tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
Had a close call a couple of weeks ago while removing a 30" Pin Oak with a good 30 degree lean over the house.
I hate admitting to making mistakes and hate making them even more. That being said I figured I would post about this one hoping that maybe someone else can learn from it and not make the same mistake.
I shot a line into the highest fork I could which put my rigging line as close to the drop zone as possible. My bull line still hung at the gutter line of the second story. Had to put a tag line in every stick, all the way to the ground and have the ground crew pull everything away from the house. Postage stamp drop zone with two sprinkler heads and an antique ornamental gate in the drop zone. Stamped concrete and ornamental brick in the drive which made the LZ very tight. The tree was around 90' which gave me plenty of clearance to lower every limb in one piece except for one large leader that went out over the house that I had to rope out in two pieces. Anyway after brushing out the whole tree I had to block out 4 good sized sticks until I could get far enough past the lean to just have the ground crew pull the rest of them over and free fall the remaining chunks into the DZ. After topping the tree I set my block to rig out the first stick of the spar. I was rigging out a 6-7' stick and made my cut in about 12-14" wood. No big deal really but I had nothing but smooth bark to tie my sling on where I needed to make my cut. I had two small branch collars maybe 2-3' below my sling and figured that if my sling slipped on the smooth bark it would catch on the branch collars below. I usually try to hang my sling right above a good branch collar or even better, 2 and snug it up real well to avoid any possible slipping. Well I sent my 200 down, called for my 260 while I went about tying my block and sling on, setting the tag line and tying the chunk off with a bowline and marl/half hitch. There was some kind of snafu on the ground with the saw and I got preoccupied in setting up my rigging. The spar was at a really bad crook at that point and I had to get on the back side of a severe lean to make my cut. I guess while getting preoccupied with tying the rigging, going up and down over the sling with my lanyard and dealing with the saw issue, I hadn't noticed that my timber hitch had loosened up and I really could not see the position of my block from the back side of the lean on the spar. I do remember that I noticed that my primary tie in, my lanyard was below the tied off block and my secondary tie in was above it... I was in a hurry because I was a little irritated about having to wait on my saw while in an uncomfortable position on the back side of the tree. the thought crossed my mind to just make the cut and not worry about it but then I thought better of that and went ahead and reset my lanyard above my block and sling. I always keep my tie in above my block and sling when rigging the spar out. When I made the cut my block and sling slipped and dropped down past the two small branch collars and dropped about 6' to a couple of larger branch collars from some good sized limbs. No property damage and no injury but it could have been disaster. It was a rookie mistake, I know and embarrassing but what are you going to do. Thankfully that put me on point and focused me and the rest of the tree came off without a hitch. I have heard some say in discussions that they tie in below their block in sling when blocking down the spar but common sense has just always told me not to do that. Sure am glad that I listened to my intuition on that one.
I hate admitting to making mistakes and hate making them even more. That being said I figured I would post about this one hoping that maybe someone else can learn from it and not make the same mistake.
I shot a line into the highest fork I could which put my rigging line as close to the drop zone as possible. My bull line still hung at the gutter line of the second story. Had to put a tag line in every stick, all the way to the ground and have the ground crew pull everything away from the house. Postage stamp drop zone with two sprinkler heads and an antique ornamental gate in the drop zone. Stamped concrete and ornamental brick in the drive which made the LZ very tight. The tree was around 90' which gave me plenty of clearance to lower every limb in one piece except for one large leader that went out over the house that I had to rope out in two pieces. Anyway after brushing out the whole tree I had to block out 4 good sized sticks until I could get far enough past the lean to just have the ground crew pull the rest of them over and free fall the remaining chunks into the DZ. After topping the tree I set my block to rig out the first stick of the spar. I was rigging out a 6-7' stick and made my cut in about 12-14" wood. No big deal really but I had nothing but smooth bark to tie my sling on where I needed to make my cut. I had two small branch collars maybe 2-3' below my sling and figured that if my sling slipped on the smooth bark it would catch on the branch collars below. I usually try to hang my sling right above a good branch collar or even better, 2 and snug it up real well to avoid any possible slipping. Well I sent my 200 down, called for my 260 while I went about tying my block and sling on, setting the tag line and tying the chunk off with a bowline and marl/half hitch. There was some kind of snafu on the ground with the saw and I got preoccupied in setting up my rigging. The spar was at a really bad crook at that point and I had to get on the back side of a severe lean to make my cut. I guess while getting preoccupied with tying the rigging, going up and down over the sling with my lanyard and dealing with the saw issue, I hadn't noticed that my timber hitch had loosened up and I really could not see the position of my block from the back side of the lean on the spar. I do remember that I noticed that my primary tie in, my lanyard was below the tied off block and my secondary tie in was above it... I was in a hurry because I was a little irritated about having to wait on my saw while in an uncomfortable position on the back side of the tree. the thought crossed my mind to just make the cut and not worry about it but then I thought better of that and went ahead and reset my lanyard above my block and sling. I always keep my tie in above my block and sling when rigging the spar out. When I made the cut my block and sling slipped and dropped down past the two small branch collars and dropped about 6' to a couple of larger branch collars from some good sized limbs. No property damage and no injury but it could have been disaster. It was a rookie mistake, I know and embarrassing but what are you going to do. Thankfully that put me on point and focused me and the rest of the tree came off without a hitch. I have heard some say in discussions that they tie in below their block in sling when blocking down the spar but common sense has just always told me not to do that. Sure am glad that I listened to my intuition on that one.
