Yorkshireman

Nptc = National Proficiency Tests Council & thats it, they do not teach !!! though some assessors may also be tutors (usually lantra registered) this is outside their nptc work !! as an Assessor 'I test' the candidate who may have/or not had some prior tuition, the Assessor is arranged / employed via the assessment centre, NOT the training provider, this is to ensure impartiallity. the college charges are for tuition, equipment and usually include the cost of candidate registration with nptc & also the assessment fee You can book an assessment direct through your regional assessment centre http://www.nptc.org.uk/assessment-centres/default.asp?county=none there is NO need to do the tuition if you or your employee believe that you/they can fulfill the criteria as laid down in the schedule these are downloadable from nptc's web page http://www.nptc.org.uk/qualifications/ rgds Iain

LOL:thumbup:

Triple your rate if the work stops coming in, then reduce your rate incrementally untill you do start getting the jobs again . .

work out what you want to get per day & times it by the days you reakon then add 6 hours to sort the unforseen parts of the oaks ! Remember that in winter less hours of production than in the summer !!! then give them your price if you get it wrong, then at least you've got the kind of work you became an arbo' for !!! & made some money as well

Yep published in 1955 in Oxford for Basil Blackwell & Mott Limited by AR Mowbray & co limited, distributed by the Royal forestry society

Nah it was time to go to the chippy

big shot !!! or 'Big Ladders' as for in the tree, make a monkey fist or attach throw bag or sml karab on the rope to give weight as it helps distance & accuracy.

No fracture pruning, that was dead wood

http://www.wesspur.com/stump_grinder_teeth.html

the trial pits are due to some recent works where a trench wen through that area , so investigations as to root damage disturbance. might try the thermal imaging on this one !! its location is in a busy private car park

took loads of ivy of this yesterday

http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2008/10/29/61762/pay-loophole-leaves-subcontractors-short-of-cash.html this is happening we have a construction company playing, this game with us, who we have worked for before, We rec'd request to quote (urgent job) including a report, We did so & forwarded relevant documents. We have been sent instruction to supply services on 3 occasions. We have been allowed on site on three separate occasions & carried out work,even having on site induction on completion of the job our works sheet has been signed off by their site manager, now 4 mths later they still cant pay us, because their h&s dept cant progress us onto the system because they need further information re our method statement, Coshh forms, certificates of competance. UTTER BOLLOCKS......... becareful chaps

what he says !! if you were to calculate the time a person spends under any one tree etc & the likelyhood of an event happening to coincide with that event the odds must be astronomic, you'd be more likely to fall over stuff that has either fallen or failed or from the brash that the FC leave on the deck during product recover opps. pure economics me thinks , arse covering = well you cant blame us for your injury, you shouldn't have been there Etc etc

I've seen newbies go to shows & BUY stuff because it looks good , & then ask " whats it for ?" WTF ASK first EH !!

IMO climbers need to beable to & work with the groundies I have spoken to guys, who say " oh yeah when i've done the climbing I leave to rest up to the brash rats " I just sort my ropes ! Wrong !!!!! if you've not managed the work properly, ie a reasonable rate that doesnt leave a crows nest of brash @ the foot of the tree !!! then I expect you, when your feet hit the floor to start tidying up the mess you've made !! Thats why climbers must understand how the ground team works & the processes involved as for inflexibility ,thats a whole different issue , I trust thinks that havent caused me injury pain grief ie unreliable I know and understand you point & I am open to new methods , however some stuff is done because its seems cool its shinny & wicked colours , if you can climb & Td on a simple system or a complex one , then great however the more stuff in the bag = more to break / leave behind , replace ,fund etc etc for some companys it a case of why fix what isnt broken,, more to put in your MS RA that you may not be justified , take lockjacks Great untill you catch the release & then they quickly become the biggest waste of money as your nuts end up in your throat !!

