Has anyone ever froze?

[fishercat]

i have a couple of times.

it was kind of a gut feeling thing like the tree was not safe.kind of weird.

almost the same feeling i had a second before the front wheel of my motorcycle went out from under me on the I-75 to 110 exit ramp in Michigan.

 

[MuniciPAL]

my career as a municipal arborist is now over just shy of 2 years in the trade. i was not allowed to retry the elm that i came out of and now need a doctors note in order to keep my job. i had one bad day at work in 2 years and now my mental state is in question. the tree in my opinion was so far out of my realm of skill its not even funny(ssm heritage tree), but ive been given no further chance to get the tree down. not only is this attacking me personally but its also attacked my future industry success, MY BOSS IS PISSED i couldnt finish the tree. i now need a new job as a climber/operator, but my past will always follow me and i know my reference will be skewed.
IMO the doctors note is just to prevent backlash from the union regarding my termination. the management knows as well as i do that no doctor will risk his practice giving a note to a tree climber.

 

[outofmytree]

my career as a municipal arborist is now over just shy of 2 years in the trade. i was not allowed to retry the elm that i came out of and now need a doctors note in order to keep my job. i had one bad day at work in 2 years and now my mental state is in question. the tree in my opinion was so far out of my realm of skill its not even funny(ssm heritage tree), but ive been given no further chance to get the tree down. not only is this attacking me personally but its also attacked my future industry success, MY BOSS IS PISSED i couldnt finish the tree. i now need a new job as a climber/operator, but my past will always follow me and i know my reference will be skewed.
IMO the doctors note is just to prevent backlash from the union regarding my termination. the management knows as well as i do that no doctor will risk his practice giving a note to a tree climber.

This may sound trite but your life is worth more than your bosses displeasure. I would NEVER force any of my crew to do work they genuinely could not do for whatever reason. I have no idea what your legal recourse is where you live, but over here employees have the right to refuse to do work for which they are either unqualified or that they feel is unsafe.

I stand behind what I said earlier in this thread, if your boss is unwilling to cut you some slack when you hit the wall, then you need another boss.

Good luck mate.

 

[lego1970]

Who do you work for? If your Union, asked to be transferred to another crew. You may loose rank but that may be a good thing. It might give you more time to adjust and get your confidence back. If not as mentioned above get an Attorney. It's not like you weren't willing to give it another try.

 

[outofmytree]

it was kind of a gut feeling thing like the tree was not safe.kind of weird.

almost the same feeling i had a second before the front wheel of my motorcycle went out from under me on the I-75 to 110 exit ramp in Michigan.

Obviously you lived, which is great given the possibilities when you lose the front. Is this story worth telling?

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I think I would look for another job. Your boss sounds he cares for for his bottom dollar than his employees. Take this as a learning experience and be damned if someone tells you different. We all get nervous............that is what can keep you alive..........complacentcy will kill you!!!

 

[Dadatwins]

yesterday i was performing a tree removal of a massive elm in a city park and had ascended the tree by using a using a pole saw from our bucket truck to place my rope roughly 75 feet. i climbed out of the bucket no problem and even rigged a few smaller limbs out, but after lunch i froze and got anxious and came down to the ground. the tree is still standing and im gonna go back up to conquer my fear.
that was the highest ive ever climbed and the biggest tree ive climbed.


has this ever happened to anyone in a tree? and what to do

thanks guys for the words of encouragement. im finishing taking the top out on monday and i would imagine i will be blocking the wood down on tues. i dont want to push myself to hard to get the tree done, but the rush after the tree is done is what keeps me coming back for more. thanks for helping me rationalize this tree. ive not had any problems climbing prior to this tree. i think i may have built it up in my head too much.

my career as a municipal arborist is now over just shy of 2 years in the trade. i was not allowed to retry the elm that i came out of and now need a doctors note in order to keep my job. i had one bad day at work in 2 years and now my mental state is in question. the tree in my opinion was so far out of my realm of skill its not even funny(ssm heritage tree), but ive been given no further chance to get the tree down. not only is this attacking me personally but its also attacked my future industry success, MY BOSS IS PISSED i couldnt finish the tree. i now need a new job as a climber/operator, but my past will always follow me and i know my reference will be skewed.
IMO the doctors note is just to prevent backlash from the union regarding my termination. the management knows as well as i do that no doctor will risk his practice giving a note to a tree climber.

