benedmonds

I have been asked for "a thorough examination of LOLER equipment" from a council. I provided her with a sheet which I did, but she seems to think it should be done by some one else.. I have read and attached part of the http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais30.pdf Thorough examination LOLER requires lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined. This means a detailed examination by a competent person who has appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience to enable them to detect defects or weaknesses in the equipment being examined and assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment. The risks in arboriculture which arise through failure in lifting equipment for lifting people justify independent and impartial thorough examination. In practice this probably means somebody external to your business. ... It should be thoroughly examined either: l every six months where it is being used for lifting people and every twelve months otherwise; or l in accordance with time intervals specified in an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. Correct me if you think I'm wrong but I don't think "probably means external" is the same as "must be external" and what is a "competent person."?? Do I need my kit inspected by an external LOLER tester or can I do it myself?

I'm a big kit junky and having spent lots of time staying warm and dry in cold wet places and when employed by others used to hate the fact that most work wear is so basic. If I'm in the hills on a weekend I'll be wearing technical gear, so if I'm in similar conditions day after day in the week I don't want to be it a cheap cotton T. Being the boss means I can choose. Can't beat the Helly Hanson Lifa for a shirt. We've had logo's added and they look great. It is a bit of an issue now we have staff, I started off giving them regular t shirts but they moaned and looked sad.. They are looking the same way at my Hi viz gortex, but they can keep looking. I have provided them with the costly HH's, but recon they last lots longer, also the ladies love the sight of our muscled torso's.. and yes we've also got stihl hifex's to show off our behinds.. Could this be our USP? Another benifit of providing/wearing good gear is you can keep going whatever the weather. I also am very impressed with gore windstopper N2S. Silvermans do a shirt, at £55 it is expensive, but again very hard wearing.

I might be wrong but, I think you need an exemption rather than a licence. For up to 1000 cubic meters of wood chip. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/wmx12__guidance_1473380.pdf

8.30 start, finish when the job is done, try for 4.00 to 4.30 if after 5 pay we pay our subbie an extra £10. 10 mins around 11.00 and 20 mins for lunch. Also as a rule make sure your staff bring lunch with them, I used to hate working at a firm where you got in at 7.00 then went to the shop to buy breakfast, then later for lunch... I'd sit there thinking I got up to wait around for you lot to get your food..

We lifted 20 road side limes... Get some decent wet weather gear and if it's safe.. get on with it.. The sun came out for about 10 mins at 2 o'clock. I dress head to toe in gortex and will stay pretty dry whatever the weather. Excluding your arms which are soaked every time you decend.. At least it's not cold and you can feel your fingers.

I understand that bob, what if I want it to carry a load. A loader tractor with 8 ton trailer sure takes the effort out of humping away a big tree. Can I just stick a few quid of white diesel in for when I'm on the road.. the tractor is used for 95% agricultural.. I don't think that would be aceptable. Do we have to run the tractor on white for the rest of the time? Should it be classed as non agricultural? So what do I have to do to operate within the law.

We ocasionally use an agricultural tractor on the road, hauling logs pulling up hedges etc.. As far as I can see we should not be using red diesel... Is there a way we can use the tractor legally. I can't see how.. without running it solely on white diesel, even then would we need to have it taxed differently..

A parish council has just asked me to tender for some work which IMO at best doesn't need doing and at worst shouldn't be done. They want to reduce about a dozen trees, including a nice beech 30%. We've done work for them before and I had accepted the pointless bracing and did some works which were dubious. Should I tell them that the work is stupid and will cost them more in the future (as I would with a domestic client) or just get on with it? With the current economic climate and domestic work possibly slowing down. I don't want to turn down several grand of work. What would you all do..?

Our kwik chip 222 blew up this time last year, it's been sat for the last year needing a new lombardini engine. About time we got it on the road again.. Any one know any one good at refurbing chippers. We are in the East Midlands. Cheers

pollard the willow, fell the ash and replant.

Arbocop This thread was not a attack on the AA, although I'm sure you can find some threads which are.. If you read the posts you'll have read that cerneARB wanted - advice on "decent courses on tree hazard inspection." The AA course is not this. My issuses were that it could have been a course in tree Hazard inspection if correctly run. That is where I think the AA have gone wrong. The course leader was over involved with the details of health and safety and NO attempt at teaching occured. A decent teacher could have made it worthwile. If it is just an assesment it should be 1 day if it is a course then teach something. Or use decent pedagogy.. (google it).