Agreed new climbers are trainee groundsman first untill they can prove that they know understand & can do the groundies job,without hesitation pause or being a premadona then theres no point putting them up the tree !! I've seen some cock sure climbers who treat groundies like Rats scurrying beneath them ,crashing a pile of shite down to earth, because they havent done it for long enough its how your job is done that matters, cut ready for dragging & the chipper, A good team must have a good groundie to keep it all moving , some climbers think they've got a god giving right, because their up the tree, but climbing is easier than grounding !! So to you new folks out there, learn your craft from the base up, be better, try harder & respect those you leave on the ground !! in that way you know they understand & respect you. ARB is Team work, & colleges dont teach that !! tickets & qualifications are a means to get you started. but there is no course that can give you what the job can and it doesnt happen in a matter of months you have to stick at it

'But & if are strong words' But If he's right, then your wrong you could get a bruising, there are newly set up operations in my area & they have only days of work in single figures, per month to do !! I may be wrong & you May be right however if I am right, those you suffer will have spent a good lump of money on kit !! & have no work to do with it !! other potential downsides other than not earning is you still have to pay your mortgages,incure living expenses, pay fixed business costs such as insurance, advertising, then if these business's do fold they wont get back what was paid for equipment. & the sting in the tail is Equipment always depriecates however it does so very much greater when supply (& 2nd hand at that ) outstrips the need for it, take from this what you will, imo There have not been many times worse than the current, to set up a none essential service led business Debt collector - or balliff wouldnt be a bad choice !! this is all my own opinion as I see the climate at present & is not intended to guide or diswade. I appluade anyone who has the drive to try business but remember If being sucessfull in Business was easy, then everyone would be doing it !!!! rgds Iain

I went out on a shoot on tuesday & got a mix enough for game pie Pheasant , duck, rabbit & pigeon the best yet !!

playing devils advocate perhaps the TO seeing the location & proximity to the property , may question / reason quite how this damage occurred, without the owners knowledge or was it deliberate & therefore a prosecutable offence willful damage £5000 fine thats not squirrel damage or if it is the feckers on steroids have seen similar bark loss when struck by lightning but I'm fairly sure that the client might have noticed that occurance

thats about the size of it, I hate being told NO that really upsets me !

its similar to some LA 's when giving permissins for works to protected trees they include a caviat to state that works must be carried out to bs3998 by a qualified tree surgeon / arborist the first half of the statement is fine however, they cannot put unfair burden on the tree owner , ie if that owner feels they can carry out the work themselves or employ others & conform to the standard, then they can ! that said when employing others to carryout the works other regs come into force duty of care , hse blah blah blah this just goes to show that although the idea is well founded, ie good work is likely to be done by a professional it is quite easy to transgress powers & authority. I believe that that is possibly why some La state AA approval req'd, they maybe somewhat misguided imo

Yes it is illegal they can stipulate criteria, ie insurances & policys conforming to legislation ie HSe employment law , equalops, equal pay , puwer, loler , etc etc they can request standards to be met with proof, but cannot stipulate membership to voluntary trade or assurance associations/accreditations its all to do with best value So if you have suffered from this you could write a letter to the cheif exec & the head of legal services & cc your local MP drawing their attention to the matter, that public funds must be spent in a transparant & fair way = Best Value ! & you await there response before seeking counsel even if a contractor has been selected, if that selection process was illegal, the agreement will be nul & void rgds iain

Well if he didnt know what to do, should he have tried it ? knowledge & practical application re hazards of kickback cross cutting is assessed / covered both in NPTC CS 30 & cross cutting in Cs31 also 32 timber 1.5 times at felling cut. crosscut is not in cs33 large tree felling max bar length of 15" for felling cut 30cm equiv to 2* bar length So could the employer have sent the candidate for assessment ?

if you thought three time was right for your staff then apply the same to your rate

extra height only adds seconds to the time it takes to hit the floor if you screw up ! after all people die falling off step ladders its not how high you are up its how well you tie in & rig your lines, to stop you falling that matters , my advice check, trust & believe in your step up & gear