Andy Collins

Dry and sunny here in Suffolk, beautiful autumn day

No no, but I put myself in the shoes of an employed person, perhaps with a similar drawn out illness, and just wondered how I would have stood in that situation. I know the police service is full of officers kept on on light duties until they can collect their pensions, and I know a tree services company would rarely be able to afford this luxury. Is the potential for being laid off a good reason to take a precaution against it? Insurance, even if you are employed helps to soften the blow.

As I said this is not the place to discuss the terms of employment, it's a job advert, you either want to work for the OP, or you don't. Simples.

Since end of 2011, with the deterioration of my health and subsequent long recovery, this has made me think about how I would have got on in full time employment. Now a Large company will have people on long term sick sometimes until retirement, or light duties for the foreseeable. I'm not so naive to believe this is even possible in tree work. But what does an employer do. When a member of staff is most vulnerable, most down on his luck with serious illness? Do you just pop up to visit, and hand over their P45? The potential for them to never be able to get back to full strength will mean they are hardly employable any more, in the real world you can't afford to carry anyone. What scope does Employment Law have for this, to protect both the employer and of course the employee?

We'll see, couple of years ago, first two weeks of Nov were warm T shirt weather, last two weeks were bitterly cold, many layers of clothing. Last winter I think rained a bit here, didn't see much of it tbh.

Whether we agree or disagree is not really up for discussion, what is available is a position for a fixed rate of pay on a Sunday, take it or leave it. This is the Employment Thread, not the Genereal Chat thread.

I can't help in thinking that this Chalara outbreak is just a little too convenient. Certainly drew the publics attention away from other issues, and I'm sure there is something big going on behind the Chalara smokescreen. We will have to wait to find out exactly what that is. Given that the reported stats from the Denmark example were shall we say a little misleading, as usual it just goes to prove once again that no one can really be relied upon, governments (which party is totally irrelevant) or newspapers. So who does this leave? Tbh, us.

Very well done Silky, your enthusiasm shines through, you are a natural, you are a fine example to many others. This thread has been a shining light to the many members and guests out there at any level, whether beginner in the trade or an older hand with many years under their belt. If there were a Thread of the Year Award, this should surely win hands down. Many many congratulations from me, and all the best with your new employment.

We felled this timber in an avenue a year or so ago, at an old country house. My friend Matt called me last night and asked if Id like to have a look at its progress. He knocked up the rustic bench out of some of the timber, so even in the trees death, it will live on in the grounds for a while longer. Nice to have a day just pootling about the Suffolk countryside messing about with timber

Yeah, keep us updated with pics and tales of your work out there. This helps others who might wish to make the trip too, and is also a great portfolio for yourself.

Cracking work there Ian, very nice products

Good luck in your search, and welcome to the forum. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you need any help, most here will help if possible.

I love your moral there Paul all the best for that job interview. This thread shows if you really want something in life, then go and get it.

This applies to many posters on forums everywhere. It's easy to think that we're the only ones reading, and we're chatting down the pub or wherever, when in fact every word written can be scrutinised globally.

Keep us posted how your rebuild is going, maybe even a photoshoot of the ongoing build? may be interesting to someone.

Now then, now then. I'm really pleased to see the fresh green shoots of the economic recovery as it bursts forth for us all. Been far too much doom and gloom lately. Ty may be right, small kit works, Stevies wee chipper etc.

Ok, fair point Nepia, how well do these registers really work? I'm not really convinced, if a motor vehicle can be stolen and disappear without a trace, what real chance with something as small as say chainsaws? There are far more preventative measures in place on a car, yet they still vanish. Of course, anything is better than nothing, even if it just helps you to sleep better at night just knowing you've done all possible to make things harder for the obnoxious members of our society.

This time last year I was a little bit ill, long and the short of it was that I was told I would not be able to do this job any more. That thought was a little daunting, what else would I do? Set up a Brit Arb Forum? Been done. Accept my fate as a Happy Greeter in Asda? Errrrr no thanks. This is the job I like, it's my livelihood. So give it up, after fighting all the odds and pushing myself to get fit? Not on your nelly. When you're up against it, I mean really up against it, that's when you really know what you want to do.

Te thing here is that the Police have to recover the goods for the registers to work. Now I don't want to slate our over stretched Thin Blue Line, but around here we have one copper for 30 square miles. Most of the time he has to do paperwork, less tome busting crims. When I was robbed, even though I was on the phone (999) while giving chase, giving details, descriptions, direction of travel etc, there was no response for 13.5 hours. This was the second crime inside an hour in the village. My stuff was never recovered, it was well away before the Police even had a statement. Had a squad car come along, and apprehended the thieves, the crime stats would have been down by two reports, over £10ks worth of gear recovered in one go. But hey ho, that's the way it is. Now stolen gear doesn't often filter back into honest people's hands, it's knock off gear at knock off prices, or shipped abroad where it disappears, so tbh what use is any register? How many saws, with records of serial nos, ever get returned to the rightful owner, % wise? Very low I'd bet.

No it's not for me, it's for a mate who isn't on AT, he knows we have our finger on e very weak pulse of industry

I doubt there is a nationwide scheme in place, apart from dealers having records of new saws etc sold, and maybe one or two reported thefts, I don't think there is a real attempt to crack down. One dealer even told me that it's not in their interest to make it too difficult for thieves, as a huge amount of their sales are insurance replacements!!

Any updates....information on this?

I believe, well I've always understood that tools immediately connected with the use of the Mewp can be transported on the Mewp, such as saws, but you cannot tow a chipper with the Mewp for example on the exemption? Im not 100%, but I know large utilities contractors do this, and we used to. Of course that doesn't make it right.

Don't know what all the fuss is about, if you don't like the law on trailers, become a builder. I live near a builders supplies, and the trailers that go in there beggar belief build wise, they are death traps. Then they are filled to just about spilling point with ballast or whatever, and towed behind a crappy truck that's falling apart with rust. They don't worry about weight, towing ability or road worthiness, they get on with earning their living. The chance of them getting pulled is minimal. So easy answer is change trades.

Yes, we collectively, not just you and me Huck. But all people. We are not deemed capable of using such a tool without receiving horrific injuries, and unfortunately some have proven this to be correct.