Andy Collins

Dan, if you wish to sell these on the forum, can you place an ad in the Arbtrader section please? Ill leave this thread up for feedback until this evening. Cool design btw

My refresher at the end of last year taught no breaths, just compressions. Seems to depend on who takes the course as to their way of thinking. Either way, the aim is to keep the patient alive until the ambulance arrives. Whatever works is good enough.

Thinking along the training lines, without wishing to derail this thread too much, how many more trainers are needed? My local college has several, they have been there around five years a piece, they are relatively young so will not be retiring any time soon. So these vacancies will simply not arise, for the foreseeable future. The industry in inundated, or flooded, with new fresh faced college leavers, every term, how many more trainers are needed anyway, if there are so few jobs for the trainees to go onto? I'm deliberately thinking up obstacles here. I am not cutout to be a trainer, I don't the patience and tolerance. I don't want to stand around "supervising" or pushing paper around a desk to meet that latest criteria for this and that membership. One thing I do think this trade does need is Mentors, on the job common sense instruction in real world environments, people who think around the problems that can be thrown in the face of the oherwise inexperienced. Do most businesses have the space for this? I think they already do have this person, generally. So do we need to "badge" him/her? Is a new qualification needed to say that this person meets this kind of criteria? If you run a small business, you already have your trusted side kick/ foreman, you don't need him to be certificated as such. He may need the piece of paper more than you need him to have it, for his future. So IMO it needs to be readily affordable for an employer to pay for it, not another one of these tickets that take 5 days of sitting through monotonous repetition, but maybe a presentation of NPTC units, other CPD that may have been acquired, and references of his abilities in a Senior Arb Techie role out on site. Sorry for the ramble.

IME there are very very few supervisory roles available throughout the nation, this is and always has been a very hands on job, and hereby lies a reason why the worn out, industry served senior has to leave. Those who are fortunate will have set up their own business, and employ the younger more physically able to continue their business, I suspect the majority will leave and become jobbing gardeners etc, or join their local college on the training teams. Having said all this, it's good IMO to see a focus group heading in this direction.

I like this way of thinking, I think it's something we've chatted about several times in the past. I am one of the "senior" people in this job, with basically just NPTCs to show my "experience" in this job. How can this be quantified under the current system we have? What take into consideration the considerable years on the tools I have, if I wished to sell myself to a company? I think done properly, this is a good thing for the trade. A concern for me is that this job is one that is based on the survival of the fittest, nothing more nothing less. Very few companies have the room or the structure to keep on those who are not at the peak of physical fitness, regardless of knowledge and skills. I look at myself as an example here. The spirit is willing, the knowledge of years and years of accumulated experience is there, but physically I am not up to par, and I doubt I shall return to my former self (i wouldnt employ me!!) I'm ok for now, I can find enough to keep ticking over, but many are not as fortunate. They will leave the industry, go and finish their years elsewhere.

All the best Jonny, tough times indeed, I don't envy anyone in your position. But it will improve, maybe not instantly but gradually, baby steps, don't look for a miracle. Good luck.

Got around 5 inches at the moment, still falling, road in discernible now!

Each track is no more than about 15kg complete, so about 60kg all in. Less the original wheels and tires. Still weighty enough though. Cost wise I'd have to be pretty much stuck for any other idea before fitting them!! Dual wheels are ok, would give a much wider footprint, and I suppose you could maybe just fit rear duals. Tbh I've never found any conditions personally that standard wheels and tire can't handle.

Someone mentioned making up the short hours at a later point. IME this will never happen, there is always an excuse, or a reason why this doesn't happen. I must have heard every excuse under the sun, dentists, gotta get to the bank, need chld care what ever. So that idea may as well be forgotten. Pay them for the hours worked, pro rata. If a job gets finished in less than expected time, and e lads have made good time, gone without a break or whatever, let them go early on full pay, if they took an hour for lunch, they work the full day. This isn't about bad bosses, or bad staff, it's bad weather, everyone's interpretation is different. Everyone's journey is different, and their driving skills, some may be less confident in driving on snow. How much will it cost your company if one of your vehicles and chippers is totalled on the icy roads? Risk assessments for doing Treework in this weather? If there is an accident on site, how are you going to get around that? There is a lot to consider in making the decision to work.

Sorry TB, the one local to me was sold pdq as soon as the tractor had come in, it was just sat a while awaiting collection which was how I came to see it. At least the workshop guy called me back tonight anyway sorry I can't be of more help.

Unfortunately, I know a chap who is currently in a lot of bother healthwise. Almost word for word what I described happened to him. His thoughtful boss paid him off to the sum of £100 ten years ago, rather than let him claim on his insurance. He is a wealthy landowner and a JP. I can think of another case, a farmhand fell through the asbestos roof he was working on, breaking both ankles badly. He was even more fortunate, his boss was good enough to keep his job open for him when he recovered, so long as he didn't report it!!! This is the kind of misguided "loyalty" that employers can rely upon. One person I have worked for, when a climber slashed his hand on a saw badly, would not allow the accident to be written up in the accident book, in case it made the company "look bad". Oh yes, it happens, and all these employers are respected pillars of their communities, not shady fly-by-night dodgy geezers.

