Do you see guys who do this ?

[sawn_penn]

I watched some guys take down a 25m eucalypt today. No PPE whatsoever. Just spurs, flipline, a nice pair of shorts and a 200T. Not a rope in sight.

The climber started from the ground and cut everything that got in the way of his flipline on the way up. After cutting the top out of the tree, he sliced the trunk into 2' chunks on the way down. He gave up on the 200T at about 10m and used something bigger.

I thought one of the other companies in town was crazy with guys working in the dropzone, but these guys today take the cake. They seemed pretty efficient though.

Anyone else seen scary stuff today?

 

[clearance]

Shorts? are you kidding me? I have seen non-working arborists wearing shorts (city types), never climbing. Other than wearing shorts and not having a rope with him (and a hardhat combo) he sounds like me, except I like to drop big pieces, not 2'. "Seemed pretty efficient though", yeah, hammering a tree down fast must look and be faster than lowering every miserable piece down, like some here do. I understand you can run up the bill something fierce this way, wouldn't know.

 

[sawn_penn]

Shorts and (maybe) cut resistant sunscreen....

 

[jmack]

Shorts and (maybe) cut resistant sunscreen....

shorts and then use the ace in fa kit for your calf on the hot muffler side seen it

 

[hobby climber]

I saw this climber a few years back climbing with a lineman's belt (no lanyard) just to hold his top handle saw. no helmet no PPE...just safety glasses. I had to stop and watch. I spoke to the guy in charge and inquired about the lack of safety equipment and was told this: "Ah he's a good climber and very fast". I asked if he's ever fell? "Only about 4 times this year but he just gets back at it without complaint"! I had to leave after hearing this...just shaking my head. HC

 

[TreeLady]

Driving the other day, I saw what had to be a couple of mow guys trying to remove a big dead branch about 12 ft up. I guess they didn't have a ladder or a pole saw, or were too lazy to go get one. One guy leaned a 3ft log up against the tree and held it while the other stood on it (on his tiptoes) with one arm around the trunk and a homeowner saw in the other. I was in traffic, so I couldn't stop and watch...but it looked like he still couldn't reach the limb, and if he did it was coming down right on top of both of them. I wish I had my camera.

 

[NcTree25]

I know of 2 climbers that climb with a pole strap(one strap), Short peice of rope as the saw lanyard, Basic 4 dee saddle, non-locking snaps, 3-strand climb rope and last but not least a pair kleins w/ L-pads.

That's how I started climbing. Now I use alot of newer equipment and safer work practices. But, some older style climbers like their way and they stick with what works. Go up a white pine, strip it on the way up and either rope the top out or tagline it and pull the top out. . Pitch the wood to the ground if the homeowner didn't mind craters in yard. Come to think about it i just took a pine down 2 days ago just like that.

 

[Treeman14]

I saw a guy today working off the top of a 24' aluminum ladder with a power pruner. No PPE, no saddle, no rope. Apparently they were hired to elevate all the oaks on the property. All limbs within 35' of the ground were being removed. :jawdrop:

 

[a_lopa]

plenty of guys climbing around australia with spikes and polebelt

 

[rebelman]

I climbed in shorts once at a party. I like to rap down upside down into water. The most dangerous thing I ever couldn't watch was these old men in new Iberia Lousiana after Hurricane Andrew. Rather than pay me the hundred dollars i was going to charge them, they were taking a ladder right up into a folded over top with no gear but an old saw. The same day I watched a kid working tied in with an extension cord. I know that's ancient history, 92, but I'll always remember driving off watching those old men puttering in extreme danger. But I wanted some money if I was going to do it.

 

[Jumper]

Hack competitors. If you wanna get rid of them quick, call the labour ministry, here in Ontario. My taxes pay for disabilitating injuries suffered by idiots like these. having said that most people here play by the rules WRT PPE.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

I watched some guys take down a 25m eucalypt today. No PPE whatsoever. Just spurs, flipline, a nice pair of shorts and a 200T. Not a rope in sight.

The climber started from the ground and cut everything that got in the way of his flipline on the way up. After cutting the top out of the tree, he sliced the trunk into 2' chunks on the way down. He gave up on the 200T at about 10m and used something bigger.

I thought one of the other companies in town was crazy with guys working in the dropzone, but these guys today take the cake. They seemed pretty efficient though.

Anyone else seen scary stuff today?

I know a guy up in Brisbane he makes guys/firms like this his business,he usualy confronts them and captures them on film,yeah he videos them whilst there working,then sends the disk/video off to OHSHA[sp] you gotta give it to this guy..

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

i saw a home owner on the top rung of a long aluminum ladder one hand on a bucksaw doing a salami cut.

 

[BigJohn]

How did he get a bigger saw if he had no rope with him? Did he throw his 200 30 feet out of the tree? It happens but how did he get the bigger saw up there?

 

[Xtra]

There's a mexican climber in my area.
He climbs with no PPE, saddle, or spikes. He just shimmies up the trunk wearing sneakers and his 200T in one hand. He's incredible to watch (although I'd hate to be watching the day he slips)

 

[pbtree]

There's a mexican climber in my area.
He climbs with no PPE, saddle, or spikes. He just shimmies up the trunk wearing sneakers and his 200T in one hand. He's incredible to watch (although I'd hate to be watching the day he slips)

I have seen a fella do the exact same thing, only difference he did not have a 200t - he had a machete in his teeth so he could at lease use both hands while he was climbing...:jawdrop:

 

[sawn_penn]

How did he get a bigger saw if he had no rope with him? Did he throw his 200 30 feet out of the tree? It happens but how did he get the bigger saw up there?

Climbed down, picked up the new saw, climbed back up...

 

[9th year rookie]

I was pricing a job yesterday.
Guy wanted me to remove bottom 1/2 of beautiful healthy mature red oak.
I talked him into taking out dead wood only and remainder of lower limb that he butchered.
The limb was about 2 foot diameter at the trunk.
At about 20' out from the trunk and 25' above ground, the limb looked like he cut with a Ginzu knife.
I asked him about it - he was on a ladder, no rope or PPE.
Four kids playing in drop zone and any guesses on his saw?
A sawzall (sp?).
A sawzall?, I asked.
He tried to make me feel better when he said he bought and installed a wood blade.

 

[Xtra]

Some years ago (before I was in the tree biz), the condo I was renting was been sold, so my next neighbor wanted to open up his view before someone new moved in. One Sunday morning there he was with his two young sons cutting down trees in the easement area with a skill circular saw and using the extension cord as a pull rope.

 

[woodchux]

A sawzall (sp?).
A sawzall?, I asked.
He tried to make me feel better when he said he bought and installed a wood blade.

Craftsman has a cheap rechargeable polesaw that has a sawsall blade.