How would you tackle this job

[Tommygunn1992]

This week I was put on a large hedge reduction (pictures below) and I was wondering how you might have tackled this job. 

 

This was not my job, I was asked to top the hedge and at first I could get inside the hedge and stand on the previous cuts to take the height down while the lads on the ground reduced what they could reach with a short and long reach hedger.

 

Once we got to the next section there was nowhere to stand inside the hedge and we did not have a mewp to hand, I ended up having to climb a ladder leant into the hedge and top with a silky which was not particularly safe or productive, we then ended up siding the hedge from the ladder where it couldn't be reached from the ground. We were given three days to complete this job.

 

I saw many better options such as narrow access tracked mewp, take the fence down to access with mewp or worst case scenario work from a scaff tower with a polesaw and long reach. On the final day we were able to top from the field behind using a mewp, but side up our side from ladder.

 

So what would you do and how long would you quote for this job?

[swinny]

Some jobs are just what they are. WHy were you fannying around with a silky? Thats cut and chuck with a top handle saw work. 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by swinny

[Khriss]

I just wouldn't, nightmare of a job an best avoided, you did best you could. K

[Tommygunn1992]

3 minutes ago, swinny said:

Some jobs are just what they are. WHy were you fannying around with a silky? Thats cut and chuck with a top handle saw work. 

 

At the risk of sounding soft, it didn't feel safe.. the ladder was pushed leant into the hedge with a bloke stood on the bottom, I was stood on the top rung leaning in.

 

It was also a job for my employer so I was earning day rate and would have not been covered had anything gone tits up as you shouldn't be working like that off of a ladder under HSE.

[maybelateron]

7 minutes ago, swinny said:

Some jobs are just what they are. WHy were you fannying around with a silky? Thats cut and chuck with a top handle saw work. 

I saw your full entry before you edited it. It did seem a bit harsh on the OP, just my opinion. Like many of us on here, no doubt, I have done my fair share of horrible conifer hedge reductions, and we all know they can be the job from hell, especially when there is no skyhook, and nothing to stand on, in a hedge 14ft or more in width. 

[Tommygunn1992]

6 minutes ago, Khriss said:

I just wouldn't, nightmare of a job an best avoided, you did best you could. K

Yeah to be fair I think that is certainly one option, I would of taken on I think but quoted more than three days and put mon-fri on and charged aggro tax on it. One of those if I get it it ls for good money if I don't then good.

[maybelateron]

3 minutes ago, Tommygunn1992 said:

At the risk of sounding soft, it didn't feel safe.. the ladder was pushed leant into the hedge with a bloke stood on the bottom, I was stood on the top rung leaning in.

I don't think you sound soft at all. Our trade is full of dangers and there is no room for "macho man bravery". Nothing wrong in being sensible. Did you feel you could discuss the situation with your employer if you felt the methods available to you did not feel safe? 

[Mick Dempsey]

I wouldn’t take it on, removal or nothing.

As an employee, just get on with it, think of the money. 
 

Or as Mark Bolam put it, get so pissed off half way round, plunge a 200t at full chat into your sternum just to end the misery.

(I think of that a lot, too much in fact)

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Mick Dempsey

[woody paul]

Can you get between hedge and fence. 

[swinny]

12 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

I saw your full entry before you edited it. It did seem a bit harsh on the OP, just my opinion. Like many of us on here, no doubt, I have done my fair share of horrible conifer hedge reductions, and we all know they can be the job from hell, especially when there is no skyhook, and nothing to stand on, in a hedge 14ft or more in width. 

There is always folk that will not be happy with the task at hand and always think there are better ways. The owner of the company will most likely have a lot more experience than said staff and will have assessed the best way to do the job, access requirements and time to do the works. 

 

Sometimes a bollock can be dropped. You cannot inspect every inch of the hedge and take it as it is what it is....

 

If you have to bang a ladder in the side to get it done just do it..... a hedge like that will be quite wide so in places the ladder going into the hedge is gna help you reach the back.  One other thing is to put a plank accross top of ladder also to stop it sinking in. I've surfed many a wobbly fat wide beech hedge on top with 2 ladders lol cutting off one, going to another and so on. This was just for trimming purposes though. 

 

Mewps for this are a pita.... and costly. cutting with a gypsy stick then fishing the bits out is shit on the arms and ages to fish stuff out and generally leave crap in there. scaffold? no thanks. 

 

The lads did a good job by the looks of it but sour milk comes to mind with this post working ontop of a ladder against hse and I'm on a day rate for employer only.... Sorry just how i see it.

 

Lads did good in the time they were there! good finish and from pics 3 days looked good. Just unfortunate for them it was whispy in places

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by swinny