waterbuoy

Stupendous

?? a? (that was a ref to opponents)

Omnipresent

Orientation

astronaut

Tree Creeper

enthusiastic

hangover

migraine

mendip

Liechtenstein

treeeemendous

Agreed Most rivers will be running at less than 2 m/s (or c.4.5 mph) We sometimes rig up the line with a weak link on the far bank so that when the 'floater' grabs hold it will release and bring them back in to the near bank from where they started.

thingummyjig

kleptomania

A couple of images taken from the web showing the difference between the CO2 inflation type lifejackets when inflated, and a standard buoyancy aid (if this works it'll be my first posting of images so please be patient!) When we have had the autoinflate type jackets inflate on us it has occasionally been the case that we have had to deflate with a knife to allow us to get back on board and/or ashore in faster moving water

elephant

My reply and original comment were primarily about the auto-inflate type - sorry if they don't read that way. I'll try and find some pictures to show the difference between an inflated CO2 type jacket and one with fixed buoyancy. That will be later today however as I have to take SWMBO out. For now, perhaps simple enough to say that the CO2 type typically provide upwards of 150N positive buoyancy whilst the fixed type can be as low as 50N. Both should be enough to keep your head above the water, but one is 1/3 the bulk of the other. It should also be mentioned that there is a difference between a lifejacket and buoyancy aid - the former will rotate you on to your back, the latter will provide positive buoyancy. A buoyancy aid should not be worn when working alone for this reason. However, and as I think I said in my original OP, our view is that the presence of a banksman provides a sensible degree ofbackup should 'worst case' occur and the casualty is unconscious.

Transmogrify

The main issue is that they can go off when they are not supposed to, which may cause more of a hazard than wearing no jacket at all. Older/cheaper styles were/are activated by a dissolving tablet which, over time, would degrade due to getting damp and can then activate themselves at random. Whilst this can be no more than an embarrassment in some situations (and mildly entertaining in others!), it can be a real hazard in restricting movement or preventing access to other safety gear, release devices etc. Newer/more expensive ones are activated by hydrostatic pressure (ie a head of water) which is an improvement. However, even this can still lead to problems when they activate due to the same issues of restricted movement etc. Personally, I can think of nothing worse than being restrained by a climbing line, potentially to a point some distance above you, and restricted in my ability to move in potentially fast flowing water. Despite having more than 90 auto-inflate lifejackets for our various boats (we charter out boats in the summer months and they are specified by the MCA) we still use fixed buoyancy jackets when working in or close to rivers (we maintain approx 140 sites for the EA each winter). Similarly, most of the diving/workboat contractors I work with also use fixed buoyancy jackets for their deck crew. Even the manual gas inflate jackets can be a hazard if the toggles get snagged and inflate the jacket (the last time it happened to me I was trying to get out of a locker - very amusing for those who were watching:sneaky2:) IMHO, given that most arborists will not be working alone then if your RA advises that some kind of buoyancy aid is required then I would look at fixed rather than inflatable types. These have the further advantage that they can be worn under a chest harness etc if it so suits the individual. Playing devil's advocate, there could also be a case for NOT wearing a jacket if working in a tree but secured by suitable climbing lines etc.

As my username may suggest, we do a lot of work in and around riverbanks. The EA issue their own guidance but it is uaually only that (ie guidance) - if you have your own RA that you are happy to stand behind then they are usually happy to go with that. Personally, we don't use autoinflate lifejackets (either on rivers or the sea) - if there is more than one of you they are a bloody menace. Gas inflation jackets can be OK (manually deployed) or buoyancy aids. Usually these have to be worn when within 1.5m of the water itself. Canoe helmets are also a sensible addition if you do not normally wear a lid. A standby boat might be usefuld epending on the scale of what you are doing, failing which a line stretched across the river can be a useful catcher for medium-low flows. I wouldn't have the boat in the water and permanently manned, but instead would have it on the bank with a suitable person available on the ground to deploy if/when necessary. As others have said, a safe means of getting out of the river is perhaps the most useful and practical thing to set up.

Uniform

drizzle

Horrendous

Ubiquitous