Why spurless utility Sucks

[arborterra]

Wow, What a topic. Spurs or no spurs. I'm with rope on the real world of line clearance. It wasn't just back then. If it takes spurs to make it safer, do it. It is always sad to see a person injured. Yes I have climbed more burning trees than I could ever keep track of. Fire flying, burning. With & without spikes. There is the infinate variable syndrome to be dealt with in any tree work. We must pay atention, be alert and be careful at all times. Decisions must be made based on knowledge and experience. What worked in one situation won't necessarily work in another. They tell you what M.A.D. is but when you go to work it is avoid contact or zero. Whatever works. If you make a mistake they have documentation that you knew better and it was against policy. Butts are covered and life goes on. Sad, but that is the line clearance that I know.

 

[clearance]

This burning stuff trips me out, here we say "the tree is burning, I need a line kill" . If the tree is close enough that its burned, forget it. So true what Arborterra says about utility work, they want it done as cheaply as possible, they will blame the guy doing the work if something goes wrong right away, and they will mouth off about how much they care. They-utility.

 

[clearance]

Clearance things must be different where you are because down here in Georgia we have a lot trees that are being 'burnt back' from the power lines.

I just had the utility do a trim on one of mine that touched the lines when the wind blew. The power was not cut off to do the work. I believe the voltage is 14kv. There were several 3 to 4 foot limbs in a pecan that were all black and had dead leaves from contact. With no wind these limbs were within 12 inches of the line.

We can trim anything from an insulated bucket, as in 1/4" away from the line. But you can grab the primary with your hand from the bucket, its insulated, the tree isn't, ever. Thats why we don't climb that stuff, talk about rolling the dice.......

 

[ropensaddle]

A little off topic but utility sucks for other reasons
production requirements,nepotism,chiggars,ticks,
and pay. I just gave it up this last year as my biz
was going well enough to tell the purty boy fu!
He got a position over me had half my experience
but was nephew of the one that retired and handed
him his silver spoon! I have hoof and mouth and I
almost went fist city but decided to just quit.
That has been the case with every utility I
have worked for not what you know or how well
you do your job it was how well you got to knees
I do that for no man. It was funny my last week
all the azz kissers bucking for my job were too
funny.

 

[ropensaddle]

We can trim anything from an insulated bucket, as in 1/4" away from the line. But you can grab the primary with your hand from the bucket, its insulated, the tree isn't, ever. Thats why we don't climb that stuff, talk about rolling the dice.......

Grabbing a primary is worse than climbing a close tree
a bird nest could make your day yes they are insulated
tested once a year if you are lucky but a bird can ruin
your day over the weekend. Also beware of thinking you
are safe phaze to phaze on a branch or phaze to ground
neutral will light you up!

 

[Ekka]

What does being spikeless have to do with anything? I'm confused.

"If Jim had climbed higher and crotched his rope at a better angle relative to his work position, when the limb snapped Jim would have fallen down into the saddle rather than back into the electric line"

If Jimbo had set a proper high point to work from, his weight wouldnt have been 100% on the limb and it most likely wouldnt have broken.

How would spikes benefit this situation?

For the record, MrRecurve also fell from a palm clean he was working on, climbing SPIKELESS.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=47051

 

[userdude]

You mutts would be electrocuted doing utility, its about safety and keeping the power on, the trees come third, where they belong. Guy was almost killed climbing the "proper way", great, bet he wishes he had been a "hack".

Soooo damn true, especially the part about being electrocuted

 

[ronnyb]

Clearance- it must be a different world in Canada, because what Rope is saying is the norm here in the states. I worked line clearance for 7 years and never had a line killed or dropped. Never. Plenty of trees growing 15 feet plus through the phases. Got shocked many times, matter of fact everyone I worked with would get it a couple of times a year. The worst I got was from indirect contact off of a 24.9kv line. The leaves were touching me, it looked like I had been stung by bees. Moved on from line clearance, worked residential, got a degree, certified arborist, and now own my own company.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Ronny, where in the MKE metro area are you working?

I work all over the area with several different companies, I'll be up in the North Shore with Jerry Smith today.

 

[ronnyb]

We work primarily in Wauwatosa, New Berlin, Brookfield, Elm Grove. West side of town, some on the north side.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Hi Ronny

Do you go to the WAA/DNR shindig in Greenbay? I've not missed one for near 10 years.