worker dies while trimming palms

[Bermie]

I had a call to do two Washingtonia's right after this posting! I was super cautious let me tell you.
Fortunately there were only about 4' of fronds to clear, but I had my climbing line chokered with a fig 8 all ready to go. Most of the fronds had to be cut with the silky but every now and then a bunch of 3 or 4 would come off together with a good tug! I only weigh 115lbs but my spikes were well dug in, I would have preferred not to use spikes but flailing about with a pole saw from a ladder was not working.
I also had a steel flip line, always make sure there is somewhere in the system you can cut with a knife, on mine its the distel hitch. If you use a grab then incorporate a short nylon strop between it and your carabiner for a cut away section.

As for Phoenix palms, I've been impaled by those vicious thorns enough times now I automatically add an hour to cover the visit to the emergency room!

 

[jf1962]

I'am not really crazy about palms , but when you can just jump from one palm to another without going up and down that can be fun... Here's my last job 25 palms ..
Later in SO-CAL climb safe

 

[Colin]

Nice action shot!

 

[treebear]

Works well when pruning spruce on a ROW too.
Svein

 

[Bermie]

[ QUOTE ]
I'am not really crazy about palms , but when you can just jump from one palm to another without going up and down that can be fun... Here's my last job 25 palms ..
Later in SO-CAL climb safe

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you using a cambium saver at the top??

 

[jf1962]

Yes, that's a cambium saver that I have on that palm jump. I also have used a garden hose and I run my rope through it, that keeps it from getting torn up from the frons. Here is another pic on a diffrent set-up ..

Later in SO-CAL climb safe,,

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

I use a single rope technique to access the top of these palms. You get a throwline directly over the crown of the palm. attatch your climbing line on a carabiner or pulley to the end of line, and pull the climbing system to the top until it stops in the crown. Tie off on trunk using a figure 8 or port-a-wrap and climb. Its important to get the single line directly over the crown to mitigate the possibility of the line slipping off the crown. Also its easier to pull a smaller diameter line through the crown, such as the black widow shown in the sherrill catalog, where i got the idea.

 

[Bodean]

I've done quite a few palms, both Washingtonia and Phoenix.

I've never tried the over the top technique, but I've seen it demonstrated in several different workshops.

Don't forget about all the little critters in the palms like scorpions, rats and spiders.

 

[Bodean]

Another Photo of the thorns.

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

Hey Javi! Sad loss for the tree guy. Sas loss for the Chargers too. Any way, like other guys here stated: you got my respect working with palms.

 

[frans]

Hey Bodean,
My heart goes out to you with that thorn in your hand.
Yesterday, Sunday, walking the dogs through a cow pasture and someone had left a palm frond base laying on the ground. The grass had grown over it and I kicked it accidently with my foot. Damm thorns stuck in my leg and foot. Now, monday morning, my whole leg is hurting.

As Arborists we are supposed to recognize that every tree has a place, and in that place it serves it's purpose perfectly, but of all the trees, I just hate date palms.

 

[jf1962]

Yes, i have the blues this am , i was at the game last night .Well all is done we'll be back next yr GO CHARGERS ....

Now back to tree buzz , we had a climber fall from a ficus tree last wk at the zoo , i din't get the whole story on how he fell .. It's been one cold and windy the last couple of day's here, not as cold has your place .. Yea those darn palm trees are a pain in the butt, i have two jobs comming up,they are just palms one job has 30 palms to clean up and another is removing two 85ft palms from a back yard project.

I have not seen any post from thetreeguy lately :-(
Take care bro and climb safe ,later from SO COLD in SO-CAL..

 

[jf1962]

This one of the palms that can kill if not climb the right way. All the frons are all lose on this bad boy .

 

[thattreeguy]

here i am
i havent been able to acess thru my computer..
anyways..im in humboldt right now....father in law has a brain tumor and the family is all gathering around him now.
i've done plenty of palm trees down your way jf

 

[treesandsurf]

who here has used the system of throwing over a line in the crown, seems like a much much safer way to work palms with tons of fronds, would love to hear more advice on things to watch out for or best method to get your line setup. Are you using a throwline and then pulling a climbing line through? big shot? thanks a lot!

jp

 

[jf1962]

That's the only way to do it , start from the top..

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

treesandsurf,
I use a bigshot, tie off throwline onto a spliced eye, and pull it thru; and then use a srt. Ive had a line start to slip off to one side during one ascent. I returned to the ground and re-threw my line. If its short enough, a ladder is nice too.

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

That thorn is gnarly. It looks like its from an Argentine mesquite.

 

[treebing]

what do you mean when you say the fronds slip? I am imagining that when you remove the frond below, the frond above it swings down on top of you? It seems like they must be extremely heavy. How is it rigging the fronds down? Also, with the fronds being so thick and visibility seems like it would be very poor, it looks like it would be a danger of cutting your line in the throwline over the top and pulling up the black widow technique. I suppose spikes in palms is not a big deal because there is no cambium and they are monocots? I remember seeing spur scars on a lot of the palms in LA when I was there so it does seem to scar them. Seems like a rough and dirty job.

 

[western_DAWGGG]

All the great california climbers I know never climb up under the skirt on hazzard palms. the ffc is the only way to go when a bucket cannot get to the palm.Ask Gary Aborjena!

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