Bottled it!

[Hobbsurf]

I totally agree, when the instinct kicks in, then you know its not the job/time to do it. There is always tomorrow.

Was there any possibility of roping into a neighbouring tree and using that as your anchor point? I tend to use this method on nasty jobs. When you lanyard into the iffy tree, stick a caritool between the end of your lanyard and your harness so if the tree does fail the caritool snaps and you don't get pulled about/crushed. You might take a swing but this method does lessen the potential for harm...

Just my thoughts

Stay safe mate.

 

Like that. Got a partial leaner with compromised root plate that needs the top knocking off before felling. Currently held up by ratchet straps @ 45 degrees as it's going to tickle the neighbouring fence. No MEWP access.

 

Solid Silver Birch within 3 ft of leaner at the required height, your tip just made the job doable. Instincts prior to this were kicking in. :-)

 

Russ

[Maxnaggle]

sucks that your boss got like that with you - i guess he was stressed because the potential climb was causing him unease as well!

[Marc Lewis]

Just climb fast, think "light" and cut your body weight off as quick as you can!!!, its always worked for me

 

Same as

[gibbon]

I bottled one once and it felt like a big deal at the time.

 

Some of them ain't worth climbing

[CJM]

We don't get paid enough to take big risks if I was on 100k a year anything is game but we don't so I'd ask for a mewp you can always get mewp in

 

Just one more thing it's a job it's not life or death some people get to engrossed in tree work and mix the two up

[combined tree services]

It's all to easy to judge a subby/ member of staff because they are not prepared to climb a tree which by the sounds of it in this case was justifiable , but the facts are the facts - climbing partially wind blown trees is something that should be avoided at all costs . If your boss is so sure that it's fine then why not haul his sorry arse up there ?

[beechwood]

'Yeah a risk assessment was done but it was an overall assessment of the woodland in general, not individial trees. Last i saw the boss was gearing up to do it himself. Any other day im sure i would have done it , but something was telling me not to. Its hard to explain. Having been in mountain and river rescue im very safety orientated in general and have seen what can happen when people ignore their instincts.'

 

Sounds to me like the boss did 'haul his sorry ass up there' and fair play to him!

 

My advice give him call and have a chat, now a bit of time has passed I'm sure you both will have calmed down.

[Rushes]

It was definitely a job for another day when the wind was lower and the plate wasn't moving. It was a good call.

 

Hope the boss made it, but also hope he also got scared and realised that you were right.

 

To me this was a job for another day, and you got out live and unharmed.

[geoffers]

I wouldn't worry about it, if one of my lads or subbys weren't confident on a particular tree and raised their concerns I would listen to what they are saying and rather than remove them from the situation I would work with them and find the best and safest method of removing the tree. I would rather my lads have an opinion on jobs, be it good or bad because everyone has limitations and comfort zones. Some Bosses unfortunately can't see the bigger picture because they are wrapped up in trying to organise the rest of the weeks/months work and loosing a day on one job often has a big knock on affect to the other jobs. It's swings and roundabouts. Fair play for standing your ground, your boss will realise your not a push over and if he doesn't he has just lost a decent subby.

[ArborClimber]

You did the right thing (you getting the general opinion yet? )

 

We were working a big park for the council in jan this year with some monster trees in it. A workmate, who has only been climbing a year, showed me a 32metre beech tree that the council wanted cut as a "habitat tree", so leave an 8metre stem standing. It was a tall and straight, loads of space just to drop it. Workmate then showed me why he didnt do it. A hole at waist height, and on other side, a twisted rip 2metres long. It was 75% hollow, but the top was healthy.

I also said no. Not just because it looked nasty, but same as you, i just did not feel comfortable with it.

 

Boss said i was being silly and thought i could do it, i explained to him why i would not, and another workmate said i was being silly, and would show me how it will be done.

 

Long story short, he was on spikes 8 metres up, tree started to tip, and because the tree was hollow, a metre long piece of the FALLING stem broke off, and landed on his knee. I had to rescue him. He now has an artificial knee, had 6 months of therapy, and will never climb again.

 

Funnily enough, the same day after the accident the boss said "next time you have such an intuition about a tree, leave it, and we will sort it another way!". It cost a man his knee and career for him to realise that.

 

You made a good call, move on, buy your boss a tirfor, and if he still aint happy, shove the new winch somewhere where the sun dont shine.

 

Stay safe chaps and dont be stupid....