Deere John
ArboristSite Operative
I was on my way to the store on Sunday, and I hear the "music" down the street.
I slowed the truck, and saw the 36' Pitman that I used to own at work trimming trees. I separated the boom from the 5-ton chassis so I could sell them easier 6 years ago. The boom was remounted on a one-ton with manual stabilizers and does primarily sign work now.
The fellow was wearing shorts, a tee shirt and sneakers with no socks - and he was flailing away with a chain saw.
Within one minute (I stopped the truck), I saw no PPE, harness, lanyard etc, muffs, gloves or stabilizers being used on the truck. He was 25-30 feet from the ground with the truck up on the front lawn. The chain on the saw was hanging 1" plus from the bar, there was no chain brake on the saw and he was working alone.
He was one-cut, flush cutting all the "fine" trim work that he was doing, and managed to drop two limbs in the time I was there on the cable and hydro lines. No ropes. I could see tears where the one-cuts ripped the bark of the trunk. He was cutting into the branch collar.
I parked and waited for him to come down. I introduced myself and we talked about the nice long weekend and the fine trim work he had just finished. He was doing it as a freebee favour for his brother-in-law and said he doesn't do trees usually, just sign work. I said "I can see that". He didn't even get offended with that comment. I offered to give him a few pointers some day, but he was not interested.
Guys like this were one of the reasons I went back to forestry and got away from the individual tree work. Anyone else still see this work going on?
I slowed the truck, and saw the 36' Pitman that I used to own at work trimming trees. I separated the boom from the 5-ton chassis so I could sell them easier 6 years ago. The boom was remounted on a one-ton with manual stabilizers and does primarily sign work now.
The fellow was wearing shorts, a tee shirt and sneakers with no socks - and he was flailing away with a chain saw.
Within one minute (I stopped the truck), I saw no PPE, harness, lanyard etc, muffs, gloves or stabilizers being used on the truck. He was 25-30 feet from the ground with the truck up on the front lawn. The chain on the saw was hanging 1" plus from the bar, there was no chain brake on the saw and he was working alone.
He was one-cut, flush cutting all the "fine" trim work that he was doing, and managed to drop two limbs in the time I was there on the cable and hydro lines. No ropes. I could see tears where the one-cuts ripped the bark of the trunk. He was cutting into the branch collar.
I parked and waited for him to come down. I introduced myself and we talked about the nice long weekend and the fine trim work he had just finished. He was doing it as a freebee favour for his brother-in-law and said he doesn't do trees usually, just sign work. I said "I can see that". He didn't even get offended with that comment. I offered to give him a few pointers some day, but he was not interested.
Guys like this were one of the reasons I went back to forestry and got away from the individual tree work. Anyone else still see this work going on?