I was on one of the early courses and I admit they have changed the wording, but I was really looking forward to it, and it was not what I was hoping for... The instructor was not good.. A half decent teacher could have delivered a decent course, simply doing group inspections where we discussed our results would have made the course worthwhile. Put me right off the AA..

You may have got from my last post I was a bit cross.. about the AA course. I am self employed and It was a 3 day £400+ course! I have a BSc in Ecology and a PGCE in Secondary Science and at the time over 5 years as a climber.. I know how to teach (I spent a year learning) and the course did not even try to give any training. In 3 days you should be able to teach tree inspection to people who know about trees but have not had any survey training. Having studied plant science as an undergrad I didn't need a biology lesson but some basic methodology and survey techniques. I may have been miss-sold it as a course but the assesment took 3hrs what is the rest of the 3 days for?

Ditto to what Tony said. I did the AA course and was very disapointed. There is no reason they couldn't have taught some tree inspection but they didn't! First day they send you out to inspect trees with no instruction or anything. My course "instructor" spent more time telling us about the risk assesment for sitting in the class room then inspecting trees. We all had to read and sign it and later when walking around the highly dangerous merrist wood campus had to wear yellow hi vis (orange were not acceptable..) The thing that was most irratating was that on the course were a number of very experienced people including several full time consultants and a lecturer. They could have taught me loads about tree surveys and I would have brought my years of experience gained from climbing and felling trees. My request to do the tasks in groups were not appreciated. We just had to walk round inspecting trees which at that time I had never done before. The QTRA people do a good: Practitioners Guide to Visual Tree Assessment http://www.qtra.co.uk/

Had a **** job today, felling a 40 inch diameter ash tree. In the centre of the tree there were several peices of steel. With only a a three inch hinge remaining I ended up with three blunt 36 inch and two 25 inch chains. We had the truck on it and some big wedges but it was a nervous time having a large lump of tree hanging over the road with not much holding it.. It got worse later in the day having to avoid being stabbed by several dozen syringes when we were clearing up.. Don't you just love the varied nature of the job..

I just spent £200 on a goretex high viz from fristads. Got it last week so expect a dry winter! It looks very tough and well made. I had a decent gortex northface jacket in black and some black US military overtrousers previously. I've had my North Face jacket since 1999 and it's still great. I just figured I was a bit difficult to see. Theres no such thing as bad weather only bad kit. Or something like that. I like decent kit and think its worth paying the extra.. I don't like being cold and wet!

My initial thoughts were just to leave be, mulch and keep the quiet people from meditating under it (it's in a silent retreat). But after a walk round I thought taking some weight out, especially the right hand limb would be better than having the limb break out. I don't think bracing is a good idea.. for any one accept my bank balance..

I forgot my hammer... I'll return tomorrow There is no sign of decay and I guess the cambium is still intact. It's not coming off in big patches, but flaking in small strips, if you gave it a good poke you could stip of lots of small pieces, but not like you might get with the honey fungus mycelium..

Got a nice veteran Sweet Chestnut, it's doing fine and the owner wants it to stay, do you think it's worth reducing prevent it breaking out in the future or should it be left well alone?

Any one know whats going on with the bark on this lime? Should I be concerned, it is a 20m tree within 4 m of several properties. The tree officer thinks its not significant. ..

When I was in Chistchurch, New Zealand, it took me ages to realise that all these big mature street trees which looked european were elms.

I like the plastic ones, don't trap you fingers..

I know of a bloke who swung into a peg and punctured his lung...

I did the bats in arb course last year, mostly because I'm into bats. It was interesting but basically warns you that bats can be almost any place.. which isn't that helpfull in the real world. Did tell us who to call if you disturb a roost etc. But with up to a 5K fine per bat if I did disturb one I'm not sure I'd want English nature to know.. It was not related to surveys however.

I brought one a year or so back and had some fun with it, but have yet to find a market for my fantastic burred oak, posts. Worked fine with a 064 and 36'. Simple to use, but takes a while. The drying of the timber seems to be the big issue. bar.http://www.canopytrees.co.uk/sawmill.htm