2 men in a mewp?

[DanClimbsTrees]

Sounds like the title to a very niche adult film...

[Tom D]

The real question is why are so many people using mewps these days, I have used a basket for mile long crown lifting jobs, and for taking ivy off a building. I have never used one to take down a tree. Ever......

[Nick Connell]

Maybe we value our lives more than the glory of tree climbing! Lol

[Spruce Pirate]

The real question is why are so many people using mewps these days, I have used a basket for mile long crown lifting jobs, and for taking ivy off a building. I have never used one to take down a tree. Ever......

 

We used one last week to tidy up two wind damaged trees. A poplar and a willow, first just over 15m tall, about 12" dbh, growing at the edge of a nature reserve over a road, a split from ground level to about 5' that you could put your arm through. Other trees behind it, so couldn't just winch it back in. No other trees about suitable to anchor into and then work it. The whole thing was very wobbly and had the boundary fence underneath it. The second tree was just along the road with a long limb with a split in it over a bus stop. It had dropped following the split and the end of the limb had been fowling the busses before the reserve staff cut it off with a pole saw, branch was probably 10m out over the road, same fence in the way again as well. The tree could easily have been climbed and the branch cut, but work position would have been awkward and it was much easier to work with the MEWP taking smaller pieces. There were several reasons for using the MEWP: 1) access was good, 2) it felt safer than climbing the first tree (and I hate MEWPs and normally feel much safer in a tree), 3) it was quicker and easier to work the second tree with the platform and 4) the client was willing to pay for it.

 

I think MEWPs are more common and more affordable these days, hence we'll see more of them. In general though I try and avoid them, I think it is normally far easier to work a tree if you're climbing it. Of course, there is a H&S element to their increased use as well which I'll not comment on as it's been discussed at length in many other threads.

[Mark Bolam]

That makes good sense to me mate.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Morning all,

I would like to hear your views on having 2 men in a mewp, and using a chain saw?

 

It's just to me this seems to be a grey area, I have been told we can't have 2 guys in a mewp using a saw, and then I have been told you can?

 

Personally I don't think you require 2 guys in a bucket but what do you guys think?

 

Thanks

 

One operator/cutter ONLY is better but thereafter tis down to a documented and detailed, I would recommend, risk assessment / method statement and an absolute if you are not going to deploy the protection method shown on the front of the industry published, and HSE endorsed, guidance of a physical divider / barrier.

 

REMEMBER 'PPE' is last line of defence so make sure there's other stuff included beforehand like, training, information, instruction, supervision, roles etc. so you develop an 'equally' safe system of work.

 

Cheers..

Paul