Our own worst enemy?

[Gary Prentice]

I regularly read comments on here with complaints about how restrictive and difficult red tape makes our lives but sometimes I think we can be our own worst enemy by not thinking what we are doing, the consequences of our actions and how the public view us.

 

I witnessed an incident one afternoon this week which has left me in a position where I don't know how to act.

 

A tree truck, tidy chip box and well signwritten, complete with chipper set up on the pavement -blocking it. Four cones a metre into the road. The tree being dismantled was the other side of a 2m mesh fence and as I passed one stem had been felled over the fence, across the pavement, between the cones and still a metre into the road. A mother with a pushchair attempting to pass was forced almost three metres into the road to do so.

 

Does the blame lie with the lads on site, carrying on without proper traffic management, are they expected to work like that anyway. From what I witnessed there was no concern about this pedestrian the groundsman was to busy chipping and I don't think he even noticed her.

 

I thought that I'd ring the company to make them aware of what was going on, but then thought the owner might actually be on site, in the tree and wouldn't take too kindly to the call. I'm probably going to end up doing nothing, but it's situations like this that encourage the powers-to-be to impose more training, restrictions and costs to all businesses - so is does affect us all.

 

We all, I suspect, cut an odd corner here and there, but this was pretty blatant - with total disregard for pedestrians by blocking the pavement and no restrictions on the public entering the working area. Your thoughts gentleman please.

[David Humphries]

Ring the company

 

They reflect on us all

 

 

 

 

.

[Gary Prentice]

Ring the company

 

They reflect on us all

 

 

 

 

.

 

Having just looked them up, and they are a big concern, you're right. I'm normally a live and let live kind of person, but I think what I saw was a bit too much to ignore.

[sean]

I agree with David

[JaySmith]

It's tricky to say without seeing the site or pictures but sounds like bad planning, whether that was the guys on site or the boss. When we get a job like that we normally swing by and take a look and work out a plan, such as footpath closed signs and an extra groundie to escort pedestrians through etc. Sounds worrying that the section of timber was in the road outside the cordon. If it was council work could it be the job was badly prices/rushed and the guys were trying to hit their target etc etc

[Gary Prentice]

It's tricky to say without seeing the site or pictures but sounds like bad planning, whether that was the guys on site or the boss. When we get a job like that we normally swing by and take a look and work out a plan, such as footpath closed signs and an extra groundie to escort pedestrians through etc. Sounds worrying that the section of timber was in the road outside the cordon. If it was council work could it be the job was badly prices/rushed and the guys were trying to hit their target etc etc

 

'Corden' might be a bit of an exaggeration, four cones along the kerb wasn't exactly what I'd call a corden:biggrin:

 

It looked to me that they'd decided the quickest way to get it down was to drop onto the pavement, but had insufficient signage or staff to do it correctly. I've worked in the industry long enough to appreciate the weather was cack, time was getting on etc but it was ill thought out and not something I'd want or expect our own staff to be doing. As David and Sean said, it reflects on all of us.

[bluebedouin]

...... Your thoughts gentleman please.

My wife uses a disability scooter while I cycle with her.We have encountered many a footpath blockage from contractors.

Although I've never experienced it with arborists,it is something that all companies should be aware of & take the relevant steps to enable safe access for everyone.Perhaps even employ a wheelchair user in an advisory capacity.

[Mick Dempsey]

So if this reflects on all of us, how will this manifest itself? This poor image of us as an industry.

Who are people going to call when they want their trees cut/trimmed?

[JaySmith]

Just sounds like bad planning or a Friday afternoon job. Yes the responsibility lies with the guys on site but also with the manager of the company who has the ultimate responsibility if he sent them out to do the job in that way.

 

Yes it does reflect badly upon us all. In an ideal world they would have a support truck with about 50 pedestrian barriers and signs to set up a safe passage around the work zone but in reality who does that? It was something we raised when we did our chapter 8 course as it is ok closing the path but you need to have a designated safe passage around the work zone but in reality we can't do that. However more cones, signs and barrier tape may have helped to make the work zone safer and more professional looking. Was it a council job?

[Stubby]

Joe public take no notice of signage anyway .....