Top Safety Tips

[ QUOTE ]
I hate to say it Ropeshield but you are putting yourself to get bombed with the one hand comment. It's been hashed out numerous times and this thread is about safety tips started by a new buzzer. I am not for or against your view. I am 45 and know what I can do with a chainsaw but one handing comes in at a losing battle on the buzz. I am not a hypocrite I one hand when I have to but I don't advocate it. And I can get out on limbs with ease and don't have a problem with positioning. Some things are best kept to oneself believe me I know.

[/ QUOTE ]

+1
beerchug.gif
 
Not this again. I can't believe people still claim a top handle is designed to be used with one hand. It CAN be, but I doubt it was designed for that. Please correct me by pointing me to the source if I'm wrong.

I'm not the arborcops and not anyone's mom either, so I'm not going to say anything about what otexperienced arbs do. But I do think that one-handing is something only a very experienced cutter should do, and only in situations where that expremely experienced cutter knows it's the best option in that case.

It's not something you do because you want to go faster on 'cut and chuck' operations or you think you are such a speed demon that you couldn't possibly slow down long enough to get a proper hands-free work position.

Or that holding a small saw with two hands is for pussies. That kind of attitude leads to bad things.


blalablablabla. How many years will I be in this game before I feel like I can ignore these age old arguments?
 
Wrong thread for this discussion, but.....
While I agree that one handing while climbing CAN be a crutch inplace of propper work positioning. (almost never do it, anymore), for bucket operators and utility arborists, it is an invaluable skill/technique.
Think for a moment, branches to be removed over, around and through a 13.8kv feeder. A properly trained an certified U.A. Has several choices. Bounce small pieces off the wires, putting himself, the truck, ground crew and general public at risk. Rope pieces off, with the same hazards and putting the holder of the rope in peril. Or he/she can prune the "fuzz"off then one hand the wood away, while using procedures to minimize the risk to themself.

So, here is my second piece of safety advice for this thread. Beware of those on high horses! Black and white approaches to arboriculture can be hazardous to your health, nomatter which side of the holier than thou fence you think your on. Me? I'm happily and SAFELY navigating the gray, while playing Zorro the bucket operator, when it IS the safest way when circumstances dictate, to do an already ridiculously dangerous job.

I am so tired of people who look down their nose and chastise those who have a differing point of view or use different techniques and equipment.
 
Wait a sec. What part of Frax's comment is high handed or black and white? Hmmm?

Maybe you should read it again. She said the same thing you did in effect. One hand only if you know how and have the experience. That's not black and white, it leaves LOTS of room for judgment. And where the hell is the looking down the nose part? She's been pretty damn humble in practically every post she's ever written here.

I'll get black and white for you though, Rookies should not one hand a frikkin' saw, period. It's an advanced technique that can definitely go wrong, especially in brushy trees.

This is an old debate that is indeed not black and white. Practically everything a climber does requires strong judgment. The fact that these are tips and not regulations makes every word in this thread an opinion.

I'm pretty sure you will never find manufacturers recommendations that say a top handle is for one handing. But I also don't see how they could NOT consider one handing when designing a trim saw... their customers expect a saw they can use either way and they have to keep their customers happy.
 
[ QUOTE ]


Frax, you may think blablabla all you wish, however there are those of us who feel the same way about your "side of the fence"


[/ QUOTE ]
Retracted. Frax seems to be the victim of friendly fire and I apologize. My whole comment was not directed at yours. The last dozen or so have a decidedly shame shame slant.
However, the rest of my comment stands.
And blnky, did you read mine? I believe it says something about a " properly trained and certified U.A" Where does it say anything about Rookies?

I suggest iany further discussion of this topic be continued elsewhere, as not to derail this thread any further.
Tom, is there any way to remove/ move the one hand comments to another post?
 
I appreciate that actually. I just wanted to express that I think some statements CAN be black and white... rules for lack of a better term. I've never been good with rules though.

I'm happy to delete mine if it helps.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi all,

Thought I'd start a safety advice thread for novice arborists and tree climbers. (If there is already one started, please point me in the right direction)

What is the best safety advice you received when you were first starting out? What is your number one top safety tip now?

Thanks,
Katie

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll drag this back to the topic:

My first year was straight into a Homelite Super 2 (1981). My second season brought a 20+ year experienced foreman who slapped an old-style D handled curved-blade handsaw into my chest and bluntly informed me (I won't use the exact language here) that I'd climb with that until I proved to him that I knew how to cut & rig a tree.

My advice would be to start with a handsaw. Chainsaws make cutting trees too easy. If a newbie has to put a tree on the ground with an Armstrong Chainsaw, they'll learn how to reduce the # of cuts and how to disassemble a tree.
 
I never want my little girl to say "my daddy followed the rules to the letter.... And it killed him".
There is a provision in our occupational health and safety act, that says something like if it is unsafe to follow the act in certain circumstances, then you don't have to. We don't have ANSI standards to follow and a lot of what we do have is vague and barely applicable at best. Welcome to Ontario tree climbing.
I don't think deleting is the answer either. This is obviously a discussion that needs to be had, just somewhere else.
 
