hazards of working near a peat bog

[Bren.]

Know a guy who lost a chainsaw because he put it down on some float without switching it off. Took seconds.

[LGP Eddie]

Depending on the peat bog, I once did tree clearance on a 'floating' peat bog, 6 feet of peat on a 30m deep lake, my recommendation is find a way of spreading the weight as much as possible, ground mats, large, wide wheels with low pressure, and smaller loads!

 

This is taken on that actual site I bet, we cleared a fair chunk of it and it was as scary as it gets!

We used a combination of bog mats and brash mat, plus LGP kit to get everything off safely.

No joke if you were operating the kit hard, you could see the cutters and trees going up and down like they were in a wave machine!

 

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2QtWUyZCgw]MOORLANDS SPECIALIST EXCAVATIONS WOBBLY BOG!! - YouTube[/ame]

 

 

Eddie.

[Eddy_t]

This is taken on that actual site I bet, we cleared a fair chunk of it and it was as scary as it gets!

 

We used a combination of bog mats and brash mat, plus LGP kit to get everything off safely.

 

No joke if you were operating the kit hard, you could see the cutters and trees going up and down like they were in a wave machine!

 

 

 

 

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2QtWUyZCgw]MOORLANDS SPECIALIST EXCAVATIONS WOBBLY BOG!! - YouTube[/ame]

 

 

 

 

 

Eddie.

 

 

Depends, where was that? I was referring to a place called chartley moss in Staffordshire, bloody scary watching shockwaves as you walk across

[Stephen Blair]

That's nuts!

[MattyF]

For a derail .... That's a very tidy site mate, low stumps or have they sunk along with the brash?

[muldonach]

That's nuts!

 

Its absolutely standard on deep peat.

 

If you are going to work on or near peat first thing to do is to establish exactly what you are working with, we have areas where there is firm ground a foot down and others where there is no firm ground found with a 6 foot rod.

 

Walk your site thoroughly and mark off any obvious no go areas, leave a good safety margin around them.

 

There is no point in waiting for a dry summer - in a wet winter a peat bog can be 90% water, in a dry summer half of that water can evaporate - which leaves the bog at 82% water.

 

If you find soft spots when you walk the ground then there are two ways to work with a machine:-

 

• 
  Build a road
  Reduce the ground pressure
  

 

The most common way is to reduce the ground pressure with a brash mat - as already said in real soft ground that needs a harvester and may well require that small round wood goes into the brash mat. I have seen a 25t machine 5' above ground level on the mat he built - by the time the forwarder finished it was at ground level.

 

If you are working wiith a skidder as indicated by your avatar then keep the machine on the firmer ground and rely on the winch more than usual, don't try to skid on soft ground - open the brakes and move the machine then winch the load back in once you are out on the hard.

 

Get a recovery plan and kit in place before you need it, ideally you would have a second machine on site. Make sure you have good slings and a means of pulling from firm ground.

 

Heed the advice already give - try to prevent your machine sinking in the first instance - if you do start to go down then don't try to horse it out - get something under it. Once you break the skin then abandon that road.

 

Make sure the rate covers the risk!

 

Have fun

 

Mac

[Logrover]

we work on peat restoration, removal of trees etc. Key is travelling, machine doesn't matter as long as it doesn't sink. we have an old massey 1200 with 1.4m plastic tracks, forwarder on band tracks doesn't really travel well. Dual wheel valtra which is just about ok, Excavators are all on wide tracks and bog mats.

If you sink stop dead, get pulled out or you l just make a a bigger mess. Get used to recovery!

[difflock]

This is taken on that actual site I bet, we cleared a fair chunk of it and it was as scary as it gets!

We used a combination of bog mats and brash mat, plus LGP kit to get everything off safely.

No joke if you were operating the kit hard, you could see the cutters and trees going up and down like they were in a wave machine!

 

 

 

 

Eddie.

 

:thumbup:

 

Why is this regarded as remarkable:lol::lol:

 

To ussens fea the Garry boog tis normal

[Stubby]

:thumbup:

 

Why is this regarded as remarkable:lol::lol:

 

To ussens fea the Garry boog tis normal

 

 

I spotted a wave on the sea yesterday .....

[daltontrees]

guy I know who works cutting peat has trebles fitted to his tractor, id say if you are on peat finding ways to spread the weight are going to be the key issues

 

Tgat is the answer. Low pressure by spreading the load over a large surface area odf wheels or even better tracks. SNH may be able to advise informally of machinery used in contracts for them in sensitive boglands.

 

And perhaps an avalanche beacon