tree surgery in the future

[Mark Bolam]

MEWPs defo have their place IMO (calm down Dave!) but they are no substitute for good cutting techniques / tree knowledge. In fact, they can sometimes bring additional hazards into certain jobs if used incorrectly.

 

My view is - learn to use saw. Learn to climb. Learn to put that together. Bring a MEWP in if it is not safe to climb AND/OR it will make you more money.

 

End of thread.

 

Is it?

[Stephen Blair]

end of thread mark, no chance. i just had an early night. depending on what jobs we get makes a world of difference to what we have to do or get a chance to have new experiences on. ground work can be so much more dangerous than climbing. i have been involved in horrible windblow, banking jobs, edge of cliff jobs as will most of you. at least when you are up a tree when you cut a bit off it goes down the way. climbing first, no chance. learn to use a saw then progress into climbing. worked for me, frustrating at the time when i wanted to get up the tree but no one would give me a job until i was competant on the ground.

[skyhuck]

just remember everytime there a serious accident or death theres another nail in the climbers coffin, regards hse serious accidents and deaths in tree surgery or forrestry is away in the top 5, why do you think all these large companys and buying mewps by the bucket load it is because they know that its the way forward for the future. couple of councils have insist in the new contracts that work on street trees has to be done by mewps

 

The increase in the use of MEWP's is not all HSE driven.

 

A lot of guys in our line of work are not "really" climbers, to them climbing is just part of the job, they love mewp's and ask for one at every opportunity.

 

One of the councils I do work for have given me a few jobs recently that their lads had asked for a MEWP to do, their manager (an ex climber) is sick of his climbers asking for a MEWP for even small simple jobs.

 

As far as accidents go, as Dean has already said as the MEWP accident numbers grow, the HSE will see they are not the answer stopping all accidents.

 

I think a good self employed climber, running their own Co or as a subie, will ALWAYS have work and will ALWAYS make good coin!!!

[tommer9]

But thats the thing, you were only a novice at the climbing bit, the cutting was second nature.

 

I think if you are new to cutting and new to climbing, there is much more chance of an error.

 

Now thats what i was trying to say in my rambling incoherence...:001_tongue:Thanks.

[Mick Stockbridge]

:I think a good self employed climber, running their own Co or as a subie, will ALWAYS have work and will ALWAYS make good coin!!!

 

. Good climbers will always be sought after and are invaluable IMO. Anyone can jump in a mewp.(Except me, they look too scarey for my liking).

[David Humphries]

To add a little balance, my team is LA, we have our own 28m MEWP, and it comes out approximately 6 times a year.

 

Each of the team are Tree climbers at heart (that includes this aging, spreading, cartilage challenged author) but having access to alternative access, be it Crane, MEWP, ladders and/or climbing etc, is Imho, prudential and demonstrable of Assessing & Managing Risk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Mesterh]

I think a good self employed climber, running their own Co or as a subie, will ALWAYS have work and will ALWAYS make good coin!!!

 

Yes nice statement obviously means that me and quite a few other lads around here are complete S****

[Andy Collins]

Surely its all about risk, and there are different sets of risks whether using a Mewp, climbing, or using saws on the ground. Each action is no more or less "dangerous" than the other. I've seen a competent climber perform work on 'dangerous' trees all day without incident, only to unclip at the end of the climb, step back and sprain his ankle on a high kerb, so which part of the job was most dangerous that day? A Mewp is just another tool, used in the right application its got its place, used wrongly its as dangerous as any other misused tool, chuck in a liberal dose of human error/stupidity and it becomes a lethal contraption.

[skyhuck]

Yes nice statement obviously means that me and quite a few other lads around here are complete S****

 

I really don't know how any of what I have said can be taken in that way?????????

 

I am only giving my own opinion.

 

I don't even know you

[Mesterh]

I really don't know how any of what I have said can be taken in that way?????????

 

I am only giving my own opinion.

 

I don't even know you

 

Well, your statement means that if you arent ALWAYS in work or arent ALWAYS making good money then you arent a good climber,subbie co owner.

 

Maybe I am understanding it wrongly