Interesting reading...

[treequip]

There are plenty of people in our industry who don’t like the requirement for qualification. Some regard it as an insult to their abilities or intelligence. I certainly wasn’t that impressed when I returned to the UK after 6 years to find I needed a suite of competences to carry on doing what I had already been practicing for a decade.

 

Without passing comment on no win no fee lawyers, in a scenario like this the ability to demonstrate training and assessment would probably have made this case a non starter, or at least substantial reduced the culpability of the employer. From an employers point of view this is what qualifications are for. If they could demonstrate that claimant had been trained and assessed.

 

Your insurers don’t ask for proof of competence for no reason.

 

Andy

[skyhuck]

Ahhhhhh

 

Me too

 

Does this mean I am not a control freak after all?

 

No!! It just means your not the only one!!

[skyhuck]

When i did my college course, i was tought to keep my body and head to one side of the cut, for this very reason, if the saw did kick back, it would go over my shoulder. Surely if he was educated he would have been tought this, and be his fault?

 

IMHO, this is not good advice, I like to have my body behind the saw and contral any kick back with the mechanical advantage this affords.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Ive seen too many sprogs with big saws in their hands.All arbs earn enough to be able to stand over them for at least a couple of hours.Even if its just up the yard with the odd spare hour or so.Twenty minutes beggars belief.

 

I've done that, spent hours demonstrating and watching him, explaing tension, compression, kickback, chain tension etc etc etc.

 

But how would I prove that. I could have spent weeks standing over him but proving it is a different matter.

 

Without tickets we are all open to no win no fee'ers. So it's going to go down the route of sending people totally green into a chainsaw course, which is absolutely rediculous.

 

I want my groundy to be chainsaw and climbing competent before he does his courses.

[Mick Stockbridge]

I want my groundy to be chainsaw and climbing competent before he does his courses.

Exactly,watch and learn.For years if need be.

[raafbeard]

The legal descrip. seems a little bias on over playing the lack of responsibility for the operator. Making excuses ..."the second biggest saw" etc... what saw what power?

 

Think this says more about recording training given to employees for your protection...just write it down and get them to sign.

[tilly]

Just one more reason why I do all the cutting myself.

 

yep same here mate

[Nick Waring]

IMHO, this is not good advice, I like to have my body behind the saw and contral any kick back with the mechanical advantage this affords.

 

I should have written that differently, i apologize. We were taught to hold the saw in a certain position so you can keep control of it(its hard to explain the position) but if it did kickback down or upwards your leg and head would not be inline with the bar+chain. If that makes sense at all. hehe.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I was taught the same Nick.

 

If you are standing to the left or right side of the rear handle, you can't be in line of the "bar" and "chain"

[Mesterh]

Well I've got to say that it was completely his own fault IMHO.

 

I'm assuming here that the "boss" didnt pressurize him into using the saw.

 

Firstly your responsible for your own safety so he shouldn't have even picked up the saw if he knew he was competent in using it, don't forget he has had some training with chainsaws.

 

Secondly he must have been using the saw incorectly to get kick back, and where was his left hand? not in front of the chain brake I presume. You shouldnt stand directly over the saw anyway, that's why the throttle is only to be used with the right hand, so its kicks up and to the right away from your body. Thats how we were trained.

 

It's annoying when people can do idiotic things get injured then sue the pants of someone else by passing the blame.