Matthew Norman

A similar talk was given by Kathleen WOlf at this year's Arb. Assoc. conference, where she highlighted the benefits of being surrounded by trees and green spaces, especially in urban settings. Really interesting talk. She also mentioned the 3/30/300 rule - which is well worth looking into further, if you're interested in how trees can be good for our health. Webinar 3: the ‘3-30-300 rule’ - Treeconomics

I went up on the Thursday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Due to a change in career this is the first time I've been to the APF show and not been on the lookout for shiny new climbing kit! Bumped into the usual loiterers in the Sorbus tent and had a good chat to. Awesome kit to look at and I am really impressed at the size, reach and scope of some of the tracked spider MEWPS nowadays. Seriously long reaches on some of them. The spinny, twisty chainsaw on a loader was a novel idea, although a bit impractical, I think. Had a chat with FISA and the ICF, too. Saw some colleagues that were there at the same time - which was nice. Can't say I noticed the tiny spiders or influx of mullets as mentioned by others, though. Maybe they came later in the week?

Price is not an issue for myself when purchasing a new helmet. I've always used a chinstrap when climbing, but not when working on the ground. I automatically assume a climbing helmet will come with a chinstrap as standard, so I just expect it in the price. I don't feel they're a faff or uncomfortable to use.

Co-dom stem with included bark and a heavily congested crown? I think your plan for a reduction and trunk bracing may give it a few more years, but ultimately these faults (or features) mean that no amount of remedial work can completely eliminate the risk of failure.

Liquidamber?

I feel that the AA has become more influential if you look at the worldwide interest in the organisation. Many people abroad think highly of the UK arboriculture and forestry industry and the Arb. Assoc., Royal Forestry Society and Institute of Chartered Foresters often have members from other parts of the world. The AA's 'Wednesday Webinar' series was regularly attended by people from all over the world and included talks from industry professionals in Europe, USA, Central America and more. To get the most out of the organisation, as a member or not, you have to put something into it. It's easy for people to sit there and complain about the AA not representing tree workers, or not having influence, or not promoting the industry etc. I find that to get the most out of on organisation you have to actively be part of it. Do something proactive. Get involved. Personally I find the AA helpful, influential and very informative. I have learned a lot from their webinars, and being a member has opened up access to career paths that may have otherwise been out of reach. I have also had chats with the guys and girls that run the organisation and found them to be friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about trees and the industry. Of course, how people value the AA will change from person to person. What I get from it will be different to what another persons gets. Some will not get anything at all and view it as an old boy's club full of stuffy old men in checked shirts. If I were to criticise it I would say that their direct communication could be better and they take so long to implement change or get things moving. There are plenty of ideas but seemingly little action. So, overall, yes - I think the AA is more influential now than it has been previously. It's horses for courses, though, and others may think differently.

Hi Peter-k My thoughts are this - 1. It's your work site. You are the primary contractor and primarily responsible for health and safety of everyone and anyone on your site. This includes any rando's that wander up and start cutting or trying to help without permission. If there was a chance of people outside your work party accessing your site and getting involved then there should have been some sort of barrier or cordon to keep them out. Failing that, work should've immediately stopped and the issue addressed. If anyone got hurt the responsibility would be solely on your shoulders. How would the conversation had gone down if the FiL had got seriously injured? What would have been the outcome to you, your reputation, your relationship with your client, and your business? 2. You were absolutely right to admonish the FiL, but you should've probably done so sooner. 3. Be mindful of treating friends, family or extended family any differently to regular customers. Be professional in all business matters, or you may find yourself being taken advantage of, one way or the other.

