How would you tackle this job

[Tommygunn1992]

3 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

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? 

I agree, I'm not massively experienced in tree work. I got my tickets last year and had been working with ground tickets for a year before that, I've certainly taken on some tree jobs where I'm punching above my weight but enjoyed the challenge. This didn't seem like a challenge or a test of skill it just felt sketchy, we finished the job and it was done in 4 days with a little bit of tidy up left to do.

 

I did mention it and put forward the ideas such as scaff tower and taking fence down to get the mewp in but we didn't go for it.

[Mick Dempsey]

The biggest colds I ever caught were with conifer hedges. 

[swinny]

Conifer hedge reductions are a shitty job esp the big ones.... you get in the middle and go ffs why am i here.... you just have to crack on and get to the end of it. I learnt years ago the more you winge about a task the less gets done. Crack on and get it finished.

[woody paul]

Just now, Mick Dempsey said:

The biggest colds I ever caught were with conifer hedges. 

To right there twice as much brash as you thought and no were to stand. 

Have managed to use 2 short ladders and just move them along hedge from in the middle from standing on 1 and lifting other up and putting it down though hedge, bit of leap frog with ladders. 

[swinny]

3 minutes ago, woody paul said:

To right there twice as much brash as you thought and no were to stand. 

Have managed to use 2 short ladders and just move them along hedge from in the middle from standing on 1 and lifting other up and putting it down though hedge, bit of leap frog with ladders. 

Yup been there 😆 

[Tommygunn1992]

7 minutes ago, swinny said:

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

I'm not saying I know more, I am putting this post out there to get other people's thoughts on how we did it and how they might have tackled it for future reference so I can carry similar work out in future in a more safe and productive manner.

 

You're entitled to your opinion but the idea is not to come across as sour milk, HSE do have certain rules on ladder use and it didn't feel like the safest way to carry it out and if anything did go wrong would I be covered if reaching laterally off a ladder 20-25ft off of the ground with both hand on a chainsaw.

 

I appreciate the advice you shared and will look at the plank idea for future reference.

[Rich Rule]

10 minutes ago, swinny said:

Conifer hedge reductions are a shitty job esp the big ones.... you get in the middle and go ffs why am i here.... you just have to crack on and get to the end of it. I learnt years ago the more you winge about a task the less gets done. Crack on and get it finished.

Some are daunting.  The sooner you start cutting, the less there is left to cut.

[Tommygunn1992]

19 minutes ago, woody paul said:

Can you get between hedge and fence. 

About a 3 ft gap once sided up but couldn't really set the ladder up in that gap so had it in the courts.

[swinny]

2 minutes ago, Rich Rule said:

Some are daunting.  The sooner you start cutting, the less there is left to cut.

Yes and sooner you cut a space clear for your self more room to move.... also clear a good path to throw shit out as nowt more frustrating than things hanging up!

[Tommygunn1992]

28 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

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)

 

I got on with it but with 2 blokes on job we ended up a day over taking 4 days to top and side up.. Marks logic certainly crossed my mind too!