Chris Day
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Everything posted by Chris Day
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Sorry for the delay. I meant the H&S bod made a few errors by allowing the situation to arise but the Op did not, grammar is not my strong point.
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PR is key! Our yard is an industrial unit with houses on two sides. When we moved in I went and shook every neighbours hand and explained our intention. I made it very clear that if at any point they weren't happy they should come and speak to me, call me or email. So far it has worked and I have an army of local security guards and word of mouth advertisers. Last week eek early morning I loaded the avant on a trailer and dropped a bucket, my dad was in the yard splitting logs with a lad and one of the neighbours came across. The conversation went, " the wife wants to know if your lad can start work a bit earlier?". My dad point taken. Quick text to me and a bottle of wine and bunch of flowers dropped of when I got back problem solved.
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Obviously just felling so no rescue climber required, but the only qualified operator on site and the H&S company bod was on site? In my opinion he did fuck up twice; 1. Not having a second competent person to assist you and understand what you were doing to manage your safe working area whilst you concentrate on your task at hand. 2. Allowing your first task in your new role to be viewed by your entire hierarchy. H&S isn't just how things are done, they put you under pressure and should have foreseen and mitigated that. You made no mistake as far as I can see.
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The clients daughter being back from uni and prancing round in shorts/pants and some odd green jumper which was meant as a dress I believe. Meaning for the last two days the lads have been chipping their tongues and staring wistfully. Girl you are costing me money, lads errrrr..... Stop looking and get some work done. pain in the bloody arse and the mother knows she keeps sending her inside or of on errands.
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Not this time, actually some of my better ideas are when sober. My funnier and genius ideas are found in a beer bottle. Becks beer contains genius I find.
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Arranging road closures or acquiring permits etc could so easily be set up on a system similar to the planning portal. You enter the job, your TM plan, it is sent to the LA, a bod is sent to check your plan and deem if it is suitable or not. Then they have eight weeks or so to respond similar to a TPO. One system fits all, a bit like communism!
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We try and put stuff away sharp every day, this usually happens. It's only after a long day where we are all wrecked that stuff gets put away blunt, but I try and book an easy day the day after such an outing so that we can either take other saws or spend half hour in the yard doing if before we set off. I find my rule of if you blunt it by hitting something then you sharpen it means far less knackered chains.
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How specifically can you reasonably determine tree age?
Chris Day replied to Willow Warbler's topic in General chat
Is it an area TPO or a woodland order? Same legal staus but different application, as I understand it having had a similar argument with a LA, Mansfield. They had a blanket Tpo which was 40 years old but couldn't tell me which trees were in the area, so I suggested they get out and catalogue the TPO. A woodland order, just dealt with one in Scunthorpe, covers extant trees at time of issue and anything which is planted or self seeded there after and no catalogue is required. -
Thorns lots of thorns, faster always faster, steep banks, hold ups which then means faster than faster. Pay can be decent depends on the company, contract, job, shifts worked or your qualifications and ability.
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We should go for a pint! It seems we have the same pet hates, I salute you sir
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The trouble is peatff, most jobs are on piece rate or similar so a job must be completed in x time before money is being lost. Hence hard to get started as a climber as it's quite a learning curve to be quick, safe and competent, obviously dependent on the individual. When I have new climbers in they climb everyday, it may only be for ten minutes or so but those ten minutes and watching a climber add up. It's a balance between letting someone learn and not subsidising their education to the detriment of your business.
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Also who will be loading just you or employees without your oversight? Reckon employees will make a mess of an Ali floor loading timber in no time.
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I prefer a steel floor as if you want to moves skelps for resurfacing the yard or a bit of aggregate for a bit of landscaping, if you do any, then you can do so without scraping your Ali to bits. Guessing you will be using a steel base frame anyway.
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Hi mate, you had any PMs yet? Mate of mine does my gear reasonable price usually a quick turnaround but he's always busy. Can pass him your phone number if you like and get him to get in touch if you like? Only drama is he's in Herringthorpe Rotherham and prefers delivery.
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Nylock nuts are single use, I always put a new nut on when I dismantle either of my rope grabs. Know plenty who don't, I'm just that bloke who has to do everything right because if I don't it will go wrong.
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Stupid mistakes you've made doing tree work
Chris Day replied to Steve Bullman's topic in General chat
Outstanding news! -
Stupid mistakes you've made doing tree work
Chris Day replied to Steve Bullman's topic in General chat
Ok you two old salts win and I bet you both didn't even take a day of work? Just had a roll up a pint of stout and cracked on? -
Stupid mistakes you've made doing tree work
Chris Day replied to Steve Bullman's topic in General chat
Aye it's a touch uncomfortable! The worst bit was today being on site whilst the lads dismantled a sycamore, and being told feck off boss constantly when I tried to help, they won't let me do anything. The guilt of not mucking in hurts more than than the cracked rib! -
I get you Wes and I rarely work out quotes on day rate but what I think it's worth. The biggest dilemma for me is postcode, some places people have money so you can price properly and get a fair price for us and the customer, many areas near me people don't have any money so you have to quote leaving tight margins and work fast. I drove through a village near me yesterday and noticed the tree work was very shoddy, this village Bawtry is very wealthy for the area. It made me think that I've noticed similar many times and the less scrupulous practitioners of our trade must target wealthy areas, we may question their morals or abilities but their business acumen is something to behold!
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Stupid mistakes you've made doing tree work
Chris Day replied to Steve Bullman's topic in General chat
Not sure if this is allowed because I didn't get away with it!? Last Thursday dismantling a thirty odd foot lone multi stemmed Leylandi, I cracked a rib. Two errors lead to the injury, one wearing gloves something I never do when climbing but it was cold and little pinkies were cold, two I didn't sned properly and left a one inch long half inch thick little peg. I felled a top just below this peg and thought I will be nice and flick the butt end towards the chipper for the lads. Glove gets caught on peg I can't shake it off in the half second I had to do so and the lump pulls me down onto the felling cut I've just done. I then hear a lovely sound like a pencil snapping in my left lung. Do I feel stupid yes, does it hurt yes, will I wear gloves and leave pegs again probably when the memory of this bloody pain fades! -
I've stopped thinking about psychology of quoting as it were. I work out how I'm going to do the job work out I want/need to do that put that price and see what happens. But now you've made me question this and think, so I have a headache! Guess I'm destined forever to the little league.
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Right that's my welding job for Christmas sorted. I will post photos of my creation!
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We have a 1.5t 360 that I am considering bolting a tow ball to the dozer blade and fabricating a small timber trailer for and then getting one of those Skidsters someone posted photos of recently. I reckon those two machines would cover most of our work. However not much use for big work, but then for me it would be hire in time as we don't do enough big work to justify owning kit for it.
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Hi mate, hope all is good your end. I agree regards Connie's but when they are all the green you can see in a 1970's built area once they're gone it leaves little else to break up the skyline! The pits are gone now so the horizon is much nicer to look at but could still do with a few decent trees.
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I had a moral dilemma today, I was working in my home town for an annual hedge trimming job and had a great view of half the town from the top of one holy hedge. I thought well I took a big ash down over there, those conifers are coming down in January, those conifers are too big for the garden me or someone else will be dealing those soon and where did those lovely oaks go I remember as a kid? Did make me question what I personally have done to diminish that urban landscape!
