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Landbased Training has a PTI course scheduled to take place on the 16th - 18th May here at Berkshire College of Agriculture. For more information, or to make a booking, please email [email protected] or call 01628 827317. This is an advanced 3-day course for experienced and qualified arboriculturists. You must have an in-depth knowledge of plant and arboricultural science and excellent knowledge of wood-decaying fungi and the identification and interpretation of signs and symptoms of ill health and structural failure across a wide range of tree species and circumstances.

Hi, I have an upcoming job that I wanted to get advice from others on. It is a dead loblolly pine that is around 100-200 feet high and surrounded by fences. The fence isn’t much of a problem and I think it can be avoided or replaced if worst comes to worst. My main concern is safety for me the climber and the ground crew. The drop zone if I try to save the fence is small. It has very few remaining limbs. There are no other trees around that I could tie into for safety so pole climbing seems to be my only option. Are there any safety tips? I’m thinking about purchasing a tree squeeze in case of gaff slips but I have never used one.

I am currently carrying out research regarding chainsaw safety. We are targeting users with less experience of a chainsaw to get their thoughts behind how safe they feel when using a chainsaw and if it was possible would they pay for a more safe product. I would greatly appreciate if you could fill in the survey from the following link, it will only take 20 seconds, cheers; QUB Chainsaw Research Survey WWW.SURVEYMONKEY.CO.UK Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with... I am aware that the best way to improve safety when operating a chainsaw is through good training and the correct use of PPE. However these elements may not always be present as is evident though the injury stats. If you are a more experienced user, please feel free to fill out the survey as you would have when you first started out. Also, feel free to throw about some thoughts in the comments, thanks.

I'm currently carrying out a bit of research into the safety of chainsaws for my MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree. Chainsaws cause a lot of injuries every year and can seem a bit dangerous to the beginner. I am aware that there are safety mechanisms in place such as the chain brake, operated by hand or via inertia, however people still get injured. It would appear that naturally applying the chain brake by your left wrist in a dangerous situation comes with training and/or experience. My understanding of the inertial brake is that it requires an reactive force by the user, which again comes more naturally with training and/or experience. Would an electronic device that can sense abnormal movements (sudden changes in angle or position) and apply the brake quicker than the novice user make the chainsaw a more welcoming tool for the beginner? I understand that the chainsaw may still hit the user, however injury would be reduced by a multitude as the chain will have stopped. I am open to any comments or further advice.

I bought it from a retired Rebel Alliance X-Wing pilot... Compared to my trusty old Husqvarna helmet. The X-Wing has better visability, better hearing protection, fit is comparable. It's early days, time will tell.... Visor doesn't fog up, but it's been warm weather thus far.

Hello ladies and gents! So firstly , I'm not an Arborist. I'm a designer on an illuminated trail in Scotland and am looking for some solid advice regarding a possible method of fixing some items to trees in a local authority managed forest/country park in Scotland. The forest in question is mostly made up of Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Scots pine and Japanese larch. Although its a country park mainly for the enjoyment of the public, when trees are harvested they are done so mainly for commercial reasons and or due to weather damage/ unsafe ( scotland is not exactly known for its tropical climate....) We need to temporarily install some small loudpseakers to the trees, and this is done by way of a speaker bracket that has 4 fixing points. Speaker itself is not heavy at all ( 1kg ish ) Ideally we'd like to use screws to achieve this but a back up of attaching the bracket to a small pad of marine ply and then strapping this round the trunk with an endless ratchet strap has been formulated, however if possible we'd like to go down the screw route. Purely and simply down to time and cost. I've done a bit of research and read that the best screws to use would be of aluminium or stainless steel type and obviously I've gone for the smallest Stainless Steel screw there is which in turn with weight considerations would be 30mm screw length and 4mm width. Once the bracket is on the tree only about 20-22mm of screw would be penetrating the bark and into the tree "meat". The event itself runs only for 3 weeks and we would be installing the items 10 days prior to the show opening. At the end of the event run the brackets would be removed together with EVERY screw ( we wouldnt be able to get the brackets off the tree trunk otherwise ) The rangers are understandably worried as they kept reiterating that the trees will be eventually felled for harvest and they don't want the trees damaged as this would affect their price. After watching a few sawmill videos and reading some forestry literature would i be correct in thinking that the outer material is stripped back quite a bit so a 20mm screw path wouldnt be noticed or interfere much in the harvesting / processing ? Im obviously mindful of damaging the tree by means of giving a path for insects and funghi to harm the tree....Would spraying the screws with copper solution be enough to act as a defense against introducing an infection into the tree? Or would the use of copper solution effectively poison it? As mentioned, I'm not an Arborist however I'd rather be able to come to a mutually beneficial method with the rangers rather than just be told no. At the same time I love the outdoors and would hate to be the cause of a tree being infected by funghi etc. Am I flogging a dead horse here or do you think the above screw method and execution is viable? Thanks for your time Julian

Watching crash test vids on YouTube this eve, got me thinking about unrestrained cargo and bulkheads. My 04 Kangoo has a really Mickey mouse bulkhead, if you can even call it that. A few tubes with weak mesh in between, no way it's going to stop a generator, heavy tool box or 10 bags of cement travelling at 30 - 80 mph. Research reveals that even solid bulkheads will buckle under severe impact, apparently the aftermarket ones are only required to be rated for 25kg at 30kph/mph or something. There are tie down points, affixed with an 8mm bolt, but I wonder if that is actually enough to hold a heavy load? I have a couple of boxes bolted down to the tie-down threads, one is plywood and I have a notion the box would actually shatter rather than pop the bolt. Bit worried about the whole thing. I really don't want to have to ratchet tie-down every tool in the van. Thinking about fabricating a really strong metal box as big as the van bay, maybe a foot tall, with a hinged lid, and bolting that down to all four tie-down points, but that's nearly more difficult than building a metal bulkhead. Any thoughts on this?

