CS38 39 course starting monday / whats the rules for climbing alone?

[turtle_boy]

I'm starting my CS38 and CS39 course on monday, I don't work for a proper tree surgeons more a landscaping company but i'm trying to get my boss to take on more tree work.

 

i was wondering if it is going to be harder for me as i have no previous experience or is the course ok for people completely new to climbing work?

 

I'm hoping i'll be fine because im really keen on it and thoroughly enjoyed my 30 & 31 and loved all tree work i've done since, hence booking myself up the course and buying the gear.

 

Also can someone fill me in on the laws on doing climbing work alone? is it allowed or do you need to have someone else who's qualified in aerial rescue??

(basically am i going to stay with my current company or try and find myself a job with a tree surgeon!!)

 

cheers in advance

[Tommy_B]

 

i was wondering if it is going to be harder for me as i have no previous experience or is the course ok for people completely new to climbing work?

 

 

Also can someone fill me in on the laws on doing climbing work alone? is it allowed or do you need to have someone else who's qualified in aerial rescue??

(basically am i going to stay with my current company or try and find myself a job with a tree surgeon!!)

 

cheers in advance

 

You should be fine doing the course with minimal experience. If you apply a bit of common sense you'll be fine.

 

As for the law on climbing alone. It's recommended that if you are climbing, you need another person there that is capable of getting you down, should something hit the fan. You should also have a rescue kit available when you climb should a rescue be needed.

 

That isn't to say that everyone sticks by that rule.

 

Hope that helps. Best of luck and welcome to the forum.

 

Tom

Edited October 12, 2010 by Tommy_B
Being polite...

[Rupe]

Its your employer who would be in the wrong if he gets you to climb alone not you. But ther eare very little laws, unless something goes wrong.

 

If you want to climb alone then do so, but if any tree companies find out (like the hundreds that read this forum) then your boss might get a visit from HSE at some point.

 

The laws may be vague, but tree surgeons opinions on landscaper companies getting employees to do climbing jobs are not so vague!!

[Ella]

I did my 38 with minimal experience and passed with very little difficulty.

The course is designed for complete novices, and will take you through every step.

In some respects I would say that a novice with a natural ability would do better than someone with a small amount of experience as they have not yet formed bad habits. This is not to say that someone with experience is not the better climber, but as far as the test goes you have to go by the book.

It seemed to me that the main criteria for the test was to prove that you have learned the techniques and can put them into practice, rather than prove that you are a good climber. Learn the answers to the questions and learn your knots well and you will probably be fine.

 

As far as climbing alone goes, I believe that you *should* have someone who has passed their CS38 present, wearing a harness with all their climbing kit at the ready at all times. To my knowledge, this is very rarely put into practice, and most people feel, as far as I am aware, that someone who can climb being present and their kit nearby is sufficient.

Ella

[lendahand]

 

 

 

Also can someone fill me in on the laws on doing climbing work alone? is it allowed or do you need to have someone else who's qualified in aerial rescue??

 

Try this linkhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/pdf/arbnews0107.pdf

 

This is what can happen. You might need to copy and paste it.

Edited October 12, 2010 by lendahand
a mistake.

[Littletree]

Hi there good luck with your courses you will enjoy them they are great fun .

 

Its great you want to get your company to take on tree work for you it will be really good . .

 

I think it would be really help you to do a bit of climbing with tree surgery company even just a little bit will really help you when you come to do the tree work for your company as from the sound of it you would be the main climber to carry out there work .

 

Working along side some other climbers will help you learn all sorts of things and different ways of dealing with situations you would have never thought of and help you to see the different things you can do up a tree to make it look really nice .

 

I did a a few months with a company in there busy time doing council work mainly ground work but a bit of climbing to . in the short time I did learn masses and it has helped me so much working along side the climbers it gave me insite and the basic foundations for the work i do now, without that time with them I would of struggled in a big way as the courses just teach you how to climb and how to make the cuts and a final pruning cut and rescue but not much else . all the other stuff about what goes on up in the tree and and making it look nice and how to do it and problems that can happen only comes from watching /climbing with other climbers .

 

With climbing there is no law to stop you climbing on your own but best practice advises two . but we all can make a choice and each to there own .

 

Good luck with your courses it will be the best thing

you ever do

All the best Littltree:thumbup:

[Arbocop]

I'm starting my CS38 and CS39 course on monday, I don't work for a proper tree surgeons more a landscaping company but i'm trying to get my boss to take on more tree work.

 

i was wondering if it is going to be harder for me as i have no previous experience or is the course ok for people completely new to climbing work?

 

I'm hoping i'll be fine because im really keen on it and thoroughly enjoyed my 30 & 31 and loved all tree work i've done since, hence booking myself up the course and buying the gear.

 

Also can someone fill me in on the laws on doing climbing work alone? is it allowed or do you need to have someone else who's qualified in aerial rescue??

(basically am i going to stay with my current company or try and find myself a job with a tree surgeon!!)

 

cheers in advance

 

Good luck I hope you enjoy.

 

I have one reservation however, the 38/39 if it is 5 days is aimed at experianced people and the recomendatioon for novices is 5 days min for climbing and 2 min for chainsaw rope and harness.

 

some people do very well on the combined 5 day cource but it gives you a lot less bredth of knowlege and experiance as a 7 day cource.

 

having said all that you should not be afraid to say if you feel it is going too quick, but if you keep up great.

 

so good luck and enjoy

 

arbocop

[VEG]

I did the CS38 climbing last week, no chainsaw. On my course there were others used to rock climbing. I did fine and didnt feel I was any less able than them. The thing you have to think about is if something did go wrong while you were climbing/cutting alone you would have to get yourself down. I would rather have someone capable of getting me down.

Edited October 12, 2010 by VEG

[turtle_boy]

Hi all,

 

thanks a lot for all your replies, its given me a nice little confidence boost!

 

It's also made me decide i'm going to look for a company thats tree work only, thats where my passion is and it's where i'm going to learn more so it's a no brainer really!

 

If the course goes to plan (fingers crossed) then I think it makes sense to get out and get stuck into trees, after all who would want to be weeding when they can be up a tree!?

 

once again thank you all for your opinions and advice

[APC]

I've recently booked onto the RFS course and part of that is to get a portfolio of NPTC's and similar. I've worked out that I need CS38 and tree planting, to get the full cert. Problem is, I'm quite scared of heights. Now I have a ticking clock counting down. If I don't beat the height thing then I can't get the full cert. About an hours climbing experience under my belt, quite worried that everyone else on CS38 will have no qualms about dangling from the top of a tree by their toes and I'll be rope-burned and shivering in cold sweat, 4 foot off the ground.