Lone working problems

[Quickthorn]

From what I've seen, what works best is one (or maybe two) experienced subbies you can trust helping with felling. I've seen a lot of problems with inexperienced helpers. They can absorb a lot of your time in supervision (plus I've seen a small minority seriously overestimate their worth once they think they know it all). General labourers (ie no saw) only seem to work out if you can find someone who will work hard for buttons, which normally means cash in hand.

 

Site managers seem a lot more relaxed about lone running machinery, but more concerned about machinery and hand cutters in the same area. People I've worked for have either forwarded for a few hours in the evenings, after I'd gone, or come in at the weekend, or left all the forwarding until the coupe was down, cross cut and stacked.

[oldwoodcutter]

Back in the 60s a pal of mine liked to take his sawbench into the woods to log up there,instead of bringing the cord home to log

He got a contract to thin larch on a big estate,and when he didnt come home as usual at teatime his wife biked to the phonebox to ring the farm foreman.He drove over to the wood to find the tractor and saw still running,with my mate on top of it,and going by the small number of logs on the ground he'd been like that all day.

It was what nowadays youd say was a wake up call for me and i never forgot it.Nor did the foreman who'd been to hell and back as a fepow,but later told me he'd suffered flashbacks of that bench for long enough.

[roseyweb]

Bit of a thread of horror now,

I've felled on my own, and even climbed on my own, and once had an accident when i was glad someone was there.

 

I belive Fc staff use a panic alarm thingy which works without phone signal and has a tracker on it

[Sam Thompson]

This might be of interest BushWear: SPOT Messenger 2 - NEW

 

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[Joy Yeomans]

following on from this thread , this may be the same thing thomson has posted, but i have been contacted by i would assume the co. that make these "remote alarms" if any body wants their contact details please pm or email me and i shall forward on - i wont post their details on here , but will post the email received , as i dont know anything about the company so please email me for his details;

received today

Hi Joy,

 

 

 

I was reading the “lone working” thread on Arbtalk and thought I would share this with you (as you have an email contact listed), and let you decide what to pass on to Arbtalk members.

 

 

 

A couple of the posts mentions devices – one a panic button and another the SPOT2 device. Also another post mentions “have a policy”.

 

 

 

These are all the right tracks that people should be considering for staff who work alone. This does not necessarily mean that they are a sole trader, but if they regularly spend time by themselves throughout the work day AND face a potential risk to their safety, then they need a lone worker strategy.

 

 

 

The first thing is to assess each the risks, and work out the best way to deal with them. The second thing is to document it in your “policy” and share it with the relevant people. This policy (and following it!!) is the main activity in complying with OHS legislation and workplace regulations.

 

 

 

Given the discussions in the thread, most likely lone worker safety will be achieved via a lone worker device. There are devices on the market that can support lone workers through Impact Detection, Lack of movement, Rip Cords, Panic Buttons with Inbuilt voice calls, tracking options, and 24/7/365 Remote Monitoring Centre support. The costs of these solutions are far less per month than a day’s wages paid to a general labourer.

 

 

 

Regards, Nick

[woodsmanBSc]

My lass works for a company that supplies lone work emergency systems. I think they call it code 5! It is on your phone or a stand alone pocket device.

 

I know lots of councils, utility and larger arb groups use them.

 

Lone Worker Protection – Lone Worker Safety Alarms & Security Systems

 

 

 

Good luck

 

James

[dylan quilter]

just so you know (you might know this already) phone 112 not 911!

112 will use whatever network there is availabe, wether it's yours or not. Dialing 112 also helps them to locate you if they have to (god alone knows how they do that trick). third benefit is that it's international (well all across europe anyway, does anyone live anywhere else?).

Ah the old location trick... from what i understand there is a triangle area between three masts. youll be in there somewhere

[scbk]

It makes no difference if you dial 999 or 112 though

 

 

112 No Signal Mobile Phone Call Diverts to Satellite Hoax

[David Goss]

This might be of interest BushWear: SPOT Messenger 2 - NEW

 

 

 

That spot thing looks great but what if you get knocked out? how do you press the button?

My advice on lone working in this game... just dont do it.

[Sam Thompson]

That spot thing looks great but what if you get knocked out? how do you press the button?

My advice on lone working in this game... just dont do it.

 

I suppose you have to cope. There will be a "What if" situation for every option. What if you and your pal both knock each other out? No experience of the Spot jobby, just know a few estates up north use them for their stalkers. Its better than nothing