Using personal gear at work

How many journeyman in any trade believe that? I should also pick you up for work i suppose and bring you a hot lunch!LOL I will provide you with the JOB you will EARN your money and whatever little trinkets and fobs i favor you with. I only hire groundies as a result and they all go on to happy lives with their OWN GEAR with the money they earned or i loaned them. So much of this everywhere. Saving the gear for a special occasion?
 
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How many journeyman in any trade believe that? I should also pick you up for work i suppose and bring you a hot lunch!LOL I will provide you with the JOB you will EARN your money and whatever little trinkets and fobs i favor you with. I only hire groundies as a result and they all go on to happy lives with their OWN GEAR with the money they earned or i loaned them. So much of this everywhere. Saving the gear for a special occasion?

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I am mostly retired and only get called upon by a couple local companies who need an extra climber, or for crane removals, or like today the owner called and said: "It's raining, can you come show my climbers that new stuff you are using?"
I have always used my own equipment, and that includes everything except the chipper, truck, tractor, crane. One of the companies will call and ask to borrow equipment,and I will lend certain items like come-a-longs and winches and large blocks, but never personal saddle, ropes, and other safety equipment. I want to know what stresses are put on teh equipment that my life depends upon.
 
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When your the hammer everthing you see is a nail.



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Wow.


I bring my climbing gear and some light duty riggin. I'm working on my kit slowly but surely.

You do get a chuckle now and again Holly
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My questions are for employees not contract climbers.

So...I'd like to get an answer from both sides, owners and climbers.

If personal tools are stolen or damaged who replaces them?

If personal tools/PPE are used and there is an accident/injury who is liable?
 
If my gear is stolen off the truck, company insurance will cover it. If I leave stuff in someones yard or my pole pruner ends up in a chip pile, then I'm on the hook for replacements.

As for liability, a safe operator should have an annual or biannual equipment inspection process to cover themselves, and the foreman and safety coordinator will monitor gear regularly in the field. It's my own responsibility to hang on to product paperwork as far as ratings and date of manufacture.
 
I have done most all the climbing for the last 2 years that I've been in business.

I will provide necessary equipment for my guys. Its good that they have their own saddles/ lanyards/ rope, as I don't have extra, and they are custom sized/ adjusted for the climber. Its good for each person to have an individual climbline, whether company owned or personally owned, as it it so often the only point of attachment while moving around the tree. With no back-up while moving, a climber must have utmost faith that the rope is sound.

My second climbing line, arbor-plex, was needed for rigging at some point, so it stayed as a rigging rope. Because I was doing virtually all of the climbing, and was without another competant climber for AR, I've been working off of one climbline for a while.

When I get more dollars, I'll get a better rescue harness (or upgrade mine, and make mine the rescue harness) that can be a good working harness as well, and a spool of climbline, so I can provide climbing rope as well.

I would be willing to put out a stipend if the employees put up more gear, but I don't see a need for anything more right now.

In either case, I think that the employer should keep the worn gear updated.

I guess damage and theft would be dependent on the situation.
 
People should be compensated for bringing gear. All else being equal, a self-equipped climber surely deserves more compensation than one that is not self-equipped.
 
Funny Jim.

Haha.

Seriously. We dont have apprenticeships or journeymen in our trade, so dont throw that in because it is irrelevant.
Our equipment has a relatively short working life and it needs to be replaced over time. An auto mechanic or carpenter will generally own their own tools, but those tools will usually last a lifetime, not just a few years.
Im an accomplished climber and arborist and I WILL produce income for you. I dont have to prove myself to anyone, but if I have to I can. Again, I say, provide me with the tools I need to produce income for YOU. If you are unwilling to that, adios.
Why on earth should I wear out my stuff for you if I get nothing in return?
 
We provide essential gear and give climbers an yearly "allowance" based on their abilities. The gear they buy with that allowance is theirs to keep if they leave our company.

