AA Teccie - 'silly season'

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

my misses said you looked fat too. till i told her you were infelatioing yourself and trousers

 

infelatioing:lol:

 

I think youve just created a new word! lol:lol:

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

I have often asked/requested the use of class a trousers in a tree but denied (company policy:thumbdown:?), would like to know how the risks differ from pruning to section felling or is it just your opinion paul?

 

ben

 

 

Hi Ben,

 

To be honest it was something of a 'passing comment' and acknowledged that during a section there is more intense chainsaw use, and hence greater exposure to risk. But to be honest it's down to you guys to determine on a job by job risk assessment and at least there is the mechanism there now to do so formally where as previously there wasn't (in terms of HSE speak.)

 

If company policy dictates Type C's then there's probably litlle you can do excpet take more frequent and longer breaks during hot periods (such as now) to recover and recuperate. Of course that equals reduced production time so that should make 'the bosses' review the policy.

 

Thanks for the post (and to all) and 'stay cool'!

 

Cheers..

Paul

[Paul Jenks]

Is that autofellatio for people with a bad back?

[High Scale]

I'm thinking that maybe, to save yourself any kind of potential future ugly consequences, that one should wear class C's at all times, proving your potential competence in a court as to regards to the H+S aspect of your decision, (As a layman) would be difficult or impossible.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

I'm thinking that maybe, to save yourself any kind of potential future ugly consequences, that one should wear class C's at all times, proving your potential competence in a court as to regards to the H+S aspect of your decision, (As a layman) would be difficult or impossible.

 

I can fully understand your stance here, and indeed some companies have adopted that stance as standrd practice, BUT would you be classed as a 'layman' in repsect of your decision otherwise?

 

As a curent trained, qualified and experienced arborist (AKA 'competent') I would suggest you are very well placed to determine the H&S aspects of your decision. The expectation would be that you would do this via a risk assessment route and, in general H&S terms, the longer you use a chainsaw in the tree the greater the exposure and the increased risk of cuts, hence my previous comments about sectioning as opposed to pruning.

 

Conversely, clearly many arborists use Type A's regularly and there is now the opprortunity to defend such, if challenged, using refrenec to the AFAGs.

 

Cheers..

Paul

[Andy Collins]

Common sense has to prevail re: the heat and chainsaw protection. Frequent breaks for fluids, choosing appropriate tasks for the weather conditions mist surely take priority over anything else. Where possible, start earlier in the day, before the heat rises and crack into the job to ensure an early finish. Myself today, I swapped a hard days hedge reduction around for nice little prunes along BT cables and household feed, chuck in a bit of maintenance and pricing, a long siesta, and a couple of dead elms to do this evening, all in all a pleasant day getting not too hot. Take along lightweight clothing to slip on when raking and clearing up, you dont have to do everything in chainsaw trousers, (although it does seem obligatory to wear them to the pub after:confused1:) I will not compromise on wearing PPE, but not 24/7!!

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Common sense has to prevail re: the heat and chainsaw protection. Frequent breaks for fluids, choosing appropriate tasks for the weather conditions mist surely take priority over anything else. Where possible, start earlier in the day, before the heat rises and crack into the job to ensure an early finish. Myself today, I swapped a hard days hedge reduction around for nice little prunes along BT cables and household feed, chuck in a bit of maintenance and pricing, a long siesta, and a couple of dead elms to do this evening, all in all a pleasant day getting not too hot. Take along lightweight clothing to slip on when raking and clearing up, you dont have to do everything in chainsaw trousers, (although it does seem obligatory to wear them to the pub after:confused1:) I will not compromise on wearing PPE, but not 24/7!!

 

Hi Andy, thanks for the post.

 

Absolutely, one should adopt the 'work programming' approach whereever possible, as you have outlined, thereby avoiding the potentail problem encountered by (arguably) lowering the level of control of one risk to improve the level of another, i.e. Type A's to improved heat stress.

 

I never wear my chainsaw trousers doen the pub...but then I'm not allowed down the pub these days (sounds like someone else might be wearing them....'the trousers'..shhh!)

 

Paul

[High Scale]

I can fully understand your stance here, and indeed some companies have adopted that stance as standrd practice, BUT would you be classed as a 'layman' in repsect of your decision otherwise?

 

As a curent trained, qualified and experienced arborist (AKA 'competent') I would suggest you are very well placed to determine the H&S aspects of your decision. The expectation would be that you would do this via a risk assessment route and, in general H&S terms, the longer you use a chainsaw in the tree the greater the exposure and the increased risk of cuts, hence my previous comments about sectioning as opposed to pruning.

 

Conversely, clearly many arborists use Type A's regularly and there is now the opprortunity to defend such, if challenged, using refrenec to the AFAGs.

 

Cheers..

Paul

 

Hmm, interesting, would *layman* be an appropriate title with which to defend yourself? Perhaps not, in future defendant 'A' will be known hence forth as Mr Professional.

Anyway, I have spent A fair few hours pruning in big trees, Type A's and C's but I get your point, the problem is I believe, is that it's cool for people such as myself, like Andy I can manage my work to suit climatic conditions, (Not always though) the young employed Mr Professional does not always have that luxury, as his Boss may just take the easy route, like you suggested and insist on Class C's always.

Edited June 28, 2010 by High Scale
, <-

[ben lightfoot]

Thanks for the reply paul, some of our work could and can be done with a silky but have heard of in the past another climber wanting to wear non chainsaw trousers was told by the manager that he still had to wear chainsaw trousers in case he had to use one. The manager said that if a chainsaw was needed you wouldn't come down and change into the chainsaw trousers (even though we would). So although choosing easier work is an option not always that easy.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Thanks for the reply paul, some of our work could and can be done with a silky but have heard of in the past another climber wanting to wear non chainsaw trousers was told by the manager that he still had to wear chainsaw trousers in case he had to use one. The manager said that if a chainsaw was needed you wouldn't come down and change into the chainsaw trousers (even though we would). So although choosing easier work is an option not always that easy.

 

Hi Ben, I know I live in a 'H&S ideal' world most of the time, which I acknowledge is not always treribly representatitive of the 'real' world but, in part, I feel that is my role on Arbtalk.

 

Hence, I would reply by saying that the PPE required by an operative is determined by the 'risk assessment' process and this would not determine chainsaw trousers to be required...obviously. That said if it is anticpated that you 'will' require to use the chainsaw on the job at some stage before you descend for a break then I can see some logic in saying start with them on.

 

However if chainsaw work is not anticpated then there should not be any insistence upon wearing them, and, more particularly, where they would increase the risk of heat stress and fatigue whilst working...it's madness!

 

Cheers...

Paul