 hours ago, Stubby said:

Just tell them you were putting in a soft Dutchman with a dog tooth hold and a tapered hinge

You lost me at soft...?

[Mick Dempsey]

7 hours ago, JonnyRFT said:

Cheers guys. Everybody was non the wiser. I was the only qualified operative there and the only one who knew that a mistake had been made. Its easy to move on and get back into the swing of things.

 

i guess it just felt like being back at college with the assessor squinting his eyes at me haha. 

 

“Mistake had been made”

 

As long as you’re  not....

 

1: Filling out insurance forms.

2: At the builders merchants discovering that the particular broken tile/fence panel/gutter etc. you’re holding hopefully is no longer made.

3: Waiting in casualty.

 

Then no mistake was made.

 

 

Edited June 9, 2018 by Mick Dempsey

[Gary Prentice]

1 hour ago, stihlmadasever said:

You lost me at soft...?

Me too. If you can't blind them with science, baffle with BS