Our own worst enemy?

[Marc Lewis]

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.

 

Mountain and mole hill spring to mind. Sorry but i was not there and maybe its far worse than it sounds. That would have been pretty good signage 20 yrs ago, i'm not saying thats a good thing.

[Gary Prentice]

It's not 1996 anymore and we're not climbing on three strand either:biggrin: There's more traffic on the roads and this was a busy road.

 

I may be hypercritical, being H&S minded and in the trade but this set up just wasn't on. Felling stems across the pavement and into the road was lazy and cutting corners. On a side road would have been different and I wouldn't have posted.

[JaySmith]

Is this because we lose jobs to the firms that cut corners, take chances and risks and so forth to be cheap? It starts to sound like a vicious circle.

 

 

Yes partly. In reality how many firms have the capacity and the resources to set up a site like Rhys has there? Yes on occasions we have when it was required by the client but 9 times out of 10 we set up correct tm with cones, signs and barrier tape etc and go with that. But if you've got a little crown lift to do on the side of the road would you go to the extent that Rhys has? Probably not. I'm not saying that it's right but that reality and the nature of the beast. Yes there are firms who cut corners but I think we personally do everything we can to make sure we are doing things as far as is practically right.

 

The reason I was asking if it was a council job is that the trees are so badly paid guys HAVE to cut corners to hit targets. We subbed some work off a well known contractor as they couldn't get it done by year end and ended up walking away as the pricing was an absolute joke, I think stevie wonder had priced it up on his way back from the pub! I don't envy the guys out there doing that work.

[Richard 1234]

A couple of weeks back I saw a lad sitting in the infeed of a chipper waiting for something to do presumably.

They had traffic lights etc and a 3 vehicle crew out as it was a big job on a fairly busy road.

Not saying the chipper was on but it looked wrong

[easy-lift guy]

The options should had was to cross a busy road, with no pedestrian refuge in the center or walk the way she dis. The correct traffic management would have included a barriered walkway post the works, as in the pics someone posted above.

 

The working crew had no consideration for anyone, pedestrians or drivers, with the tree stem well into the road forcing cars to drive around it and into the lane of oncoming traffic. We all want to get on with our work, but I personally wouldn't wish to explain to someones husband, parent or whatever why I was partly to blame for there death or injury - let alone a prosecuting barrister.

 

When I see an accident in the making and can go to a plan b and turn around or just change my route to go around the work area I do.

I do understand your point. I also know that by nature most people are selfish and inconsiderate. Generally I do what I can and let common sense do the rest.

easy-lift guy

[Johny Walker]

A couple of weeks back I saw a lad sitting in the infeed of a chipper waiting for something to do presumably.

They had traffic lights etc and a 3 vehicle crew out as it was a big job on a fairly busy road.

Not saying the chipper was on but it looked wrong

 

thats sarcasam off course isnt it

[Richard 1234]

thats sarcasam off course isnt it

 

 

Your post or mine😁😁😁

[bluebedouin]

.... Here's a few pics of our site this week it took 5 guys around 30/40 minutes to set up....

Nice to see the ramps in place.

[Johny Walker]

Your post or mine😁😁😁

 

yours

[Richard 1234]

yours

 

 

No it really is what I saw it was a tow one attached to a tipper of some kind and he was sat in it looking bored!