Hi Donnie If you know exactly what you want to say, but simply need a better way to say it, you may want to consider using AI as a helpful companion. I sometimes struggle keepng things professional and concise, so I slam my paragraph into ChatGPT and ask it to rephrase it for me. I sometimes need to tweak it a bit, but it usually spits out something that is exactly what I want to convay, in a far more succinct form. Example I typed this into ChatGPT: "rephrase this please: I want to help my mate Donnie write emails that sound fancy and professional in order for him to win contracts and such. I wonder if ChatGPT can rephrase this paragraph to sound any better than what it does?" ChatGPT created this: "I would like to assist my friend Donnie in crafting emails that are polished and professional, enhancing his chances of securing contracts. I wonder if ChatGPT can improve this paragraph's phrasing." Like I said, you do have to know exactly what you mean to ensure ChatGPT provides the right thing, and you may need to tweak it here and there, but it's well helpful I find. Hope that's of use. Matthew

Hi The Timber Titan Have you not been in tree work very long!? So many people assume that their trees are simpy 'too big', without giving any further explanation what they are too big for. Mostly it's blocking their light, or fouling their gutters, or giving roosts to bird to crap onto their cars from. The best ones are the clients that start their sentence with, 'I like trees, but...' I've turned down work because what was being asked would've been extremely detrimental to the tree. Years ago I turned down topping a few silver birches in the back of someone's garden, stating that they're likely to decline from the top down and start losing branches in high winds. I attended the same property last year to find that they had had the work done, and now branches were snapping out in the high winds and the tops were rotting. You decide what's best for you, your business and your finances. If you don't do it, someone else will. Be happy in your decision to walk away, and concentrate on your next job.

Hi Ak280300 From the HSE website: "The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations place duties on employers to ensure that PPE is: properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose maintained and stored properly provided with instructions on how to use it safely used correctly by workers" Legally, as long as those key points are checked by each use of the PPE then they're good to go. However, you could raise the question of 'how can I confirm that so-and-so maintained, stored and used this kit properly?' if ever in doubt, don't share.

Hi KBS2021 As per the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations... Employers MUST "ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received adequate training for the purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using work equipment, and risks which such use may entail and the precautions to be taken." What that training entails is up to the employer, but the employer must show that the training was adequate for the task at hand. PUWER mentions only two situations that have specific minimum health and safety training requirements; chainsaw use and driving. If anyone is harmed from using a chipper (and the results of being injured can be catastrophic) your employer may well find themselves being prosecuted, fined, and potentially jailed.

Hi Esat Lampeter Tree Services may be your best bet. https://www.lampetertrees.co.uk/ Good luck with your move. Matthew

Hi peds I feel your pain, man. As a dad of three girls with long hair, nits are a flipping nightmare. And expensive to treat, too. We tried the over the counter shampoo and then chucked loads of conditioner onto their hair to make combing the lice out easier, but it still caused many tears and tantrums. In the end we just gave the girls pixie haircuts and told them to keep their heads away from the nitbags they were sat next to. The annoying thing, as mentioned previously, that treating your own kids is near pointless unless the whole class gets treated. That really grinds my gears.

Good morning, It's good that you're thinking now about your future as a climber. The last thing you want is to wake up one morning and think, "No, no more climbing for me today!" and not have anything to fall back on to instead. The thing with consultancy is that it takes a lot of skill and expertise in many different areas to be good. I am not saying you don't have that experience now, but it may be a good start to highlight what you have and haven't got to make it as a consultant. Being able to look at a tree and find its faults and failures may be one thing, but there's the associated paperwork, computerwork, mapping software, legal knowledge, meetings to attend, reports to write... the list goes on. There's a huge shift in responsibility too. At the moment you're working for someone else, and it is that person who shoulders much of the responsibility, to a point. As a consultant who puts their name to a report of their professional findings the onus is on you to carry the burden of ownership that comes with it. Do you feel you have what it takes to own your report and accept the consequences? I'm 45 and still climb trees for a living, at the minute. I love my job, and I love climbing trees. It is what has held me back from doing other things. My shoulder, knees and other parts are complaining more and more and it is apparent that I should've looked at moving into other areas sooner. So with that in mind I recently undertook a load of training in health, safety and environmetal management and have got a new full-time position at Network Rail that will still enable me to climb a little, and carry on surveying and reporting etc. Take the opportunity to travel if it comes up. Venture out a little and see what else is out there. Understand your transferable hard and soft skills, and work out where else they can be applied. The trees will always be here for you when you get back.

