Lightning

[Mark Bolam]

Subbing today repollarding a fairly big pop.

 

Ground was a bit full (nightmare drop zone and drag), so I came down at a suitable point for a brew and a tidy up.

 

About 5 mins later a real squall blew up. Within 10 minutes there was lightning flashing everywhere with thunder right on top of it. Started lashing down to cap it off.

 

Early finish - good. Leaving my climbing and lowering systems overnight - not so good. Back tomorrow.

 

How dangerous is it up a tree in these conditions with all the bling we carry, and has anyone got any good lightning tales?

 

I am fascinated by the stuff.

[old snake]

Was up a large lime tree today when the same thing happened and i started thinkin the same mate?

[Marc]

I was once told by an old school climber that if your rope is blowing past a 45 degree angle get down quick!

[John Hancock]

You should try being in a MEWP in a storm - No thank you!!

 

I've often wondered if its worth grounding it out with a steel spike knocked onto the ground - I wouldnt want to disappear in a puff of blue smoke in a MEWP:thumbdown:

[Stephen Blair]

if i hear a rumble i get down, usually because it means there is going to be some crazy hail or rain. i stayed up a big ash covered in ivy one day for about half an hour once in a hail storm type thing in a t shirt, never again!!

[Stephen Blair]

You should try being in a MEWP in a storm - No thank you!!

 

I've often wondered if its worth grounding it out with a steel spike knocked onto the ground - I wouldnt want to disappear in a puff of blue smoke in a MEWP:thumbdown:

 

i would of thought it would of had an earth anyway john:confused1:

[John Hancock]

i would of thought it would of had an earth anyway john:confused1:

 

I wouldn't want to stick around to find out to be honest!

[Johny Walker]

I wouldn't want to stick around to find out to be honest!

 

ask dean the mewpster he,s your man

[Mark Bolam]

Used to do a lot of telecomms work with MEWPs. One peal of thunder and the operators used to drop them smartish and wouldn't go back up for 2 hours after last rumble. Maybe because I wore a pointy copper hard hat.

[combined tree services]

i was working on a call out in january clearing a power line for western power , it was raining and blowing a gale , then along came the lightning ! never before have i wanted to get out of the mewp so quickly in my life but we stayed up and finnished the job . but never ever agian . the first rumple and im down on the ground now no matter what the client says