Bolt

Also, if the chain has come into prolonged contact with an abrasive surface, such as tarmac, stone etc etc then you may have lost the chrome plating on the top-plate surface. If this has happened, you can sharpen it as much as you like, but it won't stay sharp.

As Peter said. Surely you should be picking up gate problems at the pre-use check you perform before each and every use. When I train for CS'38' I cover gates in great detail. This is because 'self lockers' are utter rubbish. Current guidance is that you should let them lock, and then check they are locked-each and every time the gate closes. This is madness. Self lockers were introduced because we were not to be trusted to do up our screwgates. But we can be trusted to perform a check incase the infallable gate does fail. And now you get loads of bish about 4-ways being better (yeah, better at failing even more because they are even more complicated). [rant rant rant] Maybe we should all go back to screwgates and rely on ourselves and a few darwinian principles. Anyway. You should have been trained to do an adequate test, and this should have also been covered in your assessment. Don't rely on others such as LOLER inspectors to do your checks (or your maintenance- he is inspecting as he finds it, not providing a cleaning and lubrication service). All that aside, use PETZL, as they seem to know what works in the real world.

I remember having a pair of boots, must have been around 2006 I think, that I DIDN'T hit with the saw (I normally get 'em in the toe caps LOL)

Good advice! (but make sure you use a rotating choping block that incoperates a tyre, and a dodgey finland twisty axe)

But its a tragic shame how often they are.

Fair play to you. Nothing worse than other 'professionals' messing up your endevours.

That last one looks like a perfect utility reduction.

why would you do this, adi? ....and you, recenty trained

Deffo 346. When you need something bigger get a 441 aswell :-)

Ha Ha, Sometimes I can be such a knobber, The first time I read your post, I thought you were asking for advice. It was only a bit later it occured to me you were giving it. Glad I didn't offer a few patronising pearls of wisdom

and to think, he only called the AA because his battery was flat following leaving the radio on.

At least this way your saw will get plenty of rests . ..............I wonder if cutting what you can from the top and then getting straight in the end grain with an axe would work.............

Have you (and /or he) had a shufty at these? NPTC | Assignment Schedules

The reason a tree "barbers chairs" is simply because there is too much hinge (its easier for the tree to split up the trunk, than it is to bend all that hinge over). This can be caused because the tree has a lean in the intended direction of fell and starts to fall 'too soon' before the back cut is finished, or its being pulled (again going too soon) or it cops a sudden gust of wind (again going too soon). Having a back cut that comes in below the bottom of the sink cut also increases the risks. Ash is great at splitting like this, as is sweet chestnut. However, Oak (I have found) is also surprising good for doing this. Conifers generally don't do it so much.

topping down trees using 'det cord'. Chapter 6 of my new book. Now I will have to experiment somewhere else.

A bigger saw and longer bar would help. But when you blunten that long ol' bar on the ground (and, no offence, you will at somepoint) you are going to find yourself spending hooooooooours sharpening. you could, as chris sugessted, just cut blocks of the end. but if your saw is nacked already, you will surely be killing it shortly. any chance of getting some mechanical assistance to get it up on blocks / off cut branches?

:thumbup:great thread:thumbup:

HSE's requirement is that there must be someone immediately able competent and equipped to undertake a rescue without delay. You therefore should be equipped with a 'rescue' rope that is long enough to get a casulty to the ground in a one'r, without having a re-anchour part way down. You rope should be at least twice the 'working height' of the tree. As a climber, you perhaps could be on a shorter rope (if this is your preference), or you may have redirected yourself through a fork to reach branch tips, or you may have fallen throught a fork whist busy injuring yourself. Ether way, in my opinion, a climbers line may not be long enough to reach the ground from any anchour point. This is why aerial rescue training and assessment covers transfering the victim onto the rescuers rope.

I think we should move away from blame. Its an interesting photo of an interesting incident. Its one of those fabled "near miss" things that are supposed to be reported.... ...and then investigated, in a not-pointing-any-fingers way. those on site (both cutting and supervising) may of gone home with a few new things to think about. As its been posted here, we are also able to pick over the bones and chew on the fat. Turns out we are hungry......

Don't you think that "young and new lads" will learn more from this if the story is discussed. Surely thats more constuctive than everyone simply posting "thanks for posting" Oh, by the way, Thanks for Posting, bjam1964

First question. Did the tree snap off or is it still attached to its roots (that are now sticking up in the air?)

I was gonna say! 2 and a half mins for 9 pages would be awsome

Post incident photos. Don't you love 'em. Good call on the existing stump Monkey-D Inspector 'Bolt' also wonders if thats a tracked greenmech in the distance on photo 1? Hmmmmmmm.

WELL DONE! But just to clarify, did you do it in 2 and a half hours, of 2 and a half minutes?