Starting from the Groundie

[tockmal]

'Face the butt towards the drag path.'

 

WTF!!! Who you talking to? 6 years olds?

 

I've always thought that MBs list was way over the top, there is a lot of good stuff in there, but its like reading Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'!! you just can't wait for the feckin end.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So your suggestion is that it's too verbose?

 

Cool, I'll take that under consideration. Thanks for your imput!

[tockmal]

So your suggestion is that it's too verbose?

 

Cool, I'll take that under consideration. Thanks for your imput!

 

Bullet points Mb....bullet points..... preferably with little black dots before each bullet point.

 

Did you mention the groundsman has to be a qualified climber, able to climb the tree to rescue the climber if he got into difficulties? Because under UK law this is a must.

 

Infringement of this rule may lead to prosecution with a possible jail sentence if found negligent therefore guilty.

[MasterBlaster]

Yeah, I hear you. But a groundie ain't a climber.

 

Know what I mean?

 

You're talking apples while I'm talking oranges.

[Steve Bullman]

its all very well a groundy having an aeriel rescue ticket but we all know in reality unless the groundy is climbing day in day out its highly unlikley he/she is going to get up a tree anywhere near in time if it came to it

[High Scale]

 

Did you mention the groundsman has to be a qualified climber, able to climb the tree to rescue the climber if he got into difficulties? Because under UK law this is a must.

 

Infringement of this rule may lead to prosecution with a possible jail sentence if found negligent therefore guilty.

 

Oh dear, I work with non climbing groundsman sometimes, if anything serious happened to me in a tree I doubt whether even my fellow climbers could rescue me quickly enough.

[Steve Bullman]

Point 3 - So your groundies don't need a driver's license or reliable transportation to work?

 

Point 4 - I see nothing there that wouldn't be out of place. It's OK for a groundie to jump in a truck first thing in the morning and not check the oil? Or look to see he wasn't backing out over anything?

 

Point 7 - I see nothing there that wouldn't work in the UK.

 

Point 8 - Same as above

 

Point 23 - Same as above

 

That handbook would work from China to Peru.

 

point 3. if theres a 3 man crew, 1 of them needn't have a drivers license, so long as he can get to my yard somehow.

 

point 4. many of the points here such as ensuring first aid kits are in the trucks are down to the employer and/or foreman IMO

foreman could just as easily, and in my experience more likely be the climber

 

point 7. "Call the customers before the crew arrives so that they can move their vehicles."

"Determine if a traffic flagger is needed for busier roadways"

 

these again are points that should have been addressed by the person quoting the work in the first place, and its the boss's job to call ahead to customers and arrange the job...again, IMO

 

point 8. "Make sure spurs have gaff guards affixed, and that all saws have scabbards."

I personally sort these things out myself

 

point 23. "Learn how to drop cable and telephone lines"

this is actually illegal over here

[RC0]

:icon14:I think the article has some merit. It does go on a little but so what, the message is about being pro-active and responsible, like a mind-set. Climbers should take it on board also.

 

Think about it, most new empoyees need time to grow into their role while they gradually learn what is expected of them. Reading an article like this before they start the job gives them a huge head-start in settling in.

 

If they're still hanging around waiting to be told what needs doing, then you'll know at a very early stage that you're onto a loser.

[Steve Bullman]

agreed reg, i think it just needs slight revision here and there, maybe shortened slightly

[tockmal]

If they're still hanging around waiting to be told what needs doing, then you'll know at a very early stage that you're onto a loser.

 

That has a kind of fascist undertone to it. Bit like when Colin Bashford called some AA Approved Contractor's staff, 'crap'

I've worked with poor groundies, who eventually turned out to be good.

 

If you want a good groundsman look in the farming community, best groundsmen apart from excellent climbers I work with come from an argricultural background, hard work doesn't scare them and they have that natural empathy for practical hands on work.