Side work is not an issue at this point for us. Everyone gets enough tree work in during the normal week.
 
I got hired, out of school, at the same time as another guy. Had all my gear, saddle, saw, spikes, rope and a few gadgets. The other guy had nothing. The boss bought everything for him after the first week. He didnt even tough out the firt season and left with all "his" gear. Did I cry about it.... nope. Stuck with the company and this year my boss gave me a couple of toys and a raise, which is plenty for me. Meanwhile I've bought more gear (block, rescue pulley, extra rope) and I dont realy expect anything from my boss, maybe just a pat on the back every now and then. I like having my own stuff, I know where its been and whats happened to it. Sometimes I take a rope out of the truck and Im like :"Screw this thing, looks too sketchy for me!" I see the difference between the guys that buy their own stuff and the guys that dont. One guy thats been with the company for like 6 years got a new saw this year. Man that thing runs like ish, he doesnt give it any love. Anyway, just my two cents.
 
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Why on earth should I wear out my stuff for you if I get nothing in return?

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Nothing except your wages and steady hours. Try giving your sense of entitlement the yellow pages test in any trade you please, restricted or not.
 
Re: cheapskates!

Its not about entitlement.

So I should pay for a climbing line every 6 or 12 months?

I dont expect everything to be supplied, just the basic wear items. Ropes, saddle, a few biners, and all rigging equipment. All the "luxury" items that I desire I will provide myslef if I feel I need those. All of my SRT stuff, ascenders, descenders, etc are mine.

To add to the point, Im flexible and reasonable. I used to climb on a ropeguide. I was the only one in the company to have one. I paid for it with my own money. It came up missing about 3 months ago. I was pretty bummed, I didnt raise a huge stink about it, but did mention that I would really like another one. What did I get to replace it with? A standard ring and ring FC. Not what I wanted, but I will make do with it and was happy to get that instead of nothing.

I really only feel, (in addition to PPE) the high wear items should AT LEAST be provided. Ropes, saddle, handsaw, replacement blades, and saws. For those of you that feel a climber should own it all, do you make them buy replacement handsaw and polesaw blades? Do they need to provide their own saw chain too?

What about bull ropes, and rigging that takes a hard beating?

Should I also pay for maintenance on the company truck I drive? It needs oil in the engine for me to do my job, do I need to pay for that too?

Do I need to provide my own saw gas and bar oil?


Where do you draw the line?



Make the employees pay for it all! Suck the life out of them, and their equipment, so they can produce money for YOU.


Really, Im thinking what a bunch of cheapskates! Wont even provide your people with the gear they need. More money in your pocket right?
 
Re: cheapskates!

Should I also pay for maintenance on the company truck I drive? It needs oil in the engine for me to do my job, do I need to pay for that too?

Do I need to provide my own saw gas and bar oil?


What a great way to show your employer how much you appreciate him John!

I say go for it!
 
Re: cheapskates!

whaaaaaaaaa
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some rigging and rope yea, your saw and chain you use for the company and joe shome on sat and sunday prob not. Saddle, no way, buy ya a cotton weaver. hand saw, pole saw, is company stuff.
 
I'm with Ryan on this one.

I'm a career arborist, my tools are mine, I will ensure that they are proper and safe, I will know when they are due for replacement, and I will manage that process, pay me what you will.

God forbid that you cannot pay me enough, I will take my tools and look elsewhere.

Don't give me junk I can't know the history of.

I can inspect a used rope, but I still don't want it.

If it's life support, and it is not new, well, thanks but you can have this back.

Maybe it's a West Coast thing, standing on your own, ready for anything, no BS, no hurt feelings.

Northwind
 
Re: cheapskates!

I think it's an indivigual thing.

I'd be happy to help a good climber out on purchasing gear.
as long as he's a good guy with a good attitude.

If he feels he's entitled he can just move on along down the road. No hard feelings.
 
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