Hi Treelover1000 1. Get in touch with individuals and companies that need your service. Have a clear plan of what you will and won't do, and where your competency lies. Think about distances you're willing to travel, tasks you're willing and able to do, kit you have or need to get, etc. Be familiar with what the legal responsibilities of yourself and your client are. 2. How much do you need? This can only be answered by yourself, and is between you and your employer. 3. I started freelancing in 2009 and have able to keep my diary relatively full about a month in advance. Keep in mind that as a subbie you will often be the first one to be dropped at short notice. It will take you a while to work out who you do and do not want to work for, and to build professional relationships. For me, freelancing was the best way forward from my position as an employee with a utility arb firm. I have learned so much in the years since, and matured personally and professionally over this time. My skills, qualifications and experiences have only increased, and having the freedom associated with being self employed was a huge improvement in my life. Freelancing isn't for everyone, and the threat of not having work coming in and therefore not earning can be daunting. Managing your time, kit, training, LOLER, machinery purchases, vehicle etc. is important, so is building trusting relationships with whoever you are working for.

I know quite a decent amount of knots, as one of my hobbies includes decorative nautical knotwork/marlinspike, and I often go thorugh Ashley's Book Of Knots lookcing up the history of knots and splices. Day-to-day though I use only a handful, including: Bowline / running bowline Bowline on a bight Alpine butterfly (with bunny ears) for SRT canopy anchor Quick hitch Clove hitch 2 round turns and 2 half hitches I used to often use VT and other friction hitch variants, but these have been replaced by mechanical devices. I could still tie 3-knot system, Blake's hitch, tautline hitch etc if needed, and the trucker's hitch has been replaced by ratchet straps.

Hi AHPP I didn't say it didn't matter. I did say to them to not sweat it (for now). I also mentioned they should keep it in mind as an area for them to improve. What regulation I would like to see discussed would be around improving the competency levels of newly qualified climbers, aimed at building their confidence when working at height. Maybe something along the lines of IRATA where a climber's competency levels are captured in a log book. I would also like to see regulation to prevent untrained and unqualified persons from being able to call themselves tree surgeons and carry out tree work operations - something similar to Gas Safe Register maybe. When the HSE investigate tree work inuries and fatalities it is recorded simply as a 'contractor' or 'worker' or 'tree surgeon' having an incident, regardless of whether the injured party is a qualified and competent chainsaw user / tree climber or not. If a higher number of untrained individuals, who label themselves as tree surgeons, are experiencing fatalities or injuries compared to trained individuals, it can distort the statistics regarding the occupational risks. These incidents, along with their corresponding data, are subsequently used in shaping policies that impact certified, skilled arborists nationwide. I would like to see a clearer distinction between fully-trained professionals and untrained individuals. I'm happy to discuss this particular topic with anyone further elsewhere, but I feel it's detracting from the original topic thread here. Thank you.

I refuse to believe that publishing an article necessarily means the AA endorses it. I feel it's potentially dangerous to go down this route. The AA has the right to post material that meets the minimum requirements of its submission guidelines, as long as the article remains within the realms of law and decency. The AA should, rightly, print an article that rebuts everything the original author published. I am unaware what the editorial guidelines are for opinion writers, or what editorial control the AA has, but it does state quite clearly on articles and on the website that the views of the author do not represent the views of the organisation. This is good practice for any organisation that aims to provide balanced arguements in order to promote discussion aimed at improving the industry.

Thank you, Steve. I don't know whether resurrecting this post will serve any beneficial purpose, but I think it goes without saying that the bias shown in the article says more about the author than the topic. The issue of subcontractors, freelancers, temporary workers, or however you want to label them, won't be resolved through namecalling and using derogatory terms. I believe there are larger concerns within the industry currently, such as its overall lack of representation, undervaluation, poor pay, and insufficient regulation. I feel that the major problem facing the industry is the size of it. It's so small that it simply gets swallowed up along with agriculture and fishing (!?), and any industry-specific concerns - such as the use of subbies - get lost in the noise.

