Working at Height Webinar - Technical Guide 1: A Working Solution (RECORDING)

[JackArbAssociation]

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE!:
Working at Height Webinar - Technical Guide 1: A Working Solution

 

The past 12 months have seen some of the biggest changes to climbing safety requirements in recent memory. This recording from the Arboricultural Association, HSE and Lantra sets out what has happened, why it has happened, and how it impacts climbing operations for arborists.

 

Watch it here now: 

 

[Mr. Squirrel]

I flicked through sections of this, and it seems quite disconnected from the industry. 

A few things come to mind from the questions section at the end. Someone asked about the level of training in colleges and Chalky basically just defended Lantras quality of training and ignored the question entirely. I've seen a similar rhetoric from a few Lantra and NPTC assessors, this party line that their training IS up to scratch. So how are colleges getting away with training students to such a low standard (as was my experience, it was a joke), when they have to pass NPTC or Lantra assessments? Surely this brings us back to these assessing bodies not having thorough assessment criteria, thereby discouraging thorough training.

I think the biggest issue with accident statistics in UK arb is that the average technical ability of UK 'arborists' is really pretty piss poor. And yet most of them have tickets. Training standards and qualifications are, in my opinion, dated to the point of irrelevance now. This isn the major issue which needs addressed. 

 

Another part I liked was when the HSE representative saying that they have forms to enable us to report companies who they see climbing on a single climbing rope. I've see plenty of local companies doing far worse things than this, and yet to my knowledge none of them ever encounter any intervention from HSE. She was basically asking us to turn on ourselves and start grassing each other up. This in an industry with such poor training that in order to really LEARN we HAVE to connect with each other.

 

I was prepared to be engaged with the discussion, however it came across more as an academic and theoretical exercise rather than the Arb Association truly searching for solutions. Drawing on a wider pool of operators more closely involved with the industry would, I imagine, make for more interesting, relevant and ultimately beneficial discussion. 

[openspaceman]

15 hours ago, Mr. Squirrel said:

Another part I liked was when the HSE representative saying that they have forms to enable us to report companies who they see climbing on a single climbing rope. I've see plenty of local companies doing far worse things than this, and yet to my knowledge none of them ever encounter any intervention from HSE. She was basically asking us to turn on ourselves and start grassing each other up.

Yes I picked up on that but experience from prosecutions in the roofing trade suggests it will be the lace curtain twitchers that send in photos.

 

What comes across mostly is the sheer arrogance of these desk jockeys

[Khriss]

You try reporting.... Brick through yr window.  Honestly cannot believe thats even been written down. Breaches of safe practise are a Company matter initially, preferably before someone gets hurt 😳  K

[Stubby]

3 hours ago, openspaceman said:

Yes I picked up on that but experience from prosecutions in the roofing trade suggests it will be the lace curtain twitchers that send in photos.

 

What comes across mostly is the sheer arrogance of these desk jockeys

I think ( could be wrong ) that the average " curtain twitcher " would not have a clue as to how many ropes should be used or anything remotely connected .

[Alexthetreesurgeon]

   So the training videos show “a working solution?” Can’t wait til my boss asks me to go to the clients house and “just go up and down a metre or 2 on the nice Beech stem” 
  Im interested? What are you other arbs charging folks for that kind of technical work??

[Mr. Squirrel]

On 05/12/2020 at 16:46, Stubby said:

I think ( could be wrong ) that the average " curtain twitcher " would not have a clue as to how many ropes should be used or anything remotely connected .

Exactly. The only people who will have any clue someone is being non-compliant are the HSE or other tree care firms. I personally would never grass up another company, as it just doesn't seem conducive to positive, safe working environments.

 

I saw that the HSE discarded the case where a peaceful protestor on an HS2 site had her ropes severed by police/security resulting in a fall, as her injuries weren't serious enough. Is that a precedent, where if there's no serious injury there's no cause for fine/conviction? I doubt it... 

[Haironyourchest]

"Hi, I'm from the Government, I'm here to HELP YOU!"

 

🙂

[Khriss]

4 hours ago, Haironyourchest said:

"Hi, I'm from the Government, I'm here to HELP YOU!"

 

🙂

Didnt actually find it much help  😕 K

[averagearborist]

The main point that was clarified for me was both lines do not have to reach the ground.

As long as the second attachment point is weight bearing, it can be moved around like a lanyard or secondary rope.

Also - it is acceptable to be on only one attachment point as long as you are stationary.

To give the arb association some credit, I think these are the comprises they squeezed out of the HSE.