Rupe

Yes, I know your not quite getting what I mean. Accidents do happen in tree work as they do in every other walk of life/work. I'm saying the emphasis should be on reducing risk and having good emergency procedures in place, instead of over equiping ourselves for situations that shouldn't be occuring. I've not looked at the recent pictures on here as I'm not a fan of looking at stuff like that, I can deal with emergencies really well but usually have signs of shock after, so I would not make a good paramedic etc. so I choose not to look at accident pictures. I'm sure they show many accidents that could have been prevented, and I'm also sure that in each case the casualty is still with us, having recieved minor first aid and then proffessional help. If I'm wrong and the pictures show arterial bleeds where the casualty died because the first aid kit wasn't big enough then I'm just doubley glad I didn't look at the pictures!!

if I am unable to tell the 112 operator where I am, will the emergency services be able to locate me? If so, how quickly? Yes, immediately Thats an interesing one!!!!

I've been working for a while longer than mobile phones have been around, and even when we had them from about 95 onwards not everyone had them and the coverage was not good. It was common in those days to ask the customer if we could use the phone, not necessarrily for emergencies ( I don't remember ever doing that) but more so we could phone the boss cos we couldn't figure out the worksheets, or cos the customers was insisting that we were supposed to do 3 trees not 2 etc etc. So, mobile phones are not the great solution for emergencies. People have been calling ambulances for many more years than there have been mobiles. Part of the emergency plan would be to check you have coverage and battery power and then also not the nearest landline. If in doubt ask the customer to leave a phone on the doorstep. Customers still ask if we need a power supply. So asking for a phone for emergencies is not un reasonable?? Emergency planning and reducing risk is what the HSE requires of us, not upscaling our medical kit to such dramatic levels.

In hamas example, on a big estate, a grid reference is vital for air ambulance. My mate flies air ambulance but is not a paramedic, I'll ask him if he chats to them about this kind of thing, exept he's usually pissed when I see him!!

I think the climbing line was just one thing on a list, the point is that something can be used a tournequet, and then you are right, if you stop the bleeding you can leave the rest to the paramedics. Bleeding is our main problem. Broken limbs, minor cuts, concussion, even burns don't actually need any first aid. Something to keep the person comfy maybe, re assurance is important. I just think that if we see the need to seperate ourselves from the rest of the work place with a special "arb aid" kit then the HSE will step in and take extra measures to bring us back in line with everyone else. The important thing is to plan and to work in such a way that the normal first aid kits will be sufficient. i.e. bring the risk down not the safety kit up!

I've been out all day, but this looked like a good conversation. Good training, and that might include training in addition to the HSE requirements, and a good first aid kit with a few extras is all anyone should need. £200 odd spent on a drama box is not in itself any good to anyone. First aid is only first aid. We are not looking for the equipment and/or knowledge to take someone from a serious wound to full recovery without the help of proffesionals. I'll ask some paramedics when I get the chance, but I bet they would often rather the public left well alone and just called them sooner. We need to think of our industry as a safe working environment, and not an iminent life threatenign issue, after all its only a semi skilled trade that anybody could do with a bit of training, its not special or dangerous, and we don't need to be tough and brave, and we don't need to over sized first aid kits to try and show how dangerous a job this must be. Knowing your location and having access to a mobile phone is first priority IMO, then some rescus skills which are practiced regularly is good idea too. some plasters for your silky cuts and a blood stopper or two. Tourniquets and proper training in there use also a good idea.

Parker pretty much covered it already.

No we are not at high risk! We risk manage everything and by following safe working procedures we should be able to reduce risk to a minimum. Thats what all the training and risk assessments etc are for. Those that are at high risk throuhg lack of training etc are unlikly to ever have a first aid kit anyway. In an urban environment, a mobile phone and an ambulance will sort anything serious out. A standard first aid kit, and maybe some extra blood stopping stuff is all that is required to keep a casualty comfortable until the ambulance arrives. Anything that suggests that our industry is so high risk so as to make the normal first aid at work regulations no longer apply, is very dodgy ground IMO. We don't want to put our industry on that kind of pedestal, if it were then the HSE would close us down anyway.

Use a three wrap prussik or klemheist.

Yes, I bet the one he has is the 12mm one. The other one with the becket is a right pain to use though!

Mozza. We've had problems inthe past with groundies wearing black petzl helmets and it was clear that this is not a good idea!! I changed my health and saftey policy to say these (black) helmets are not to be used on the ground and that orange ones were to be used. We just have the orange husky helmets and they are fine. Quite cheap, never break, and even though they are not hi viz they are good enough. I also added in the safety policy that hi viz jakets are always to be available and groundies must wear them if requested by the climber i.e. on bad light days or in thick undergrowth. Of course the groundie shouldn't be under the tree in bad light/thick undergrowth etc. but you need to be able to see the groundies when they are stood 50m away out of the way, thats how you know for sure that they are not under the tree, and hi viz jackets achieve that result on those dark days. But of course if you get the hi vis stein one, you'll have something available in case you need to go to a party dressed as a power ranger!

XTC does fluff up quite a bit. Arbormaster is a more reliable 13mm IMO. I use it in the double pulley re de thing and its ok, you'd mostly only be on it for a short while. Arbclimber makes a good point about the two models, but I think he means 033 and 031 ( Ican't see a 003 on the ISC website?) . The 033 has a sheave between the pulleys so its a bit fiddly. The 031 has the two pulleys together and the spec sheet says <12mm, so XTC is pushing it a bit anyway.

Really? I just get my sent up when I'm on the stem with a big saw. Up till then I don't use a wire one. Couldn't cope with it all day long.

You want suggestions on where to shove it ???!!! Surely your only using it when chogging down stems so no worries if there is a bit too much of it??

What, in the tree?

How many of those nicks that you've seen (that weren't through to the protection) were done "in the tree". What statistics and numbers do you have?

Climbing helmets? Yes of course we do. I would say, chainsaw boots in the tree!!! Why the heck? What statistics are there for climbers cutting there feet!! I climbed in my scarpas today deadwooding a nice big beech, and I feel way safer and more in control climbing in decent boots than any chainsaw boots I've ever worn. I can get far better work positioning, and isn't work positioning supposed to be the whole point?? I'd be happy using an ms200T with non chainsaw boots all day long. Bigger saws, well? I'd be happy, trainees/employees maybe not. Maybe there should be two "chainsaw from a rope and harness" tickets??

No worries. I confess to having T-cut the LDV at the weekend so its looking rather sparkly!! I wanted to remove the "shaddow" left by the old sign writing before I got the new stuff done.

Partsfinder - Used, New, Reconditioned LDV Commercial spare parts

Partfinder is pretty good! I've bought subaru engines off there with no worries.

No. Scrap yard near me though has usually got a few in! Are they bolt on/off?? Try partfinder on the tinternet.

Cheers!!!! For the record I agree that within any trade there are "un skilled" "semi skilled" and "skilled" workers in the way you describe. So qualified makes you semi skilled and add to that experience and you become skilled. I think I was refering to proffessions as a whole, where tree work (and most trades) are in the semi skilled catagory. IMO.

I get calls saying can you come and lop my tree.. I say yes, go and see them, talk about the weather and the cat, explain in one sentence the way I like to see a tree trimmed and send the quote with it explained there too. I don't do bad tree work but I don't care if people understand what I do or not. I'm good at explaining it and I get a good proportion of those jobs but if they are after cheapest quotes then I don't want to waste my time trying to teach them anything.

A few more.....

Been so busy sorting the world out I forget the final pics........ Decay is the upper broken limb point, runs about 2 feet down the trunk.