HOW TO BECOME AN EXCELLENT GROUNDMAN (or woe-man)
1) Show up for work on time, rested, and sober. Be reliable. If you cannot make it, call as soon as you possibly can. Don't leave a crew shorthanded without some advance notice. Pack a lunch and be prepared for work. Maintain good personal hygiene -- you're going to sweat, so use deodorant. Eat a good breakfast, and try to take care of your 'morning business' before you get to work. Bring what you need, and don't rely on stopping at a store.
2) Do not ask for an advance in pay except in an emergency. Learn to budget your money. Do not make your employer have to help you out every week.
3) You must have a valid driver's license, and in most states it needs to be a commercial driver's license. You also must have reliable transportation to work every day.
4) Before you get in the truck, check all fluid levels, and service as needed. Walk around the truck and perform a visual inspection. Make sure all the gear that is required is on the vehicle. Ensure that all ladders, pole saws, and power pruners are tied down. Double- check all hitches and electrical connections for towed equipment. Make sure the truck is fueled up and you have plenty of mixed gas and bar oil. Keep a siphon hose for emergencies. Have a pair of old jeans behind the seat for when some unlucky soul gets a gas/oil soaking from an improperly-seated cap. Ensure there is an up-to-date first-aid kit and all the crew knows its location. Keep a couple cans of wasp spray behind the seat. Don't sleep on the ride. Pay attention where you are going -- you might be required to remember it later. Keep current maps in the glove box and know how to use them. Ensure that all traffic cones/flags/markers are available, along with all the required PPE for the entire crew. Whenever possible, have a cell phone for emergencies.
5) Fuel and oil all the saws, and clean the air filters before leaving the shop.. Never send a saw up to a climber without it having been serviced and warmed up. Ensure the chain has the proper tension. Learn how to file a saw, and be able to replace a chain in a timely manner. Do not put the chain on backward. Double check.
6) Don't be one of those "It’s not my job" type of workers. Superior crewmembers are able to work at any station. Assess the situation and determine a work plan. Keep a positive, motivated work ethic. Wear all the required PPE at all times. Don't whine and complain about every little thing. Hustle when you move; walk one way and run the other. Hurry up every chance you get. Do whatever you can do to expedite the completion of the job in a safe and timely manner. Learn how to operate a power pruner and a pole saw. Use the latter to pull out hangers and steer roped limbs. When cutting with these tools, use care to make a proper cut.
7) Always have a spotter when backing up a vehicle.. If someone runs over, or into, something because you are daydreaming, guess whose fault it really is? Beware of eaves and wires, and watch for unseen septic tanks. Do not get the truck stuck. Know when to pad in and do it. Whenever possible, before arriving at the jobsite, discuss with the drivers the best placement of your vehicles. Call the customers before the crew arrives so that they can move their vehicles.. When working on a roadside, be sure to properly position traffic cones and all markers. Determine if a traffic flagger is needed for busier roadways. The flagger needs to take his or her job seriously. Stay on guard; do not cause an accident; and watch for careless drivers.
8) Never leave gear anywhere it can be damaged. Set the gear next to another tree, a building, or an otherwise safe place. REMEMBER where you set your gear down. It’s best to keep it all in one place. Never park any vehicles anywhere they can be struck by falling limbs. If you're in a place where gear can be stolen, keep an eye on it at all times. Lock the vehicle's side-bins. Never leave a sidebin open, especially on the passenger's side of the truck. Store the climbing gear away from the saws, gas and oil.. Make sure spurs have gaff guards affixed, and that all saws have scabbards.
9) Report any damaged or malfunctioning gear to your supervisor as soon as you discover it. Treat the equipment as if it were your own. The fewer expenses a business incurs (more often than not) translates into more money for you in the long run. Realize this.
10) You should know how to work safely with a chipper. Never push brush into the feed chute with your hands or feet, use some type of brush paddle instead. Do not use a rake. You will need to learn how to operate a stump grinder. An experienced crewperson should work shoulder-to-shoulder with a new worker ensuring the proper training in all aspects of safe, efficient chipper operation. You should learn to do minor maintenance as well as emergency procedures, such as un-clogging a chipper chute, or better yet, how to never clog it up in the first place. When chipping stringy or wet brush pay attention to the chipper's progress doing it. Listen for the engine bogging down or the lack of chips being expelled from the chute. Don't let the chipper run all day long. When a break in the chipping occurs, idle it down or shut it off completely. Aim the chute to fill one side of the bed, then the other, then the middle. Make sure the chute is aimed so flying chips aren't sent into traffic. Do not let diesel engines run out of fuel.
11) You should be able to handle all aspects of ground rope operation, from securing the friction hitch, to setting the speed line. If you hank the ropes learn how to do it correctly. Do not step on the ropes or allow them to be drove over by a vehicle. Do not just throw the rope on the ground, tie it to the climber's line, and walk away. Take the time to un-hank the rope and tie THAT end to the line. Do not stand there and hold the rope. Step back and make sure the line goes up the tree unhindered. After the climber has untied the rope, ask if he or she want the belly pulled out, then do it smooth and careful. Watch for snags that may hang it up.
12) In the event of an emergency, get the first-aid kit immediately. Call 911 if needed, and know your location.
13) If you notice everyone around you is working and you're not, you're doing something wrong. Look around and ask yourself, "What can I do to complete this job?" If you really need instruction about that, ask your foreman.
