Working over public highway

[djbobbins]

I'm curious about something I saw today and wondered what anyone else might make of it.

 

Should have taken some pictures but I didn't have a camera phone with me.

 

To cut a long story short, there was a crew dismantling a tree est 60 foot tall, base adjacent to a busy B-road. They had the chipper, tranny and another couple of vehicles on the ground, so traffic was single file past the site. This was being done by hand, no stop / go signs and no traffic lights,

 

What I thought was a bit odd (I wouldn't have fancied doing it personally) was that there was a climber up in the tree, saw on a strap, on the one large bough which extended directly over where the traffic was driving underneath. At the time I passed, he wasn't sawing but I was surprised that he should be stood up there whilst public vehicle were driving underneath.

 

Just curious, that's all...

[Matthew Arnold]

Was it on a straight or bend? If it was on a bend then they should have had stop/go boards or traffic lights. If on a straight as long as there is plenty of clear signage then should be ok. And the groundy(s) could have acted as banksmen yelling up to the bloke with the saw and stopping traffic.

[janey]

The only legal way to stop traffic is with a stop / go board or traffic lights. Stopping traffic by hand is illegal, as covered by NRASW. Right, that's tonight's traffic management lesson over with

 

As to the loitering climber, he's not doing anything wrong by being over traffic. As long as it's covered in the RA. But it doesn't sound like he was doing anything, full stop It's ok to drop onto the carriageway as long as there is adequate traffic management and yes, you've guessed it, there's a RA to cover it.

Edited March 26, 2011 by janey

[skyhuck]

When doing road side trees I often find my self over the traffic, you need to watch your rope and dangling saw when wagons go by.

[Rupe]

On a speed restricted straight road its ok. You still need full chapter 8 signage in place. Did they have that?

 

Its called the give and take system, as long as the contractors vehicles dont take up a greater meterage of road the the chapter 8 book allows (I dont have it to hand) for the speed of road then its ok.

 

And as for the climber being above the traffic, thats ok too as long as hes not cutting! The he can cut during breaks in the traffic, and his groundcrew need to be able to stop the traffic in the event of him being half way through cutting, and they can only stop the traffic if they are wearign full sleeve Hi viz again this is only ok on speed restricted roads) Stop go boards would be better but if you are stopping traffic both ways and then allowing them to continue under the give and take system then stop/go isn't needed, more like stop/stop!

 

If the traffic is constant and you cant get any work done, or if the give and take method is simply not workign then traffic lights might be better.

 

 

Here in Cheltenham we have many trees that span both carriageways, and I have climbed many in this way. It can be stressful but good ground crews are vital. Even when rigging back into a secure work zone we still only do this in gaps in traffic or when the traffic is stopped. If a driver saw a swinging limb overhead and panicked and crashed then we might fail to get the job done, and thats never going to happen!

 

But i can sit over the traffic as long as my rope is not hanging straight down!

[Rupe]

The only legal way to stop traffic is with a stop / go board or traffic lights. Stopping traffic by hand is illegal, as covered by NRASW. Right, that's tonight's traffic management lesson over with

 

 

Even in 30mph zones?

[janey]

Even in 30mph zones?

 

'fraid so. Technically, if you try to stop traffic by hand then you are breaking the law and could get arrested.

[Rupe]

Cool. I'll look forward to that!

[rammer]

chapter 8 + good groundie=no problem:thumbup1:

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

The only legal way to stop traffic is with a stop / go board or traffic lights. Stopping traffic by hand is illegal, as covered by NRASW.

 

The Police/Ambulance/Fire Service can do with hands and no boards. NFU told us Agricultural/Forestry workers can also when allowing vehicles driving out of difficult work sites on rural roads.

 

The public can in a vehicle smash to avoid more problems.

 

Does someone have a copy of the latest regulations please. Thanks.