Sorbus are pleased to announce that we are hosting another workshop to benefit our customers on: Modern Climbing Tools and Techniques A complete practical overview of all the latest tools and techniques run by expert trainer in tree work and forestry, Tony Darbyshire and 3ATC winner Geoff Pugsley. An insight into rapidly developing new techniques and rope climbing tips for the arborist climber to help you be as productive, safe and comfortable as possible in the trees. Saturday 8th October We are all aware that this industry is constantly evolving and new techniques and tools are being introduced regularly, it almost seems that you just learn one technique and then there is another new shiny gadget out to learn about all over again! To help climbers get a better understanding we are offering a ‘hands-on’ experience in a variety of systems, starting at our brand new premises in Frome and then off to the beautiful grounds of Ammerdown Park in Kilmersdon. To get your space and for more information book online here: https://www.sorbus-intl.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=699&product_id=7062 If you would like to discuss any aspect of the course with us please don't hesitate to call us on 01373 475540 or email: [email protected] Thanks, The Sorbus Team

Is anybody else having the same issue with the Samson Vortex? I love this rope, but the new batches we've been getting have been doing this [see attached: new (left) versus old (right).] The sheath bunches up badly in my hitch, too. While I know this is not the case, it subjectively feels like there's 30% less core inside the sheath as compared to normal batches. Samson has told us that they acknowledge there is a defect, but that they haven't been able to replicate the bend themselves; all seven of our climbers can anywhere along the lengths of the six ropes that we've had this issue with. I'm really bummed--the Vortex was great in the hands, worked SRT and DdRT, and had practically no stretch--but the stuff we've been getting lately is worrying.

Hi All, New here so please forgive the newbie for any blatant stupidity and poor etiquette. I've had a little experience with a CS before but never enough to start thinking about things too much. Now I find myself wanting to use greenwood for turning and large carvings (Redwood Kings inspired to be honest). I have a few of questions which I would love it if I could get some help with: 1. Are there such things as neck and shoulder guards? I did some work with an artist from Seattle years ago who had a leather/composite guard that hung over his shoulders and fastened behind the neck. Just wondering because as a newbie to frequent saw use I want to protect from mistakes as much as possible. 2. I have found a saw on ebay from a company called XXX power tools. It's 56cc with a 20" bar. If anyone is aware of I would love some comments. I can't warrant forking out on a top make but don't want a load of rubbish either. 3. Most of the times I've used a chainsaw before has been simple crosscuts. Any tips, videos or guides on cutting down the length? Again... sorry for the newbie stuff... just want to get some decent advice before a new adventure begins. Cheers everyone. Rob

Hi everyone. My name is Billy and I am in the very early stages of setting up my health and safety consultancy SG Safety Group LTD. I am also a qualified Arborist but unfortunately injury has forced a new career path. I am after some thoughts from you guys on how useful my new business venture would be to the arb industry. I know through experience that if you want to register with CHAS or SAFEcontractor they make you jump through many hoops so I could help with this and also compliance with the law. It's only going to get worse for red tape. My plan is to offer services that include: LOLER inspections Bespoke health and safety policies Responsible person status on a retainer Safety audits and inspections COSHH assessments Risk assessments Method statements Fire risk assessments Certified Manual handling training Certified First aid training Certified COSHH training plus a few other things. I know that a lot of you trade as sole traders and some of these services won't be of any use to you but any thoughts on what will work or what I might be wasting my time with would be great. The Arb industry isn't the only industry I service but with my background it is something I want to explore. All the training can be done at your premises or home. Anyway let me know your thoughts and please be gentle.

HI ALL, just a quick question, what is considered the industry / field standard to keep public away from a dead or decaying tree barrier tape? is there anything else that is used to ensure the safety of the public ? Jamie

Not sure if anyone has posted this already? Saw this link on the HSE website and thought it might be of interest. http://www.hse.gov.uk/treework/articles/rigging-research2.pdf

Hi I am new to the forum but from what I see it looks pretty good. I'm hoping I'm ok to add a link to my website where we have recently developed a range of pre-use inspection checklists for various pieces of equipment including harnesses, ladders, MEWPs etc which could be of use within this industry. We developed the system to ensure that anyone going to use equipment know's when it has been checked and that it is 'good to go' in line with PUWER, LOLER and WAHR regs. It might be overkill to some but an easy fix for others that want to ensure they are compliant with best practice. Let me know what you think: Good To Go : Introduction