AA Teccie (Paul)

Hi all, just a quick 'heads up' if I may in light of recent rumblings I've become aware of at HSE regarding a few previous 'near miss' incidence. CS32 is no longer 'Medium Trees' but "Trees above 380mm diameter", hence there is no longer an upper size limit on this unit (effectively CS33 Large Trees has gone!) The thorny issue of update / refresher training for tree felling rears it's head here BUT a more 'cost effective' alternative, involving 'up skilling', might be available in many instances. Bottom line if, as with many in my experience, you only hold CS30/31 (SMALL trees) for chainsaw ground units then I would strongly recommend you undertake CS32, and more particularly if your ticket is more than 8/10 years old, again as many are (REMEMBER HSE recommend 5 years for consideration of refresher training...see AGAG 805 below) Thanks all, Paul PS I have included below the NPCT CS32 assessment schedule and a training matrix to hopefully help you manage your training & quals and update / refresher requirements more effectively (hence rather than simply 'tick' the boxes enter the year of attainment.) afag805v2.pdf Qualification+Matrix.doc cs32_assessment_schedule_june_2010.pdf

PUWER 98 (ACOP) Reg. 9 - Training Chainsaw operators 191 All workers who use a chainsaw should be competent to do so. Before using a chainsaw to carry out work on or in a tree, a worker should have received appropriate training and obtained a relevant certificate of competence or national competence award, unless they are undergoing such training and are adequately supervised. For professional users there is currently no real alternative to the City&Guilds / NPTC CoC (cert. of competence). For 'occasional' users, felling scrub/regrowth etc., the Lantra Awards ITA may be an alternative (see Chainsaw Training Courses - Lantra Awards UK). Either way I think he would be well advised to have a qualified (NPTC 30/31 min.), competent and experienced chainsaw operator involved to cut the larger / trickier stuff and 'directly supervise', if only initially til you're happy they're safe, others. Hope the fish appreciate the effort. Good luck! Paul

Fascinating stuff, and what makes this forum such a great place to be (along with my 'fascinating' H&S postings of course...tee hee!) THANK YOU David, and Hama, we learn more every day, keep it coming. Cheers.. Paul

Yup, perfic, n regardless of the typo...how you doin Rob? I acknowledge that the fact they are ARB Approved doesn't give any gaurantee of a good employer but at least it shows they are aware of what H&S compliance is and (hopefully) keeping their employees safe. Conditions of employment, whilst covered by a whole raft of HR regs, and pay rates aren't part of the ArbAC standards and I don't think you'll find many arb businesses out there with the IIP award (Investors in People). Cheers.. Paul

Hi all, just a quick 'heads up'..! The above course is running 'up norf' (YIPPEE!!!) at Tim Kirks place but we need more people to ensure this. Whilst the course is at a basic level, and essentially aimed at none arb people, i.e. highways inspectors / park rangers, nonetheless it can be a useful introduction to tree surveying and inspection if you haven't done any before (and more particularly if you haven't done a formal arb qual, i.e. NC Arb / RFS Cert Arb / ISA Cert Arb.) See Basic Tree Survey & Inspection - Training for further info and/or post back if you'd like to know more. To book simply complete and email the form below to Tiffany ([email protected]). Many thanks and hope to see you there.. Paul aa_training_booking_form_010212.pdf

We've recently approved a number of business 'up north', which is great, and hence it might be worth contacting them. See: North West - Arboricultural Association and North East - Arboricultural Association Good luck..! Paul

Hi there, Here is Mel's reply: "Paul The exhibitor pack will be available at the end of the month. If you ask him to email me I can send one to him electronically when they are out! Mel" Thanks.. Paul

Hi there, thanks for your post. It's actually my colleague Mel(anie) Sutherland who manages the exhibitors/bookings etc. at the ARB Show so I've copied your enquiry to her and will post back her reply. Alternatively you could contct Mel directly, [email protected] (tel. 01242 522152). Speak soon.. Paul

Hiya Steve, I did put in a good word so 'watch this space'. Cheers.. Paul

Hi all.. 3-in-a-row great 'ARB Approved' assessment visits last week, congrats to: 1. The Good Tree Company (Jonathan Finlow) - Shrewsbury 2. Theocus Arboriculture (David Shephard) - Tewkesbury 3. Fairfird Tree Services (Rupert Wilkinson) - Cheltenham All exhibiting high quality tree work and safe, competent and proficient dismnatling skills...well done all! Cheers.. Paul

Hama, would you like to be my 'PR' man, ha! I do really appreciate your vote of confidence, it means a lot, and I hope others share your views and see it as an opportunity....time will tell. Thanks again... Pau

