MEWP or Climbing?

[Dean Lofthouse]

Utility work was all I did when I first started.

 

Wondered why you were so good on spikes

[skyhuck]

Wondered why you were so good on spikes

 

Indeed

[monkeybusiness]

Things were a bit different 20 years ago. Trees only got cut when they were a problem, and bringing conductors down was almost accepted as something that happened from time to time. Nowadays that is a huge no no - if you damage the network then you can say goodbye to your authorisation. The utility job is (quite rightly) far more regulated now than it ever used to be - safety is paramount. There are jobs where MEWPs are essential, and the job couldn't be done safely within the required timeframe without them. Arguably there are other tree jobs that are done from a MEWP that could be done more effectively from a rope and harness but legislation now dictates that if a MEWP can be used then it should be...

[skyhuck]

I never brought down a conductor or even came close to and I can assure you it was never "almost accepted" on any shut down or live line work I was involved in.

 

You could also argue that if work was only carried out when needed, instead of regular maintenance, that we were dealing with worse trees then than now.

[Stephen Blair]

I've used a mewp 3 times in 16 years of climbing,Did I really have too those 3 times? Not at all, it was an option that I tried. The last time I used 1 was because their was 1 on site and I thought, why not? After an hour of very awkward cut n chuck , because I was under everything I wanted to cut, I came down and climbed up and rattled the job out.

[monkeybusiness]

Not necessarily - often the easiest trees to sort are the ones that have caused a fault as the lines are often on the ground/poles snapped etc when you get there, removing significant constraints before you start. I'm not suggesting you ever brought down any conductors - I know plenty of very experienced and incredibly capable cutters that have though.

Network operators are now limited to the number and duration of shutdowns they are allowed per year (it is measured in customer minutes lost) - if they exceed these limits they face heavy financial penalties. One of the issues that arises from this is extremely tight timescales for any planned shutdowns. There is also a very detailed (and subsequently time consuming) procedure for switching out lines, earthing up and issuing permits to work. A shutdown may be booked for 20th December from 9.30 until 3.30 - it is likely that Mrs Miggins power will go off at 9.30am exactly but it can then take upto 3 hours before a permit to work is issued and any tree cutting is allowed to start. The power MUST be back on at 3.30 or fines are imposed, so the permit needs to be cancelled with enough time left to remove the earths and perform any necessary switching. A day's tree cutting on paper often ends up being done in 2 - 3 hours. Tricky trees need taking down with significant time constraints in place - in certain circumstances there is no substitute for a MEWP. Failure to complete a shutdown whereby another needs booking can lead to significant fines being passed on to the contractor, so the cost of a MEWP becomes irrelevant (not that cost should come in to safe systems of work!).

[monkeybusiness]

The more you use a MEWP the more you see their benefits. Also, an inadequate machine can be more of a danger than a help. Outreach is everything - height is often irrelevant. Furthermore, MEWPs present an additional target/constraint on the ground. I wholeheartedly agree that they are not the answer to every job. However, if you are used to using them/have the right machine for the task/know the machine and its strengths and limitations it is amazing how useful they can be. It is important to remember that a MEWP has limited reach and a climber doesn't. If you are going to use a MEWP for a job get one bigger than you think you need - it makes all the difference as you can set it up further away from the drop zone and have a much larger working envelope, so you can position yourself and the machine correctly for any cuts etc.

[AlvinD]

A shutdown may be booked for 20th December from 9.30 until 3.30 - it is likely that Mrs Miggins power will go off at 9.30am exactly but it can then take upto 3 hours before a permit to work is issued and any tree cutting is allowed to start. The power MUST be back on at 3.30 or fines are imposed, so the permit needs to be cancelled with enough time left to remove the earths and perform any necessary switching. A day's tree cutting on paper often ends up being done in 2 - 3 hours.

 

:thumbup:

The main reason I love shutdowns!

[skyhuck]

Not necessarily - often the easiest trees to sort are the ones that have caused a fault as the lines are often on the ground/poles snapped etc when you get there, removing significant constraints before you start. I'm not suggesting you ever brought down any conductors - I know plenty of very experienced and incredibly capable cutters that have though.

Network operators are now limited to the number and duration of shutdowns they are allowed per year (it is measured in customer minutes lost) - if they exceed these limits they face heavy financial penalties. One of the issues that arises from this is extremely tight timescales for any planned shutdowns. There is also a very detailed (and subsequently time consuming) procedure for switching out lines, earthing up and issuing permits to work. A shutdown may be booked for 20th December from 9.30 until 3.30 - it is likely that Mrs Miggins power will go off at 9.30am exactly but it can then take upto 3 hours before a permit to work is issued and any tree cutting is allowed to start. The power MUST be back on at 3.30 or fines are imposed, so the permit needs to be cancelled with enough time left to remove the earths and perform any necessary switching. A day's tree cutting on paper often ends up being done in 2 - 3 hours. Tricky trees need taking down with significant time constraints in place - in certain circumstances there is no substitute for a MEWP. Failure to complete a shutdown whereby another needs booking can lead to significant fines being passed on to the contractor, so the cost of a MEWP becomes irrelevant (not that cost should come in to safe systems of work!).

 

 

Sounds very much like the shut downs I was used to, we often had 20 climbers on site to ensure the tasks were completed within the very tight time constraints allowed.

 

I find it very amusing that the modern generation feel their lot is so much harder than the generation before maybe we just moaned less and just got on

[monkeybusiness]

Sounds very much like the shut downs I was used to, we often had 20 climbers on site to ensure the tasks were completed within the very tight time constraints allowed.

 

I find it very amusing that the modern generation feel their lot is so much harder than the generation before maybe we just moaned less and just got on

 

How old are you? You must be ancient if you consider me the modern generation. And you must have a bit of a chip on your shoulder if you think I'm implying my lot is harder than yours might have been. Times change old sport, working methods move on and health and safety is now (fortunately) more important than ever.

In the past you have suggested that there isn't a tree that you wouldn't climb and I'm not suggesting that you wouldn't have the spuds to see that promise through. I know plenty of lads with the same attitude (I used to be one of them, but I'm getting too fat now), and it is a great attitude to have 99% of the time. However, there are always going to be those jobs that are too risky - why stick your neck out when modern technology is there to lend a hand? There should be no need for unnecessary risks nowadays - safe systems of work should always be implemented before misplaced bravado kicks in.