Using silky... Unskilled labour?

[David Goss]

Working in a young woodland with mixed hardwoods around 3 meters average height. We are taking out self seeded sycamore etc in between and pruning the coned trees (mainly oak) to produce a good future crop of timber i.e. crown lifting and taking out double heads. I was told this morning that if we continue to use silkys to prune the small branches that it is not a skilled job and therefor we will be paid less and will need a gangers licence. We were told we had to use the chainsaw even on the small branches which to me and my workmates seems completely stupid. Please give me your thoughts...

[WorcsWuss]

Ludicrous but unsurprising.... Who does the woodland belong to...?

[David Goss]

I would rather not say where or who as I think that goes against forum rules. Another thought we had is that most of the branches to be pruned are just above head height where it is nowhere in the rule book about using chainsaws above head height.... The plot thickens

[David Goss]

Also using chainsaws on small branches as we all know it is easier to damage the tree from the saw jumping around and just from bad aiming due to fatigue or just the nature of chainsaws being used quickly.

[likeitorlumpit]

Someone obviously being a dick!!- not you- I mean the guy making the rules. He hates you saving on fuel and wear and tear on your chainsaw.

Do you not do this work by the hectare priced. If not then maybe that would be the way forward.

[treequip]

Take the saw and the silky, use the saw where appropriate and where the risk assessment dictates use the hand saw, less HAVS , noise, risk etc

[WorcsWuss]

I would rather not say where or who as I think that goes against forum rules. Another thought we had is that most of the branches to be pruned are just above head height where it is nowhere in the rule book about using chainsaws above head height.... The plot thickens

 

Ah, my question was intended to be a bit more vague, as in private or public sector....

 

If public sector, you'd just need to threaten 'HSW' or 'ACOPs', and going over someone's head presumably....

 

If private then you're on a sticky wicket. Are you paid hourly or is it piece work? The simple retort is that it's not the tool which makes you skilled, it's the selection of the tool and how you use it which is the skilled bit, and if he wants little branches chewed off with a chainsaw then you're happy to do that but you'd advise against it..... Might also be worth pointing out that a Silky is just as quick and it's not costing him more money, which could be his primary concern....

[treequip]

Someone obviously being a dick!!- not you- I mean the guy making the rules. He hates you saving on fuel and wear and tear on your chainsaw.

Do you not do this work by the hectare priced. If not then maybe that would be the way forward.

 

Sounds more like someone in a big outfit enforcing policy and rules, chainsaw requires certification, which they are classing as skilled whereas a silky requires no tickets and any joey from the agency can do the work.

 

Best to tick the boxes by revving the saw now and again and do the remainder of the work in the safest manner.

[AlexB]

I did a similar job for the FC this summer. We used silkys and loppers. No need for GML.

[codlasher]

I regard early formative pruning as a very skilled pastime and in my opinion it should only ever be done with a hand-saw. Aren't we lucky now with the advent of such superb pruning saws, topped of course by Silky and their range.

The worst thing you can do to a young tree is to attempt to prune it with a chain-saw. In my opinion this is butchery! You have to carefully cut where the coronet finishes and this will allow for a clean heal in the future. By undercutting the branches in this way the scar is then minimal. Using a chain-saw certainly does not speed up the process and this method does not make for clean cutting either. There is an argument to have a chain-saw nearby and available for the bigger branches but not as the main tool. Hand pruning is also the most pleasurable past-time as there is no noise, no environmental damage and you are working much closer to the young trees so can be really accurate with your actions. If looked at in this way who is going to make the better of the work?

 

Whoever is advocating chain-saw use and the lack if skill needed in hand-pruning really should not be in charge of overseeing the attention of valuable young stock. My advice would be to go over this persons head to the woodland owner or agent, if there is such a person and strongly state your case.

Good luck.

codlasher

Edited November 29, 2012 by codlasher