Watch your head... Ouch!!

[jaime bray]

Several months ago the AWG; AA's, Arborists Working Group, thought that it would be a good idea to produce some generic form of site communication for arboriculture... The idea was further confirmed by a thread in Arbtalk Re. hand signals for arb, which seemed to suggest that it was a good idea in principle.

 

Since this date, volunteers of the AWG have been producing and carrying out some tests as to what we felt were appropriate hand signals.

 

There will of course be more experienced practitioners around that do not require nor need any form of additional communication other than the one they have developed within their company, and therefore use on a daily basis.

 

However, these hand signals have been developed with the cross referencing, where possible, with current HSE and crane operation guidelines for communication on sites where shouting is neither, effective or courteous.

 

Please find attached (I hope I have done it successfully) the guidance we have produced, the guidance is to be downloadable through the AA's 'help for arborists' links on the AA website, and it is intended for installation into your arboricultural truck; health and safety folder, or on notice boards in mesh rooms. Wherever you deem it would receive the desired recognition and awareness. New entrants, either into the industry, or your company, can therefore use this guidance to quickly come up to scratch with a recognised form of site communication.

 

We now feel that this guidance document is ready for testing in the wider industry, and would very much appreciate you trialling the hand signals document and reporting back to the AWG with your constructive comments.

 

We hope to amend the document, if required, and have it available for distribution at the arbshow and Arbfest so your feedback would be much appreciated.

 

Should you have any additional comments or wish to contact directly then please email me at, [email protected]

 

Thankyou for taking the time to read this thread and the AWG looks forward to your response.

AA_Hand_Signals Completed.pdf

[born2trot]

Remember the original post very well and must admit had forgot all about it. Very Very well done on producing this , first class Jamie..

[Rich2484]

They look good to me, should replace some other forms of hand signal I have seen!!!!!

 

I see where they fold into crane driver signals etc.

[jaime bray]

Remember the original post very well and must admit had forgot all about it. Very Very well done on producing this , first class Jamie..

 

Hats off to AWG volunteer and task team manager Tommy Plummer on this one, he took the bull by the horns and this is the result. The groups feedback as with most things was essential, but furthermore, your feedback is even more important.

 

Thanks for the positive comments lads,

[jaime bray]

They look good to me, should replace some other forms of hand signal I have seen!!!!!

 

I see where they fold into crane driver signals etc.

 

The crane work is always going to be hard to communicate in, sometimes the distance between climber and crane operator will be too far for the best hand signals, do you do much crane work? Its not something i personally have much experience of to be fair, but the group has a good variety of experiences, so alls good hopefully.

 

Thanks

[Mortimer Firewood]

The crane work is always going to be hard to communicate in, sometimes the distance between climber and crane operator will be too far for the best hand signals, do you do much crane work? Its not something i personally have much experience of to be fair, but the group has a good variety of experiences, so alls good hopefully.

 

Thanks

 

Fair play for putting this together i have all ways wondered why there is no hand signals used in arb as there is in other industry i have worked in.

A good crane driver will always see a clear hand signal ive worked with 100t cranes with huge jibs and always used hand signals its only really in the last few years two way radios were introduced by HSE.

[Rich2484]

I drive cranes, telehandlers on construction sites. But haven't done anything to do with crane and trees yet.

 

Generally a crane on construction will be by radio as you are never close enough to see what you are lifting, and it is always controlled by one handler telling you what to do and they are the only one you look to for direction.

 

On the telehandlers I can normally see what I'm doing but times are called for one handler again to tell me what to do when I'm blind in the cab. This is however by hand signals, the up down is the same, the stop or switch off same.

 

I think the signals are good as. They are simple, nothing complicated. Confusion can easily cost a life as I have seen before on diggers.

[jaime bray]

I drive cranes, telehandlers on construction sites. But haven't done anything to do with crane and trees yet.

 

Generally a crane on construction will be by radio as you are never close enough to see what you are lifting, and it is always controlled by one handler telling you what to do and they are the only one you look to for direction.

 

On the telehandlers I can normally see what I'm doing but times are called for one handler again to tell me what to do when I'm blind in the cab. This is however by hand signals, the up down is the same, the stop or switch off same.

 

I think the signals are good as. They are simple, nothing complicated. Confusion can easily cost a life as I have seen before on diggers.

 

Ah, I see, So cut your throat is a standard sign for kill it, whether that be at a man-u fan, or a machine.. I think simplicity has to be key for this to be adopted by all.

[jaime bray]

Fair play for putting this together i have all ways wondered why there is no hand signals used in arb as there is in other industry i have worked in.

A good crane driver will always see a clear hand signal ive worked with 100t cranes with huge jibs and always used hand signals its only really in the last few years two way radios were introduced by HSE.

 

This was one of the arguments from the group members, but when we priced it up, i wouldnt trust myself with a 200 quid radio up a tree, let alone any staff or subbies

[Rich2484]

Yeah although sometimes its hard to see the cut throat sign as the handler is running away because you have just dug a 1000lb bomb out the ground and your about to drop it on the pile!

 

Will get these printed and get the boss to check them out and get some up in the van.

 

Might spread some around a site next time im there to see what other machine drivers and the h and s guy thinks about them.

 

But from me it's a