David, THANK YOU for supporting the scheme and giving me the opportunity to view your business at close quarters. The accreditation is very well deserved and in many respects simply confirms the very high standards the business is operating at, across the board. Very well done and I too look forward to working with you and Theocus Arboriculture! All the best.. Paul

Cheers Tony, appreciate yer comments...n I hope not, BUT I also sincerely hope they recognise the scheme isn't just another H&S 'blah, blah, blah' thing as work quality, tree pruning and tree planting standards, are still very much at the heart of the scheme. Cheers.. Paul

Thanks Simon, I hope this does indeed add further value to 'ArbAC' status AND the industry at large continues to support it. Many thanks all.. Paul PS I do still have a few free days in my 'ArbAC' assessment schedule....'first come, first served', ha!

Cheers 'Tommer9'...yer only 'down the road' from, go frit, ha! Paul

So does that mean I'll be visiting sunny Manchester anytime soon...tee hee! Cheers 'Skyhuck', hope all's well. Paul

Hi all, hope yer well. Just a quick heads up to let you know that, alongside the existing CHAS compliant contractor status, 'ARB Approved' status is now also recognised by SAFEcontractor - apparently the second largest (after CHAS), but fastest growing, H&S compliance scheme. Hence, on production of your 'ArbAC H&S Compliant Contractor' certificate, you can attain SAFEcontractor Accredited status too..! Not bad eh, '3 accreditations in one', and all still possible from £495 (+VAT). Give me a shout if you want to know more. Thanks.. Paul

Hi-de-hi.. Natural England are the 'new' English Nature', as was. I reckon yer's r confusing Conservation Areas, which are administered by the LPA (Local Planning Authority), with SSSI (Sites Special Scientific Interest) which are admin'd by Natural England. Cheers.. Paul PS Anything further to add to the confusion...."MATRON!!!"

Yep, size is a consideration but I reckon that's big enough for things to go wrong and then try to defend the HSE investigation / prosecution, who of course have the benefit of 'hind-sight'...and they use it. Still, of more concern is the injured party, and possibly worse. I'll be honest I shuddered when I saw the state of that stem...maybe I'm just getting old! As you say "if it wasn't safe to climb then fell it and accept some damage", trouble is the parameters for that approach vary greatly and often, IMHO, the felling skills to deliver. What I'm really trying to promote here, alongside the benefits of using MEWPS (AND considering the additional expense, so 'work planning' is everything as the more days you hire a MEWP, generally, the cheaper and more cost viable it gets so bunch jobs together) is a more 'compliant', and hopefully safer, approach to working at height rather than being critical of the specifics of this particular case. Thanks for posting Ollie. Paul

"Pollarded about 25 years ago =, with about 30ft of re growth and a nice rotten trunk!" = MEWP. Looks like a restricted site and hence could be access problems and maybe not a lot of money on the job BUT, AND whilst acknowledging many have and still do, that species + that previous management + THAT defect + additional loading... PLEASE 'take BL**DY care' out there..! Paul

OR use a MEWP...first 'port of call' remember! Reet, I'm off... Take care out there.. Paul

Hi Jim, well done with the Tech Cert, no mean feat these days! I know it involves more expense but it might be worth thinking about the Lantra Prof. Tree Inspection course to further enhance you're employabililty (hopefully). I know this doesn't give you the expereince employers are looking for but it does help to demonstrate competence at tree inspections and it might just put you ahead of the competition...just a thought. Good luck.. Paul

Greg, not that he's Aberdeen based but he may be able to help, try Chris White (mob. 07850976098) Cheers.. Paul

Try Bruce Hatton (AA Reg. Con.), he's based in Cumbria (mob. 07801455333) Cheers.. Paul

Hi there, as others have indicated this course is, as the name implies, at a basic level and primarily aimed at none arbs, i.e. highway inspectors / park rangers (that said I have delivered it to a group of Royal Parks Managers in London, most of whom were emminently better qualified than I and the course went to a whole new level.) Some climbers have found it to be of some use as an introduction to the tree surveying and inspecting if they haven't done it before, but unlikley to be of great benefit to most. Interms of it's status, it is not a tree surveying qualification by any means, merely a 'certificate of attendance' course whihc does benefit from a LANTRA AWARDS cert. The PTI however is a qualification, kinda, as it's assessed but not formally as it's not gone through due process with the QCF. Nonetheless, understandably and also by prospective employers in my expereince, it is referred to as such. This is accredited by LANTRA AWARDS. Hope this helps to clarify things...a little! Cheers.. Paul