I am confused, you said you froze in a tree, then said you were able to get the top out the next day, now you say you were fired for not doing the job? Is it a situation that your boss wanted the job done quicker than you were able?

 

[capetrees]

I've been thinking of this thread for a while now trying to remember if I had ever froze in the tree ever and can say no, not ever. I feel 100% comfortable in the trees. Always have and that's even as a kid & adult without ropes or harnesses. I always know my surroundings and without ropes, I always try to have three points of contact to keep balance. If I feel uncomfortable it because someone else is screwing up my work area, like someone yanking too hard on a rigging line or getting tangled in the rigging line when a branch drops. Ladders scare me but not once I'm in the tree.

 

[yooper]

my career as a municipal arborist is now over just shy of 2 years in the trade. i was not allowed to retry the elm that i came out of and now need a doctors note in order to keep my job. i had one bad day at work in 2 years and now my mental state is in question. the tree in my opinion was so far out of my realm of skill its not even funny(ssm heritage tree), but ive been given no further chance to get the tree down. not only is this attacking me personally but its also attacked my future industry success, MY BOSS IS PISSED i couldnt finish the tree. i now need a new job as a climber/operator, but my past will always follow me and i know my reference will be skewed.
IMO the doctors note is just to prevent backlash from the union regarding my termination. the management knows as well as i do that no doctor will risk his practice giving a note to a tree climber.

wish I could scoot over to the east end take the tree down and cram it all up yer bosses Ass, you did good not going any farther if you thought it was beyond yer capability, or unsafe for you #1 we all only live one time, and after that well ya know.
You need to go to your union and make a grievance! make it loud and clear and take a stand. call an attorney if need be! take photos befor they take the tree down if ya can, especially if they try to bring any kind of equipment in there to do so. act fast befor it is to late.
I my self don't pass on to many jobs owning my own tree service but I have run into a couple trees that where just not safe, and said no way. glad I had the decision to do so without getting the shoe!
good luck! Take a stand, stand up for yer self! Be good

 

[Bermie]

I've been union, in another line of work, was a shop steward for a while and have been on the other side of the fence too.

This sounds like a case of work complexity / sufficient training.
For what you were asked to do...the largest tree you had ever been in...did you have sufficient formal training and /or sufficient on the job experience working on increasingly larger and more complex trees to accomplish this job SAFELY?

Someone needs to prove the answer is either yes or no, if your boss can PROVE yes, then you are SOL, if you can PROVE no, then the boss is going to have to back down.

Gather all the evidence, documentation, collegues statements, certificates, pictures whatever you can and go see your shop steward.

I've been on both sides of the union fence...good luck!

Has the boss ever been a climber?

I too have had my stinky pants moments in a tree...BUT...knowing that I have had the training, and the tree is sound...a few moments of talking sternly to myself and a quick prayer gets me over the hump. Also I find on a takedown, it all goes so much better once the first few cuts are done and you are on your way back down.

 

[chipmaker29]

man...u did the right thing! screw ur "boss". u know ur own limitations & boundaries, not anyone else. being freaked out in a tree & continuing is a recipe for disaster. NO job is worth putting yourself that far out there on the edge. keep your head up and u will find sumthin else. whatever happens u made the right decision!

 

[treemandan]

Jeez dude, I understand some guys get little upset if you decline a tree butyou can only do what you can do... safely and comfortably. Its a right of passage, any climber will tell you we all have been there. We all have balked at one time or another, its not like you aren't risking a whole lot.

Why don't you give us the phone number to your boss?

 

[jefflovstrom]

:monkey:Sounds like someone don't like you!
Jeff

 

[treeclimber101]

Sometimes climbing out of nice stable work platform :censored:s me up to , It takes big :censored: to do work off the ground so even if you freeze sometimes your still ahead of most . My advice is to start in the morning by going all the way to the top and taking a minute to adjust then everything under you seems a little bit easier , my :censored: puckers at least once a week but that why we get paid the big bucks... and the ladies love us for it..

