# Micro pulleys are NOT meant for rigging!



## SRT-Tech (May 5, 2007)

Yesterday while watching a treecrew HACK their way thru a tree removal, i observed the following:

a micro pulley being used to rig down chunks.  

they had it tied to a 2" limb with a biner and climbing sling, and a TATTERED climbing line rigged thru it and tied to the chunks with granny knots. The climber was tied in with flipline only and standing on spurs. Groundie at the bottom, NO helmet, no leather gloves to run the rope with. The climber dropped the first block, the micro pulley groaned (you could hear it from across the street) from overloading and the groundie let go of the rope as it burned his hands. The climber yelled at the groundie.

This continued for about 45 minutes. How that little pulley ever held up i'll never know.

Other MISUSES and dangerous practices ive seen using micro pulleys:

- micropulley Z-rigs, to induce lean/tension on a 7' diameter trunk, being tensioned by a truck.  for starters, a 3/4" bull line is not meant for a micro pulley......nor is tensioning the system with a truck  Some of the crew standing in line with the Z-rig system, in direct line of fire should the Micropulley break.  The pulley was put back onto the climber harness/TIP afterwards.


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## ropensaddle (May 5, 2007)

Another insurance hike is what I see
Town hacks fell a huge oak through a house and totally destroyed it
here the other day I would feel sorry for home owner but probably
got what they paid for.


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## clearance (May 5, 2007)

SRT-Tech said:


> The climber was tied in with flipline only and standing on spurs.



This is an allowed practice in British Columbia, If you are using a chainsaw then the flipline must have a steelcore. This is completly acceptable to Worksafe B.C., been doing it for years, so have all the other utility guys in the province.


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## kennertree (May 5, 2007)

clearance said:


> This is an allowed practice in British Columbia, If you are using a chainsaw then the flipline must have a steelcore. This is completly acceptable to Worksafe B.C., been doing it for years, so have all the other utility guys in the province.



While it may be allowed it doesnt mean its the safest way. What if you run itno an unforseen problem. The way i climb i always have a quick exit out of the tree. For instance, if i get cut I'm already tied in, I can come down quickly. If you were to cut your hand if its gonna be hard to climb down on spurs and the steel core. What if you run into bees? I have, only got stung a few times as i was able to exit very quickly.


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## clearance (May 5, 2007)

kennertree said:


> While it may be allowed it doesnt mean its the safest way. What if you run itno an unforseen problem. The way i climb i always have a quick exit out of the tree. For instance, if i get cut I'm already tied in, I can come down quickly. If you were to cut your hand if its gonna be hard to climb down on spurs and the steel core. What if you run into bees? I have, only got stung a few times as i was able to exit very quickly.



You can have a line rigged up with a split tail with you along with using your steelcore, this works like you say, all it takes is snap. . Today I cut down a dead pine, about 70' and about 26" dbh. Many big branches, I climbed with my steelcore and my climbing rope coiled up attached to my saddle, when I was ready to fall the butt log, I came down on the rope. So yes, if I hit some bees, they would have stung me good by the time I tied in and came down, if one end of my rope was on the ground it would have been buried by big branches in no time.


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## letigre (May 5, 2007)

clearance said:


> if one end of my rope was on the ground it would have been buried by big branches in no time.



true, but wouldnt your groundy have moved your rope out of the way or behind the tree? 

also i cant say enough about that technora prussik rope. i was up a chinese elm, the other week, that was supposed to have been foamed for bees and while i was up there, found that the bees had made a small hole in the foaming and were agitated from my cutting. because in australia it is mandatory to have two points of attachment while cutting, i was able to unattach my pole belt and sizzle down to the ground from 23mtrs in no time at all. i reckon its a pretty safe practise and its not the only time its bailed me out.


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## clearance (May 5, 2007)

letigre said:


> true, but wouldnt your groundy have moved your rope out of the way or behind the tree?



I just powered down that tree as fast as possible, like big branches piling up to 5' around the tree, there was no behind, there was no out of the way.


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## kennertree (May 5, 2007)

clearance said:


> I just powered down that tree as fast as possible, like big branches piling up to 5' around the tree, there was no behind, there was no out of the way.