Feel threatened, no. Feel like this is an opportunity to cross the palms of policy makers with silver, yes. Much like the recent COP meeting hosted by a major oil producing country, 'powerful' enough to pressurise the COP to change the wording of the climate change agreement to still benefit oil producing nations.

I don't know if any good will come from dragging up an article that is over four years old, but I do feel compelled to mention a few points. Full disclouse preamble - I'm an arborist of 20+ years, and have been a 'subbie' since the end of 2009, working in the utility, amenity and domestic sectors. I have worked regularly for a select group of individuals and small enterprises, while also turning down work from companies that I don't want to be associated with due to ethical and safety reasons. I'm a member of the AA, and of IOSH, and am a committee member of the IOSH Rural Industries Group. Well, I feel this as an opening statement says it all. You really needn't read any more after this statement. Apart from tarring all subbies with the same brush and using derogatory and demeaning language, the author fails to source, question and understand the reasons why someone may leave a full-time position in order to become a self-employed subbie. For me it was because I was unhappy where I was - even though the pay was OK and I held a supervisory position. It wasn't about the money - but more about job satisfaction and professional development. There are any number of personal and professional reasons someone may want to leave a full-time position in order to go self-employed / freelance. Oh, and of course, subbies can't do anything except demolish trees for domestic clients. Low blow, Paul. Low blow. The 'what is a subbie, what isn't a subbie' thing is hugely difficult and, potentially, problematic. I do think this area needs a huge overhaul, as it's tricky to fully underatand where one sits legally with regard to tax payments and health and safety arrangements. I have used to HMRC CEST page and it cannot define what I am based on my inputs. It is a grey area, that will always prove tricky to deal with. I think, at best, we need to move away from the term 'subbie' unless discussing bone fide subcontractors that take on and complete a job from start to finish with full or near-full responsibility. Subbie climbers and grounsdman could simply be called 'freelance worker' or 'temporary worker'. There doesn't seem to be any semblance of balance in this article, and no indication that there are, in fact, some bloody good freelance climbers out there. I know plenty, and have worked with plenty, and like to associate myself with fellow arborists that share my personal and professional ethical standards. I also know of subbies who fit the description Paul mentions. If an organisation feel compelled to employ the services of the latter over the former then that says more about the organisation than it does of the climber. Paul is correct here. An MSME has moral, legal and financial reasons to look after a subbie's welfare as much as they do a direct employee. I'm inclined to agree with the concept, but not the language used. '...weed out the parasites...' isn't polite, helpful or called for and simply highlights the contempt the author has for fellow workers. However, we should be looking to "...use the services of true experts," especially if we are to raise the profile of this struggling profession. With over ten years' worth of subbying under my belt I could write an article defending myself, and offer rebuttles to most of the author's points. I could explain how I come to site in a clean, white van, packed with gear, ready to take on whatever is asked of me. I often bring more kit with me that other subbies, because it benefits me greatly to have it. I don't charge any more for it. I often help maintain chainsaws of the company I am climbing for, when asked or needed. Once the climbing is done I will pack my kit away and help with any clearing up. I have no gaps on my HMRC record, and have my invoices backed up going back five or six years. All-in-all I feel this piece is unbalanced, unprofessional and unfair. It highlights the negative actions of some individuals, while disregarding the positive actions of others. It also fails to present arguements for people's individual freedoms, and reasons for undertaking freelance work. I feel the AA should have paid more attention to being impartial, and should have questioned the need for an article to be writen with an inflamatory tone and use such provocative language.

Hi west_climbs Don't sweat it. When I did my climbing assessment in '98 I just couldn't figure out how to do one of the rescues, and relied on my casualty whispering the stages to me. You're brand new to the scenario, so take it as a learning point, and maybe keep in mind that it might be something you need to work on in the future. Good luck.

Hello everyone I'm a new, old member - I had an Arbtalk account for a number of years but I found that I wasn't using it all that much. My interest and passion in tree work had waned. However, recently I moved into a more professional role and also taken on a number of voluntary roles that have reignited my passion for trees and tree care. So with that in mind I have set up a new account! Cheers Matthew