Irene

C

Cvoyzey

Location
watertown, ct
Hi guys I have been hanging around for a while but I don't post very often. With the upcoming storm that is gonna smash the north east I thought a good topic of discussion would be storm work. I am sure most of us know that major storm work is a whole differnt animial than our ordnary everyday tree work and a lot of younger guys who rely on the buzz for knowlage might not have found themselves in the positions that they might find themselves in during the next few weeks. So I would like to offer a few basic thing for some people to keep in mind. Beware of pressure, barber chairs can be REAL NASTY make sure you are aware of what is going to happen when you make that cut. Keep in mind that after 100+ mph winds that there might be damage to the tree you might not be aware of, use all your senses pay attention don't be afraid to double or even triple crotch if that is what you need to do to feel safe. NEVER assume that a power line isn't hot twice I have seen guys get juiced assuming a service wire wasn't hot because the whole neighborhood didn't have power, people have generators and sometimes they backfeed. If you are expecting a heavy workload try to take the time now to prepare and rest. a little extra sleep never hurt anyone. sometimes in a storm situation conventional rigging methods are not enough and we really need to think outside of the box if you are not sure if what you are about to do is gonna work rethink it and figure it out if you cant figure it walk away. I don't want to read about anyone in "awakenings" if anyone has anything to add please do. Good luck gentlemen and please stay safe!!
 
Great post!

jp
grin.gif
 
Two points: Barber chairs are DEADLY! not just nasty. Watch out for them. Secondly, be careful to not let adrenalin drive you. It is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of working the storm initially. Fight this urge or it can kill you, either by making a mistake or just sheer exhaustion. I know I fight this with every storm. To all who will be working this storm, work safe!
 
i'd like to chime in a little.
if you have never worked storm torn trees before you could just about take everything you know about standard tree felling and >>>>forget about it LOL

ive seen trees under tension literally spring and kick 10 ft I preached and preached to the crew cutting that tree to be careful and they were but if i had not said something to them a think the saw man would not have been takin his OWN boots off at the end of that day

you really need to understand about the C.U.T. theory of cutting which is starting on the compressed side first and then finishing the cut from the tensioned side.

also storm damaged trees will have side tension or compression that u might not be able to tell.

on any questionable cuts i would recommend cutting slowly to see what the wood is doing

and also sometimes doing THE BENDER Gerry B. talks about on pg175 in the green fundamentals of tree work where you just make multiple cuts in the book it shows it for use of limb removal BUT it can be done anywhere there is tension u want to relieve slowly to see what kind of forces you ARE dealing with

AND IF YOU AR GOING TO WORK STORMS FOR THE FIRST TIME
PLEASE READ JERRY'S BOOK AT LEAST CHAPTER 34 THAT TALKS ABOUT LIMBING AND BUCKING....... IT DISCUSSED A LOT OF THE FORCES THAT YOU MAY ENCOUNTER AFTER A STORM

AND IF U READ THAT CHAPTER IT MAY B E THE DIFFERENCE OF EVER SLEEPING IN YOUR OWN BED AGAIN OR SLEEPIN IN A GRAVE PLEASE BE CAREFUL

I pray for all of us workers everyday but u still need to have knowledge and / experience because if you try cutting after storms without a little knowledge or someone who has worked storms before it could be FATAL

God Bless
 
oldmanoak: you are very right about the deadly point very glad you pointed that out

treemaninmo: great post I am glad you pointed out some reference materials I would have never thought to mention that

treesandsurf: Thanks :)
 
Im here on the Eastern Shore of MD and we are gettin ready to get rocked!! Fights at Wal-mart over water, ALL batteries and flashlights sold out EVERYWHERE!! People are going crazy. It was an insane day of work too. Clients want trees cut down because they are afraid of them falling, lots of deadwood pruning and weight reduction, Not to mention the DEAD trees homeowners dont care about until a storm happens.
 
One thing I've heard and keep with me is "You have the rest of your life to finish the job." (cut the limb, fell that tree, cut a notch, whatever it is..) Take your time, anyone telling you to hurry up, or just cut it, or giving you crap about being slow doesn't know what to do either or, they'd be doing it. If someone says just do "this" or "that" and, you don't feel comfortable with it, tell them you'll climb down and they can climb up and cut it then or, hand them the chaps and say go for it. Just be safe, please.
 
Seemed somewhat normal here in NY/NJ. Saw lots of people lining up for gas. Customers putting lawn furniture away asking if I thought any trees were in danger of coming down. It is already wet here so I am expecting the sad sight of lost trees. I myself am heading north, will return Monday with sharp saws. Planning slow week of picking up sticks and branches, checking out erosion. I love cutting up downed trees but not enough to hope I'm going to have too.
Slow and easy does it.
 
Generators always backfeed as far as the circuit alllows. All it needs is a path to ground. Don't be one!

Listen for them running around you. Look for them as you walk on a property. Look for lights where no one else has them, then check for contact with conductors.

Good luck and be safe!
 
It doesnt matter how much money you make today if your not around to spend it tomorrow! Be safe and charge for that safety!
 
Pricing in other businesses is the same. Supply and demand.
When demand for oil goes up it may cost the same to produce it but supply is lower so the price goes up. I dont see a difference in storm work.
 
They are also paying you for your intellectual capital. You're not just a guy with a chainsaw and a pick up truck. It's not hit and miss with you. That knowledge stored in your cranium that you draw upon to make the right choices is valuable.
 
awesome post guys im heading out to north carolina in 10 hrs i dont know what to expect im very good at what i do i consider myself a removal specialist but ive never left ontario and have never dealt with a hurricane also totally different trees from what im used to its going to be a whole new ball game for me for sure should be a great experience thanks for the reminders in the earlier posts and good luck to anyone going down to help


cheers!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Im here on the Eastern Shore of MD and we are gettin ready to get rocked!! Fights at Wal-mart over water, ALL batteries and flashlights sold out EVERYWHERE!! People are going crazy. It was an insane day of work too. Clients want trees cut down because they are afraid of them falling, lots of deadwood pruning and weight reduction, Not to mention the DEAD trees homeowners dont care about until a storm happens.

[/ QUOTE ]

treewhitelock,

Wow and I thought I had it bad here.

last few days crazy... customers calling and e-mailing, saying, i know I'm in the schedule for tree work, but is there anyway to remove the trees before the storm?

So, I have to pick the worst trees and do what we can.

today, I don't even know how many trees I put on the ground.

dead brittle trees and a very large tall Tulip tree.

Get them on the ground, chip during the process, but quit operation when the tree is stripped down to the trunk or whatever is very safe and move on to the next one.

It definitely cost the company more; because a price was given assuming regular work days and it wasn't intended on multiple visits to the property....

but, that's one of the reasons why our customers love us. We go above and beyond...
 
Be careful with bucking windthrown trees. The roots can cause a stump/ buttlog to stand back up into the stump hole in a hurry. Keep that area clear.

If you won't be able to stand a stump back into the hole (or rip it out), you might need to leave it with a large log still attached until you can.

Sad stories have been told of people getting crushed under the stump as it comes back up after weight is cut off of it.
 
I live in Charlotte, NC, if anyone from out of town needs anything let me know and I'll see what I can do to help. Charlotte has already been a staging area for the storm. P.M. me for contact information.
 
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