conkers
-
Posts
286 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Classifieds
Tip Site Directory
Blogs
Articles
News
Arborist Reviews
Arbtalk Knot Guide
Gallery
Store
Freelancers directory
Everything posted by conkers
-
My point is not about Lymes disease in isolation but the whole risk assesment-paperwork thing. We WILL all be drowned in paperwork and the whole point of doing this job will get lost in more and more administration. My head is not in the sand- we do r/a's but a line has to be drawn on personal responsibility. If anyone is in this industry as a climber or groundy and is so vague to the point of needing babysitting through every contract then they should be thinking about a career change. It ain't for everybody.
-
Is a head ache this topic. My last idea to save on running cost is. Jap 4x4 for wk and family. Trailer tipper with high sides, able to winch chipper on. Small cheap to run van for tools and to tow chipper when needed. Ticks a lot of boxes for the two man teams. If just climbing= in the van. Large jobs = van 4x4 chipper and trailer Medium job = 4x4 chipper in tipper trailer. Get shut of chipps through the day and pick up chipper at end. Obvious drawbacks but the thought of spending money on another landy is scary! Any thoughts? Chris- If you have a good landy hold on to it.imo
-
Lymes disease is very rare. Think of all the people in Britain out there in the wilds in summer. How many cases per year? You don't always know you have been biten by a tick and even if you do you can't see one third of your body to check if it is Lymes carrier. So apart from including this in risk assesments do we carry assorted mirrors with us or get work mates to do full body check every day? I asked a local GP friend about this very thing as he lives on the moors. He just laughed. Didn't even answer me and looked at me with a strained look on his face. The expression he meets his hypochondriac patients with. Not taking the mick here, just think life is risky and we don't have to write every risk down on a peice of paper.
-
Steady. Don't forget the risk from falling plane parts and then there is thunder storms and who could be lurking in the woods? Am going to drive slowly to work tomorrow, spend two hours filling in my risk assessment, put on my anti- insect anti fugi anti saw anti disease suit and work with extreme caution. Drive home slowly have a shower slip and fall down the stairs! Life is very very risky!
-
Experience can be gained after your basic NPTC introduction. The problems in the industry I reckon are two fold. 1. Get yout tickets- think you can do anything set up and have some nasty suprises! 2. Get tickets- get job with poor employer who sees you as a meal ticket and has the "get up there and get on with it" approach. Both examples are less about training in the first place and more about attitude and application. Everybody is different. Personally I consider myself a good climber now and realise how poor I was 8-9 years ago. Still consider myself crap at sharpening chains though! All NPTC can ever do is give you the basics and hopefully show people to listen and not rush.
-
looks like a road sweeper:scared1:
-
We have a 110 landy tipper with Ally box and a full load + chipper is too much even with 130 springs and helper springs. Have decided to keep landy- get shot of Nivara, although never let me down and buy a tipper trailer with mesh sides. Little van can tow chipper and then landy with or without trailer to be flexible. Avoids some excessive 4x4 tax, and maybe gets around the weight problem. Have been head scratching about it for ages now. The police must know the predicament we all are in and surely don't pull on minor overloads. Getting really hacked off with regs on everything in this country tho. Surely the model/ perfect/ by the book arb company is an arb company carrying massive costs, not to mention administration.
-
will take a photo of it this week.
-
Hi Chris. Am confused by your post, but am easily confused. By The way did the Landy come rom Nene Overland?
-
South lakes- Cumbria. Unfortunatly the base of the tree seperated as it was four seperate stems. There is a large pollard bowl though from about six foot up!
-
Maybe your right. Maybe we should all just blindly battle on whatever the weather but I would think the casualty rate would double in our industry and if that happens how do we justify calling ourselves pro's. Listen to your instincts. Sometimes we are all over cautious but there is usually a reason for that uncertain feeling. I've walked away loads of times and my two kids are the main reason. Still here, still busy! We are not in the bloody marines. Save the matcho nonsence!
-
Could be a problem from the more organised teaves as they seem to be targeting Landys, Chippers and Agric equipment in rural areas. A local tree fella up here just lost all his gear just last week. For a 16k chipper it is worth them doing a bit of research! Tip tho. When you go back to your yard after work with your kit check your not being followed to sniff out your yard. Easy if your yard is in the woods but not so easy in Clapham
-
Does anyone know if large Holly stems are prized as I understood they are valued by woodturners and carvers. Any other uses? The ones I am refering to are about twenty foot long and up to ten to twenty inches diameter. All my sections usually end up as firewood but I can't see these going the same way. I know I sound clueless on the topic but how often do such large Holly stems crop up. By the way: Consent was given for the fells- unreal! and there will be replanting!
-
What type of road. How much traffic. Any footpath?
-
Anyone in northwest England hire stump grinders as we need something other than a small petrol machine from time to time? Minimum two day hire- Max one week. Cheers
-
Leylandii are easy as long as you don't try to take big tops out. They are prone to catching the wind even on calm days,and making the drop unpredictable. I would suggest climbing high on multie anchors if you can and strip out the green stuff. Easy to get the bigger sticks down on a pully then. If it is really windy, then wait for a better day as hand held sections and free fall sections can travel for bloody ages.
-
One little cut on my left elbow!:wave:
-
It may take a little longer but on dead and diseased trees, I never load the tree where I am anchored. Always find another way. Sounds simple but so many people I have worked with prefere to drop large loads on suspect stems rather than climb out! Where there is fear and experience there must be a large amount of risk! When I started I was scared of much much more. How much stems wobble about after you have de-limbed them:(
-
When I was his age I hated the wind and wanted to ban it. Just because it ruined my footy game! His perspective is about as short as his friend and he will laugh about it when he grows up. Don't think it will influence an intire generation.
-
Why bad practice on small stems? No safety issue and as long as the section is under control. Use it! Different issue though for large stems, granted
-
Bin/Arb dog!
-
We have found that most of our timber removal involves taking it out of back gardens in small chunks as most clear fells are done by non tree surgeons and we do not get to quote. Just a few drops, hence this thread. I think we get so rusty on felling because its all dismantling and pruning! You must get more variety?
-
Ha ha. Benedmonds. How did you know it was woodcraft? Cheers Christree for offer. Covered by woodcraft insurance but I reckon Bryant wouldnt go near it! Very scary thought having to be responsable for kids dangling on a rope 20ft up.
-
Done the crb.They just check if your dodgy around kids. Anyone who wks with children has to. It would be v safe on a beley system on a ladder type tree with two trained climbers and one belay.
-
I have been asked to take a group of 7 to 10 year olds, including my own son tree climbing. The group he attends is a bit like scouts but for hippies without the formality of uniforms etc... Does anyone know the legalities involved, especially with regards HSE and insurance? Has anyone done this or similar?
