Question on Tree Cutting Standards and Practices

[Squid327WFD3]

Like i stated before i am new to the tree care business but i am wanting to learn more.
Today i was at my Fire Station We were called out to a home for Wires Arcing/Wires Down where a landscaper was doing some tree work in a customers yard.
Upon arriving on scene i knew right away that he didn't know what he was doing he was basically just toping everything with a electric Sawzall and chainsaw.
I did not see any gas powered equipment there.
I also noted that he was not securing anything he dropped there were some nice size chunks that he was dropping down to a high-school kid that was loading them in the back of a dump truck.
He knocked a cable and electric wire off the home and caused some nice sparks and some burning of the siding but no extension to the home.

no one was hurt just ego and pride and the landscaper has to pay to have the wires fixed

but is this a common thing with people doing work or was this just a odd ball

 

[Lifesabeach]

Definately not normal.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Sounds like the episode of This Old House, when they did some tree work.

 

[Squid327WFD3]

gota love "This Old House" and the other PBS Home Improvement shows they show you just enough to get yourself in trouble

 

[diltree]

This is very common.....someone ignorant enough to believe taking down a tree is a very easy task...acts on their belief, and nearly kills them self, causes damage or hurts someone. You see this allot with weekend warriors, landscapers, and newbies that lack the experience and the education to perform commercial tree work.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I had a friend who's been in the buisness 30 years goof up his knothc the other day and hit utilities. PWR was disconnected so is was just hurt pride. I tried to wave him off but he was paying attention to what he was doing. then the back cut was made and it was too late.

Occurances like yours happen regularly.

 

[Ekka]

Yes Squidguy there's a lot of poor workmanship and tree malpractice going on.

Over here we get doorknocking hacks topping trees and busting stuff. I would say less than 25% of the people cutting/pruning trees have proper experience or qualifications ... I have had people with over 10 years experience not know what a snap or missmatch or step cut is. Some of the roping and knot tying is joke.

Ultimately it's the customers fault for hiring them, get experienced/qualified arborists ... with insurance. We can hope govts regulate or enforce a standard but in most cases there's no regulation ... so consumers beware.

 

[Tree Wizard]

We've had several similar case like that in the metro-Milwaukee area in the past year.

Case 1
Doorknocker 1 is taking down large tree all in one piece at Neighbor A's place. Has something go awry and drops tree on Neighbor B's house. Doorknocker 1 packs up gear and leaves. Doorknocker 1's only contact info per Neighbor A is a cell phone which is not being answered. Neighbor B's lawyer calls many tree services trying to figure out who exactly Doorknocker 1 is. Don't know if they ever found out.

Case 2
Doorknocker 2 is taking down tree at Neighbor C. Drops tree over Neighbor D's service drop, breaking and pulling it into phone & cable wires. End result - all phones, TVs, computers and other electronics in D's house are smoked. Doorknocker 1 packs up gear and leaves. Doorknocker 2's only contact info per neighbor C is a cell phone which is not being answered. Wisconsin Energy calls many tree services trying to figure out who exactly Doorknocker 2 is. They of course have pull with cell phone company and can find out who cell phone is registered too.

 

[stehansen]

That is pretty common in california also, anyone who has ever cut firewood thinks that he / she is capable of taking down a tree.

 

[P_woozel]

I have just shy of 20 years of cutting experience, well over 15,000 hrs. So I feel my opinion has a little weight. Nowhere have I seen the lack of fundamental skill level in chainsaw operation as I have in urban treecare. Its strange someone with no experience gets hired as a groundguy, very little training involved, a few months maybe as long as a year that individual is climbing, now running a saw aloft often still without any fundamental knowledge. I work with some very, very talented experienced climbers and they are missing some key aspects of saw use. I'm not saying tree guys suck at using saws, just that its something that needs atttention. Things like inabilty to sharpen a saw, improper face techniques, inaability to use differnt cuts, failure to consider different wood characteristics based on species and time of year, inabilty to size up a stem, failure to wedge, and on and on. Folks we really need to make sure that we have a firm grasp of the basics. :umpkin:

 

[clearance]

I'm not saying tree guys suck at using saws.......ha, ha. P woozel, what you say about talented climbers being unable to sharpen a saw, fall etc. is indeed sad. I am glad I worked in the bush, on the ground running a saw all day long before I ever climbed, now I just have to learn how not to be so much of a hack.