Close call

[sharkfin12us]

Hi every one just wanted to share incident that almost happened to me today.Working at customers house I the owner of my tree company on the ground lowering branches.My climber in the tree.My climber which I trained and for the most part very good.He was going to lower a fairly large piece about 8 foot and 2 foot in diameter.At the last minute I told him to reposition the rope so it was not in the middle.The top or branch i wanted to go straight down so was not good in middle i was afraid can hit him.He repositioned the rope and was good.I was **** chatting with customer while i hooked the rope to the porta wrap.My climber is cutting.I just glance at the porta wrap and realize only have a half wrap.I get my clmibers attention and he stops I put 2 wraps on it.He cuts it and didnt take much it was loose.Had i not caught my mistake i would have been seriously ffffffddd up.Moral of story is when there is a distraction from the norm.Climber readjusting position of the rope and Im **** chatting with home owner my fault.Bad things can happen.Just wanted to share that so maybe it might save someones life.

 

[GLOBOTREE]

yes it happens to us all, customers love to **** chat...its like they want to get bigger bang for their buck. I have had some customers walk through a fall zone. Crying customers and sun tanning customers, naked customers. They should stay in the house or stay away while we work.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I had a commercial customer walk through my cone zone and right into my dz, to give me a check, just as my guy aloft cut through a branch 4" in diameter and four feet long. A thin branch, from the cut one, scratched the guy's face, on the way down, as he was reaching out to grab my shoulder to turn me around. Had he been about two inches closer, he would have been dead, as Live Oak is one of the heaviest woods around, and that branch was coming down from forty feet. I was totally focused on my cutter aloft, and was not watching the perimeter of my dz. I learned a lesson that day: If you don't watch what's going on in your dz, with regard to who is about to enter it at any time, you will pay the price. Don't assume that "civilians" will pay attention to your cones and/or yellow tape.

 

[LB30]

Add a new inexperienced groundman in to the mix, and your neck will hurt by lunch time guarenteed:msp_biggrin:

 

[deevo]

yes it happens to us all, customers love to **** chat...its like they want to get bigger bang for their buck. I have had some customers walk through a fall zone. Crying customers and sun tanning customers, naked customers. They should stay in the house or stay away while we work.

Naked>? Naked Orillia people? That could be scarey!

 

[TreeAce]

Not thats its any excuse for anyone but I have found that its the customer who is "amazed" at what we are doing that are the biggest worry. A very close second is the type who are worried about there landscaping and just cant seem to stay in the house. They feel like if they turn there backs we will smash there flowers or something. I have seen these types "dart" into the work zone to grab a small branch..twig really...out of a flower patch or maybe it was touching a rhodadenren and they just cant stand it. These types are easy to spot and I make sure everyone on the crew knows whats up and pays careful attention.

 

[sgreanbeans]

this happens all the time, soccer moms with an I-Pod and a stroller, oblivious to their surroundings, will walk right thru a DZ, actually had one move the cones so she could get buy, when stopped they get all butt hurt, like we are trying to harass them? I tell them
"Just don't want your baby getting hurt due to your negligence as a mother" " maybe ya should drop the I-Pod"
That really gets under their skin! But I dont care, PAY ATTENTION!
On jobs that have a lot of pedestrian traffic or a chatty client, I bring out my F-I-L to control it. He can talk all day!

 

[prentice110]

Ever had some a-hole drive around your flagman and almost get a log dropped on there car? People are idiots, always watch your site. Murphys law all day long.

 

[beastmaster]

I was training a climber years ago. I had already did the pine and I let him go up about a 30 ft stick before I was going to drop it.
On his way up the lady of the house comes out with refreshments wearing cut off jeans and this little halter top you could see all the way down. The groundsman and I were enjoying are refreshments with the young lady when I hear the trainee say,"hey something don't feel right'', I guess he was going to use a 8 plate to rappel down. He had hooked up the figure 8 ok, but forgot to hook it back to his belt. he had already unhooked his safety and was about a foot under the 8. He said I'm going to lower my self. That he did, the first step and he slid down that stick and hit so hard he had a compound fracture above his ankle.
He ask me,"is it broke?" I could see the bone coming out his leg. I said,"I don't know." There was 4 guys on the ground and we should of been watching him, and not staring down that womens halter top. I learn from it, but to this day I know I let him down.
only takes a split second for something to happen. Beastmaster

 

[prentice110]

I was training a climber years ago. I had already did the pine and I let him go up about a 30 ft stick before I was going to drop it.
On his way up the lady of the house comes out with refreshments wearing cut off jeans and this little halter top you could see all the way down. The groundsman and I were enjoying are refreshments with the young lady when I hear the trainee say,"hey something don't feel right'', I guess he was going to use a 8 plate to rappel down. He had hooked up the figure 8 ok, but forgot to hook it back to his belt. he had already unhooked his safety and was about a foot under the 8. He said I'm going to lower my self. That he did, the first step and he slid down that stick and hit so hard he had a compound fracture above his ankle.
He ask me,"is it broke?" I could see the bone coming out his leg. I said,"I don't know." There was 4 guys on the ground and we should of been watching him, and not staring down that womens halter top. I learn from it, but to this day I know I let him down.
only takes a split second for something to happen. Beastmaster

Everyone read this, then read the last line twice. Especially newbies. Last line, words to live by.