"Or he/she can prune the "fuzz"off then one hand the wood away, while using procedures to minimize the risk to themself."

I've often wondered why the arborist would'nt make a bypass cut in this situation, put the saw away, and then use two hands to control the piece. It allows me to use the top handle saw with both hands as well as giving me more control of the piece because I can use two hands on that. Evolution gave me two hands and the design engineers gave me two handles so I put them to good use. That's how I handle it and it keeps me and everyone else safe. It's all a matter of training I suppose. BTW, I hope I'm not coming across as someone that is looking down my nose at others. That's not my nature. I'm not a "cop". Just stating my case and how I perform the task and how I train others to do the same. Tree folks are the best folks in the world in my mind and I wouldnt trade my 36 yrs in this profeesion for any other. I love you all. Be Safe
 
This is one I think hasn't been covered yet...

Establish with the ground crew beforehand exactly what 'Clear!' means.

For some it means get out of the drop zone but for others it means the hole is clear and you can come under. That could lead to a serious misunderstanding.
 
I agree. "Clear" in and of itself is not enough. "Stand Clear" and "All Clear" or "Stop" if it isn't clear. Just so the entire crew is aware of what the signals are and agree that the chosen terms communicate the correct thing. Struck bys are much too common and they are the result of poor or non exsistant planning and communication.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I never want my little girl to say "my daddy followed the rules to the letter.... And it killed him".
There is a provision in our occupational health and safety act, that says something like if it is unsafe to follow the act in certain circumstances, then you don't have to. We don't have ANSI standards to follow and a lot of what we do have is vague and barely applicable at best. Welcome to Ontario tree climbing.
I don't think deleting is the answer either. This is obviously a discussion that needs to be had, just somewhere else.

[/ QUOTE ]

Better she say he didn't follow the rules and died? Would you want to be the one to tell your co-workers kids, mom, spouse, GF that your decision to skirt the rules killed them? Hmmmm..... a dilemma not for the faint of heart. As for the OHSA, the battle I'm sure is ongoing with the tree care community fighting for the inclusion of ANSI standards as the OHSA reg to govern us. In the meantime, the interpretation of the regs that are applied are far more clear and applicable than you're suggesting (I have studied both the OHSA regs and the ANSI standard while at Humber College). A burden of proof still exists for the employer if the decision to ignore the reg is taken and an accident occurs. Those decisions are also on a case by case basis not a cart blanche for daily operations. That, too often, becomes the reality.

Like much of what is debated the application of common sense and rational thinking is what needs to be applied not just posturing and a race to the bottomline.
 
I think that ultimately a groundie who assumes he is invisible to the climber, will live the longest and most productive lives.

A professional street motorcyclist, in fact, the wheelie king of the world, Doug Domokos, advised me, to survive on a busy track, one must assume you are invisible, and therefore constantly vigilant and ready no matter what happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNa360R75aw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Like a training course where climbers couldn't nail groundies with anything even if they tried to?

I think every climber is aware that they're iin the vulnerable spot in terms of gravity and sabotage like actions!

Agility and reaction training in a combat controlled scenario!

Can you survive extreme initiation games in today's jungle?

Coming this summer when the ax-men take on the marines to channel history!

jomoco
grin.gif
 
Whistles, Fog Horns, or other loud attention getters are good to have handy.

All climbers know that it is really hard to hear in the tree especially if you are near a busy road.

I was on a job where the other climber was removing a large Pecan and was frustrated and trying to hurry and he notched the leader he was tied into.

I was yelling at the top of my lungs, waving my arms and couldn't get his attention! Luckily he realized what he was doing before his backcut. I couldn't have been more nervous than at that moment.

I know all of us have seen somebody doing something stupid or dangerous and walking up to them risks having two casualties instead of one.

Noise makers can be life savers!
 
I prefer the thumbs up to all clear myself. Forces you to look at your rope guy or your ground lead. We rope almost everything, so if you have to look down and at the scene, count your people and make sure the rope man is ready.

A clear communication is critical, absolutely!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
That's another thing. I like ground crew to wear a helmet and shirt I can see so that people count can go quickly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely! Bright hard hats and tee shirts or thin mesh safty vest. You can see em from a mile away, literaly!

-BEN
 
Training yourself to account for one two three orange vests before letting loose is a long term loser when the habit becomes routine.

It's constant surveillance in an almost impossible 360 degree sense that is your very best friend.

What you can't see is most likely to kill you.

That's why a rear view screen helmet cam is a future arborist tool that will save lives, in this industry, and others, worldwide.

How about this?

A telescoping pole truck with 360 degree cameras, real time cameras being remotely monitored by safety enforcement experts in constant contact with the crew foreman and each member of his crew.

Big bro is watching, teaching, guiding and paying you to be the very best tree worker possible.

Transparency too far?

I aint scared, just scarred!

jomoco
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom