Osha rules on bucket riding.

[juststumps]

I know there has been a rash of stupid questions lately but this one is serious. I'm strictly a climber. However, a few times a month, one of the bucket crews get a job too tall and needs me to go up and cut it down to their size. Now for the past decade, i'll just sit on the lip of the bucket with my feet hanging on the outside, run a flipline through the tie in on the boom, and just reach over and run the controls. Snug the basket up to the tree, run another flip around the tree, set my spikes, unhook from the bucket, and start climbing. Alot easier than getting your feet out of the basket and onto the tree. Working with a new bucket guy today who threw a fit. So thought i'd ask around and see if there are any problems with my method.

Does osha have any standards on climbing out of a bucket? Thanks.

sitting on the edge,, is probably ,,not the best thing to do... if you slip,, tied in,,,you'll more than likely be face first into the boom hard !!!! then you have a problem....

 

[juststumps]

This is going to sound stupid, but i actually have a hard time getting up out of the bucket. Whether i'm not coordinated enough or am too tall or what, i don't know. The only time i've ever drew blood with my spikes was while trying to get my legs out of the bucket. So i guess i need to know what the technique is for getting up and out of the bucket. I know several guys who just put their hands on the lip and lift themselves out with their arms but my shoulders are far enough from the lip that i can only get about six inches of lift.

bring a milk crate up with you,, stand on that ..after you get to where your going ...

 

[juststumps]

once you're tied in just have the guy on the ground lower the bucket and viola!, you're outta the bucket. it's easier than climbing out.

your kidding ??? right ??? sometimes i'll set a guy in a tree... he flys the thing up,,, gets out,,, clears his line....

i would never drop the bucket out from one of my guys,,, unless he was totally in the clear !!!!

half the time the boom is laced in the tree,, you need hand signals to get it out ...

same thing goes for riding the lip of the bucket,,, if you ever did fall,, and can't get back into the bucket ,,, do you really want someone dragging you thru a tree while hanging off the end of the boom ????? sorta like "TREE PINATA" JMHO

 

[lxt]

Beowulf, I have had problems like you mentioned, spikes on while standing in the bucket, what I have done is leave one leg out over the basket rim, resting the underside of my knee on the rim, that way when Im set & ready to bail I can stand on the bucket step or Atlas have one leg ready to be planted in the tree.

anybody bustin your chops has apparently not jumped outta too many baskets, or different types....hell Im 6ft & some of those baskets are above my waist, let alone if its winter & you`re wearing a set of bib`s or other.

Maybe these guys that are having such an easy time are in there early to mid 20`s, knees & backs are still functioning well, give em 20+ years of this stuff & jumping outta the basket will get more difficult!!! or maybe they have rode the bucket up most of their career & dont have the skill to get from the ground to the crown......LOL!

these guys today have it kinda easy, when I started you didnt even get in the bucket....that was the Vets tonka toy!! If you asked to run the bucket the reply was "Get your tools on & get up there" (usually large & scary). To take an elevator ride was a privilege & allowed usually only after you where up there, came down for lunch & needed to go back up to finish!!

Be safe Take Care!!!!!

LXT............

 

[minny]

They told us no in a osha meeting and I stood up and spoke
and told them how I performed it, and he said it seemed safe
to him but no rule on it! The only thing he did not like is instead
of the full body harness, I was in my saddle. The way I do it is;
get to full bucket height set my climb rope with a silky or pruner
with a marvin head and tie in! Then I undo the lanyard and body
body thrust on up and have ground man move basket either out
of the way or down! I am not sure if that is ok with them but have
done it so long and know it is safe!



Also; I have thought of getting the full body saddle harness
combo then no rule could be broken.

I know the "marvin pruner rope set" Please explain the "silky".
Thanks.

 

[ropensaddle]

I know the "marvin pruner rope set" Please explain the "silky".
Thanks.

I don't recommend it but I have laid it on the undercut blade and set
it, when I forgot to load my pruner! I put black tape over the edges of
the vine and undercut part of the blade!

 

[masterarbor]

your kidding ??? right ??? sometimes i'll set a guy in a tree... he flys the thing up,,, gets out,,, clears his line....

i would never drop the bucket out from one of my guys,,, unless he was totally in the clear !!!!

half the time the boom is laced in the tree,, you need hand signals to get it out ...

same thing goes for riding the lip of the bucket,,, if you ever did fall,, and can't get back into the bucket ,,, do you really want someone dragging you thru a tree while hanging off the end of the boom ????? sorta like "TREE PINATA" JMHO

this whole industry is calculated risk. i've done things that i wouldn't ever advise other people to do. the most dangerous thing i've done and i do it over and over, is climb the dang dead head silver maples. nothing i've ever done in a bucket compares to the risk of one of these. and no, i'm not kidding!:rockn:

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

this whole industry is calculated risk. i've done things that i wouldn't ever advise other people to do. the most dangerous thing i've done and i do it over and over, is climb the dang dead head silver maples. nothing i've ever done in a bucket compares to the risk of one of these. and no, i'm not kidding!:rockn:

Then there are things that you will do alone, things that you would let a person do as a supervisor, and things that you will allow as an owner/production manager.

As your risk pool goes up, your risk tolerance has to go down.

One of the problems with the ANSI/OSHA discussions here is that we as practitioners disagree with the restrictions.

The purpose of OSHA as a body is to protect the line worker from overzealous employers putting them at risk.

The reason for compliance with training in compliance with ANSI/OSHA, as a company, is to reduce your liability in case of an accident or even inspection.

A crew leader who allows the bucketman to stand on the lip while working, he gets a struckby, falls onto his hip belt and breaks his back will be held liable. How many companies will stand by him and admit that it is accepted SOP?

 

[pdqdl]

*************************************************
Quote:
Aerial lifts

The answer is no for aerial lifts. Section 1926.453(b)(2)(iv) states that "employees shall always stand firmly on the floor of the basket, and shall not sit or climb on the edge of the basket or use planks, ladders, or other devices for a work position."
**************************************************

That does not sound like an exclusion for a step stool or ladder to get out of the darn thing. I am sure OSHA has some sort of rule about that too.

I can see how climbing out of a bucket too tall for a fella might cause him to fall on his head when he climbs out to drive the truck home for the day.

Doesn't someone make a short ladder that hangs on the edge of the bucket? It would be out of the way most of the time, easily moved, and would certainly make it easier to climb out of the bucket. It could even be made out of fiberglass, so as not to reduce the electrocution hazard.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Doesn't someone make a short ladder that hangs on the edge of the bucket? It would be out of the way most of the time, easily moved, and would certainly make it easier to climb out of the bucket. It could even be made out of fiberglass, so as not to reduce the electrocution hazard.

Every bucket I've used has a built in step.

 

[pdqdl]

Every bucket I've used has a built in step.

Sadly, none of the ones I have been in had steps on the inside. All the steps were on the outside. Doesn't help much after you are already in.

I really don't have much experience with bucket trucks except the dinosaur I owned until I sold it, and units I looked at for sale at auctions.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

All the steps were on the outside. Doesn't help much after you are already in.

They are all molded in so that the inside is hollow and you stick your tow in it.

 

[beowulf343]

They are all molded in so that the inside is hollow and you stick your tow in it.

I've never been in a bucket without a liner.

 

[pdqdl]

How do I get outa this thing...

I've never been in a bucket without a liner.

Yep !

Mine had a removable liner that was as slick on the inside as coffee cup. Straight sides, no steps.

Good thing that liner was there too: I broke the rules once, and worked a bit too close to the primary wires. Barely touched a wire with a 6' branch I was tossing, turned out it WAS NOT a ground wire, but a primary with a 7000 volt charge! I only caught a little tingle, less than sticking your tongue on a 9 volt battery, but... I resolved to NEVER work that close to a primary again. [at least until I was certified to do so!]

 

[juststumps]

this whole industry is calculated risk. i've done things that i wouldn't ever advise other people to do. the most dangerous thing i've done and i do it over and over, is climb the dang dead head silver maples. nothing i've ever done in a bucket compares to the risk of one of these. and no, i'm not kidding!:rockn:

there are no "calculated risks" !!!! you do it the safe way... if you have to think about it , and calulate it,, it's probably not the right way to go....
there are a few questions to ask you self...
1: is this safe ???
2: do i have the skills to do this ??
3: do i have the right equipment, to do this ???
4: do you have the right personal,, backing me up ???
5: is there ZERO risk ???

if you can't answer all of the questions,, might want to rethink the way you do the job...

there is always an "AW ####" ,, that pops up on occasion... that can't be avoided....when something goes wrong no matter how well you planned it..

RUSSIAN ROULETTE is a calculated risk.... don't see a lot of people playing !!!!

 

[masterarbor]

whatever...