Another consideration is that of the clients wishes. Are they willing to put up with the disruption of man handling all this tree down over several days, or would they sooner pay for the extra and get it over and done with ASAP? Some people couldn't be doing with the disruption for too long, especially when there is a quicker option. The longer you are hanging about lowering stuff over targets, the more risk there is of potential damage. Sawdust drifting over houses and gardens for days....the women can't get their washing done, more aggro. Just food for thought.

IIRC the chain speed was very close to the petrol model, well on top power button anyway. I can see battery saws only getting better nd better. The technology in batteries is far better now than a Few years back. Look at phone batteries as an example, a smart development would be to utilise a very common phone battery system, which would be quickly interchangeable and widely available, with current charging systems. I don't think batteries are any more environmentally friendly, if you have to charge it from the lighter socket, it burns fuel to do so, or at home it's using fossil fuels, or nuclear power!

Most tree surgeons I know rarely switch the saw off every single time between cuts, the battery one is only running for a very short time on each cut, then it's off. IIRC the battery life is equivalent to a tank of fuel, how many times do you refill a petrol topper in a day? This should help you to decide if this saw is for you. I'd be thinking of the noise reduction too, starting earlier in the morning, night work, and so on when making a decision, not just be blinkered by the battery life.

I wholeheartedly agree with you, and I guess 99.9% of us are of the same mind. Which begs the question, why do employers pay all that out for insurance if we aren't going to claim off it? The problem is, if you are insured, and make a claim, the insurance will go after the insurer of the person you worked for, whether we like it or not. I can think of at least one instance off the top of my head to support this. It is not a pleasant affair. Loyalty is an admirable quality, but where should the lines be drawn? Lets assume you have an accident where there are repercussions several years down the road. Your health unexpectedly deteriorates, and you can no longer earn a living and support your family. It is found that the problem lies with the accident a few years back. With EL there to protect you, a retrospective claim is made and you get monies that are there for just this occasion. Without a claim, you lose your house, your kids go without, and life is generally miserable. This is why we have insurances.

I have on old pair of chainsaw trousers wrapped around my outside tap, in the vain attempt to stop it freezing up

Yes, I like the drop downs too, nice and easy to navigate, basically ditto the other comments. Good luck with it

There was a County with full forestry blade local to me, the tractor owner wanted it returned to "normal" spec without the forestry kit on. It stood at a local garage, dunno if they sold the blade etc yet? Ill make enquiries.

Went right around me, just a little white dusting today more on the way though.

Snow went right around us probably dump a load tonight now

Accident insurance can be backed up with sickness insurance to you know. I had to make a claim for an injury that I incurred some time ago, initially the accident policy paid out a lump and a bit, then the insurers advised me to claim for sickness time following that. This meant I had concurrent payments and was not out of pocket while I mended. People have frequently moaned about CICA and their sales approach, but I can honestly and openly say that when push comes to shove they do all that is asked of them, and more. If you are freelance, self-employed, you can not afford to risk not being covered. If you have to claim for an injury whilst working for someone, your insurers do all the running, not you. They are simply out to recoup their losses, there is absolutely nothing personal, you are not expected to chase your employer up. It can be an unpleasant affair, but you have to look after number 1 in this world.

But that's the difference, you've agreed to it, others don't, and they are not required to. Most jobs I've had have been long hours, coming to Arb was actually a shorter day as a rule, which is probably why I used to stay on and help fix kit ready for the next day. Note I didn't state these chaps were "youngsters today" they were mid forties, and really seriously look for any possible avenue to avoid doing any real work for their wage, which is around £35k a year with many perks.

Thank god for that, my lads gotta commute back by train from Melton Mowbray today, we had enough disruption with the trains this week already.

Light dusting here, on top of the 4in of previously fallen snow from earlier in the week. Hoping the next lot misses us tbh.

Another thing they were talking about is the compulsory 37hr week that they are employed for. If they're asked to go out to a job and it exceeds (with travel time) their hours, they refuse to go out until the start of their next working day. It's like a modern day work-to-rule, but instead of the Unions dictating, it's the H&S brigade so the kickback from the worker is "Well sod you then, we won't do anything, then we won't be wrong!". On a similar vein, I heard a chap tell me that the H&S inspectors were doing the rounds, so he was going to spend the day sat in his truck (utility arb sector) so they couldn't find fault with his working practices! Is this what we really want or need for Building a Better Britain??? Sorry for the slight, yet intentional derail, Ill put my soapbox away now.