Safety shouldnt take a backseat to getting it done faster.


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## clearance (May 5, 2007)

kennertree said:


> Safety shouldnt take a backseat to getting it done faster.



I guess if I really wanted to be safe, I'd have another job, climb how you want. It strikes me funny that some (not saying you Ken) insist on two tips but lower down insane peices of wood, oh well. If they wanted to be safe, they would just hammer it down, like me.


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## SRT-Tech (May 6, 2007)

clearance said:


> This is an allowed practice in British Columbia, If you are using a chainsaw then the flipline must have a steelcore. This is completly acceptable to Worksafe B.C., been doing it for years, so have all the other utility guys in the province.




I was told directly by a WCB inspector that you had to be tied in twice when using a saw, even with a wirecore lanyard. They are also hinting that regulation may change to being tied in three times.


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## clearance (May 6, 2007)

SRT-Tech said:


> I was told directly by a WCB inspector that you had to be tied in twice when using a saw, even with a wirecore lanyard. They are also hinting that regulation may change to being tied in three times.



The man was mistaken. Look up Worksafe B.C. 26.36. The only rules for climbing trees specifically are in 26-forestry.


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## SRT-Tech (May 6, 2007)

I'll be damnned, your right......


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## SRT-Tech (May 6, 2007)

its not even the flipline or rope issue , it was the IMPROPER and DANGEROUS use of a piece of equipment (micropulley) that had me steamed..... Micro pulleys are meant for one of three things:

- climbing hitch minder
- cargo hauling (pack, bag etc) 
- LIGHT USE for Z-rigs

definetely NOT to be used for rigging chunks of tree down....


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## clearance (May 6, 2007)

I know, WTF? I have never used a block to lower anything, I just use the tree, I never lower blocks or logs. I only use blocks to pull trees over, or use them to increase pulling power moving logs or stuck vehicles. I have a couple of old blocks I got, I took them apart, cleaned and greased them. They are 4", right tool for the job. Or in this case you describe, right job for the tool.


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## letigre (May 6, 2007)

clearance said:


> I know, WTF? I have never used a block to lower anything, I just use the tree, I never lower blocks or logs. QUOTE]
> 
> how do you get away without using pulley blocks to rig? if you use gear thats rated and you check it for wear before each use, i see no issue. especially doing square rigs, theres not always a branch union where you need it. do you use friction drums or lowering devices or do you just use the tree? you getting old clearance?


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## rbtree (May 6, 2007)

clearance said:


> This is an allowed practice in British Columbia, If you are using a chainsaw then the flipline must have a steelcore. This is completly acceptable to Worksafe B.C., been doing it for years, so have all the other utility guys in the province.




That is a stupid rule. Ever see how fast an errant chain saw can cut through a steel core flip line?

...Equally as dumb, and erring in the other direction is requiring 6000 lb tensile lines for life support, which negates use of a couple excellent lifelines.


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## rbtree (May 6, 2007)

SRT-Tech said:


> its not even the flipline or rope issue , it was the IMPROPER and DANGEROUS use of a piece of equipment (micropulley) that had me steamed..... Micro pulleys are meant for one of three things:
> 
> - climbing hitch minder
> - cargo hauling (pack, bag etc)
> ...


 Boy, you got that right!! aarrggh.

I met a ragtag climber a few years back, who was struggling through a 5 foot dbh lombardy poplar removal. Climbed in tennis shoes, had a very tattered flip line....mighta been climbing with a Wild Thing....I heard from someone else that his boss wouldn't let him speedline, as he'd broken some shrubbery when the mini-biners he was using broke. That tree took them 3 days, woulda been one for us.

Recently I spoke to his boss, who asked me if I'd bid on a big oak. Said the other bids were all over $13k, and that he'd landed the job for $10k....it was taking them 4-5 days!! I'm sure he has a different climber now. There are few oaks around these parts, and surely none that would take me over 2 days, with our rigging gear. Plus, I would have had a guy with a Lucas mill come in to mill the wood, saving some firewood cutting. Or, spent $3k for a big crane, meaning even less wood cutting.


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