I got fired

BigJon: is your unfortunate awakening something you could share? I wouldn't want to get fired for the same thing.

Joe
 
Joe, I was removeing a dead6 or 7 inch limb from a poplar that was at about 80 feet up. It didn't apear that it was dead for a long period of time. The limb was over hanging a red oak tree. I attatched a lowering line just past the mid point of the limb to keep it up off the oak. The crotching point was directly across from the limb creating a sling shot effect. I put a notch on the side a bit to swing it around the oak a bit. Once it came around I kicked the but off and it swung across and down. The running bowlin acted like a noose and snapped the piece in half. One half came down through the roof of a small fire wood shed and other through the roof of an open car port type of building. Crothcing the rope directly above the attatchment point and using some half hitches laceing it up may have prevented this. With the limb looking as good as it did I didn't feel it was neccessary.
 
BigJon,
SOunds like you got a raw deal. I can relate to the company's position, since I have to pay for damage that occurs on my jobs, but I also understand that sometimes you can't predict all that will happen. If you sell enough 80-ft. pruning jobs, you're bound to have something like this happen eventually.

Good luck finding a new job soon. I'm inclined to say good riddance to teh company, but i know it can be hard to look at it that way when you just lost a paycheck. Hang in there.

keith
 
I've been fired from many jobs, usually following some minor mishap such as you described. What I know for a fact is that the minor mishap was simply an excuse to let me go. The TRUE problem has been my inability to work well with others over an extended period of time.
I've learned a lot about myself in the last 2-3 years and I'm much better at interacting with others now. But I still have work to do on myself, it will be a life-long journey. All I can do is to try and do a better job today than I did yesterday. Some days are better than others but overall I've made great strides in my quest to be a better person.
My climbing or trimming abilities were never an issue.
 
BigJon: Thanks for sharing the mishap. The firing partdoesn't seem right to me. It sounds like you took reasonable precautions to avoid an accident. Sometimes, I find no matter what I do to avoid a mishap something manages to go wrong just enough to make me look bad if anything else. It's Murphys' Law at work for sure. I feel your anguish unless you were looking for a change. I noticed you mentioned using half hitches along the length of the limb when you suspected something as you described would happen. If it's any type of consolation you can keep for future reference, in case you haven't heard of this technique, you can substitute speed line slings in place of the half hitches to accomplish the same effect. The speed line slings work well and are much easier to attach to the limb than half hitches. Attach the work line near where the cut on the limb is going to be made, then choke the webbing slings as far along the limb as you believe you need support. Run the work line through the carabiners which are attached to the webbing. It's a simple technique which I learned to appreciate. I've never had a limb break apart using it if that tells you anything. Good luck with the job hunt.Joe
 
Allright , hate to see a man lose his job but there seems to be somehting missing . Did you have a history of breaking things ? Were you told " don't break anything on this Job " or was it the boss' house ? When you're put in a position to possibly have property damage if something were to go wrong , and your job is on the line if something does , I'd make that clear before I did the job . I'd need a little extra in$entive .
 
Simple fact in life is that it only takes one "oh [censored]!" to erase all of those "atta boys".

I have had that happen once. After working at a place for 2 years, I almost got fired for denting a gutter (because the ground help didn't let the rope run).

The only time I have sent climbers home is when they were unseccessfully using "directional cuts" to try to stear limbs instead of roping them down. Yeah, and they were over japanese maples.

Keep your head up, the times that I have been fired, in hind sight, I know I was too qualified for that job and had out grown it. Life just got better.

Nate
 
Nathan has a point about growing out of a job. For years, I was doing my own thing on the side in addition to a full time job to cover benefits and 'reportable income'. I grew out of most of those jobs and always ended up in a higher paying position with more prestige. I was working as a groundman for a local city for $9 per hour when I did my first crane removal for myself ($3200 job). Then I was a foreman for Davey for $14 per hour when I was let go and ended up making $150 per day as a climber for another company. Now I'm making $200+ in a 6 hour day average. I wouldn't be here if I hadn't been pushed out of my previous position.

Do what you love, maximize your strong suits and don't be shy when selling yourself. Just have the cajones to back up your claims of greatness!

Good luck in your quest, Jon.
 
I work with John and dont really want to post but feel I should.
Things are not always as clear as they seem and there are two sides to every story.I dont want to bash John and am not going to .John you have to ask yourself what led you to this spot?Now sart fresh and try to learn from what took place ,its human to make mistakes.But we all need to learn from them.
 
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, I'm sure your thinking of all those things you could have done.
Sorry to hear about that. Still goin to Lancaster? Opportunities there...??? Hope to see you...since your not one the boys i was buying for now...think I'll get you the first pitcher.
Later
 
I guess I should update the ending to this story. I gave it a week for everyone involved to cool down and I went back in to work and we worked things out. So I am back working. I guess there are a bunch of little things that led up to what happened that day. Little things such as poor communication with the ground man assuming he will know or do the right thing. Assuming the limb wouldn't break up and my own personal mind set at the time. Also I guess after doing the same thing over and over with out incident may make over confident and comfortable. It's not that I lack the know how of the many possible ways of rigging such a limb it's that I felt comfortable. So I guess my lesson is to rig to the safest of my ability when ever working over obstacles.

I don't think I'll make it out to lancaster, some one has to stay behind and work. I hear some people in the past ruined it for us now by their behavior so not everyone gets to go. I'll definately see ya at the next jamboree.
 
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