MEWP RA get out clause

[Khriss]

Heres one- Using a MEWP will scare the sh@@ out of me- I would be more comfortable using rope access.....( Iron nSteel -oooooh no!) better concentration, ect.

 

K

[Rupe]

If you read too far into it you could come to the conclusion that every tree company must have a MEWP qualified operator on the books in order to carry out any tree work climbing or otherwise!

 

If a MEWP must be considered, and not have the right tickets is not a justification to not use one, then that would follow that we must all have the tickets in order to make the decision not to use one based on other reasons!

 

I'm not suggesting this is good, just the extreme version which is open to interpretation!

[Mesterh]

If we are talking about extreme interpretation how about then that if working on one site that contained say 20 seperate trees we would have to do 20 RA's on whether we should use a MEWP or not. Half of them might have good access plenty of space to position a MEWP and no danger of it being hit by vehicles etc.

 

All good and valid points fellas

 

I imagine it is the case with many others but the more and more I look into what we should or should not be doing to comply with laws, good practice or guidlines the more and more and want to give the job up and move into something less stressful like flower arranging

 

If common sense prevailed in the courts then I wouldnt have a care in the world.

[Big 'Ammer]

move into something less stressful like flower arranging :blushing:QUOTE]

 

Then you could subscribe to Floristry and British Timber!

[Arbocop]

Dunno about you guys, but my working at height assesment starts with, "can suitable work postioning be acheived?". If the tree structure is deemed safe to climb, is safe work positioning is acheivable and the operative is suitability trained then (imo) no mewp is needed.

 

I would only consider using one if the answer to any of the above is no.

 

what o folks

 

well the work at height regs agree with the above but completly in reverse hehehehehehehhe....., in other words rope access is at the bottom ofthe pile of choises, and the get out clause is not what the regs require, what they require is that you justify everything from NOT WORKING AT HEIT working down the list to ROPE ACCESS.

 

so what possible justifications could there be not to eliminate work at height???? well my pole saw is not long enough... ever tryed thinning a tree with a pole saw, a little over kill to fell a tree just to get the dead wood out etc

 

so why not use permanant platforms and custome access roughts .... yeh right time to do the steel framing round all those street trees hehehe i think not.

 

so ok, access platforms, scaffhold, mewp, henchemns youngmans etc, items with integra safty features such as kick boards over load devives knee and hip rails etc..... well to be honest it is really quite hard to justfy clambering arround in a lot of hedges when you can get access to many wonderful scafolds etc to do that job, and the sam with mewps, but...

 

poor access, slping ground soft soft ground underground utilities, cellars, cavaties etc, traffic risk to legs, cost, unable to perform task, i really think compation on veterain trees is pushing it a bit and the risk of striking the platform would be largly negeated with the correct specing of the platform,

 

and then rope access, well ask your self is there a net gain in saftey when all else is stripped away would it have been safer to do it another way, the classic example being a live tree good climbing plenty of oppotunity to establish 2 anchors that wont be overly cumbersom, go back to the same tree 3 years later stone dead and rotten well first you may be able to justify, but what about the second for rope access

 

and dont forget obligations to limit affects and exposures

 

food for thought

 

kev

[treebloke]

Sometimes I wonder if the reams of paperwork I produce each day is there to help or simply trap me if things go wrong.

 

I guess at least it shows we have thought about the situation.

 

A gang of lads (nothing to do with me) working in the Black Country was felling some Lombardy Pops in a resricted area using a MEWP. The guy in the bucket trashed the MEWP. He took the top out but roped it at approx one third above ground level:scared1:.

 

So using the right tool but not the right technique.

[dodger]

we use a mewp on a regular basis can double my quoters than any other gang on the firm, plus do some great very light reduces, we have 5 mewps and finding more and more councils asking for them on jobs.