 

[jefflovstrom]

Sounds like it too late for that.
Jeff

 

[treeclimber101]

my career as a municipal arborist is now over just shy of 2 years in the trade. i was not allowed to retry the elm that i came out of and now need a doctors note in order to keep my job. i had one bad day at work in 2 years and now my mental state is in question. the tree in my opinion was so far out of my realm of skill its not even funny(ssm heritage tree), but ive been given no further chance to get the tree down. not only is this attacking me personally but its also attacked my future industry success, MY BOSS IS PISSED i couldnt finish the tree. i now need a new job as a climber/operator, but my past will always follow me and i know my reference will be skewed.
IMO the doctors note is just to prevent backlash from the union regarding my termination. the management knows as well as i do that no doctor will risk his practice giving a note to a tree climber.

Why the :censored: is that :censored: off going to fire you because you got stuck ? That's sounds like this guys needs a boot in the mouth , and :censored: him for being an :censored: you can do better and maybe this should be a wake up call to seek other employment, don't ever allow someone to put you in a position that makes you feel uncomfortable and remember to be safe..

 

[BC WetCoast]

my career as a municipal arborist is now over just shy of 2 years in the trade. i was not allowed to retry the elm that i came out of and now need a doctors note in order to keep my job. i had one bad day at work in 2 years and now my mental state is in question. the tree in my opinion was so far out of my realm of skill its not even funny(ssm heritage tree), but ive been given no further chance to get the tree down. not only is this attacking me personally but its also attacked my future industry success, MY BOSS IS PISSED i couldnt finish the tree. i now need a new job as a climber/operator, but my past will always follow me and i know my reference will be skewed.
IMO the doctors note is just to prevent backlash from the union regarding my termination. the management knows as well as i do that no doctor will risk his practice giving a note to a tree climber.

Others have recommended getting a lawyer, you don't need a lawyer, you belong to a municipal union in Canada. You've got more power than God. Get the union to hire the lawyer, that's their job and why you pay your dues. (Unless there is more to this story that you aren't telling us - like you have 2 written warnings). Now it may be possible that you will lose your position as a climber and may be transfered to another job category, but getting fired for this - I don't see it as you have presented it. I worked as a supervisor in a municipality in Canada - firing a unionized worker was a minimum 4 step procedure and would take several months. We had workers on compensation due to workplace injury that we suspected was fraudulent. We had a Private Eye videotape them doing things they shouldn't have been able to do with their injury and yet we still weren't able to fire him outright. The grievances took us months to work through and at the end of the day, it was easier and less time consuming of supervisor's time (aka cheaper) to just bring him back to work.

As far as your past following you, remember that government employers are paranoid about the privacy provisions of the Charter of Rights and when asked for a reference will only confirm that an employee worked for a specific period. So getting another job shouldn't be a problem except for the fact you were a civic employee and the generalized opinion in the private sector that all civic employees are slow and lazy. That probably doesn't apply to you, but it is a generally held opinion you will have to work through in an interview process.

 

[ozzy42]

For them to fire the guy was a poor choice,and he will be better off without working for a CO like that.

Others have recommended getting a lawyer, you don't need a lawyer, you belong to a municipal union in Canada. You've got more power than God. Get the union to hire the lawyer, that's their job and why you pay your dues. (Unless there is more to this story that you aren't telling us - like you have 2 written warnings). Now it may be possible that you will lose your position as a climber and may be transfered to another job category, but getting fired for this - I don't see it as you have presented it. I worked as a supervisor in a municipality in Canada - firing a unionized worker was a minimum 4 step procedure and would take several months. We had workers on compensation due to workplace injury that we suspected was fraudulent. We had a Private Eye videotape them doing things they shouldn't have been able to do with their injury and yet we still weren't able to fire him outright. The grievances took us months to work through and at the end of the day, it was easier and less time consuming of supervisor's time (aka cheaper) to just bring him back to work.

You however make a great statement about the problems with unions.

TOO MUCH POWER

 

[treeclimber101]

For them to fire the guy was a poor choice,and he will be better off without working for a CO like that.
Ah here we go with the trashing of the unions , they won't fire him as a matter of fact they will go to bat for him, often the management are not union members at all , lets not lose focus here...

 

[Job Corps Tree]

That State of Mind is tough to work with, I back handed my Pole saw once dumb A44 thing to do but having a cut the back of my wrist my company was concerned about my state of mind when I cut my wrist . My Wife had to get nasty with them before they would back off about it a Month or more they went on and on about it.