Work Safe BC Regulations

[leonH]

Hello fellow Arborists, I have a question concerning the Work Safe BC Regulations for Climbing Arborists.

I am original from Germany but now I work in BC, I challenged the Arborist Technician and Certified Climbing Arborist

tests from ITA.
Now after reading the Work Safe BC Regulations, I understand that a Certified Climbing Arborist in BC is not allowed to fall Tress over 6” for non- commercial purposes.
But I would be allowed to run a saw 100ft. up in a tree ?
Any work in heights is more dangerous than working from the ground !
I just don’t see that making any sense !!!
How are your experience with that ?

1.Did you all make the Falling and Bucking endorsement ?

2.What are the exact regulations for arborists ? Do I have to be more than half way up the tree for it to fall it ?

Sorry I am just totally confused right now.
And a bit disappointed realizing I am not allowed to fall for residential purpose.

Please let me know if any of questions are unclear.

Thanks and have a good weekend
Below:
The answer form a ITA employee to my questions. After asking him for more specific regulations he just told me its difficult.


Hello Leon!

Not a dumb question at all.

BC is unique that we do have a restriction for falling trees over 6” in non-production, non-forestry settings. The WorkSafeBC Regulation Part 26 is outlined on our website here. It is a WorkSafeBC requirement, not something that the industry has initiated.

Of course there are many ways to remove a tree. Climbing, bucket truck (piece-by-piece removal). However, if you are felling the tree in it’s entirety with one cut at the stump, you do require the falling & bucking endorsement.
If you have any questions on the specifics of getting the endorsement after reviewing the above, let me know.

 

[mikewhite85]

Hello fellow Arborists, I have a question concerning the Work Safe BC Regulations for Climbing Arborists.

I am original from Germany but now I work in BC, I challenged the Arborist Technician and Certified Climbing Arborist

tests from ITA.
Now after reading the Work Safe BC Regulations, I understand that a Certified Climbing Arborist in BC is not allowed to fall Tress over 6” for non- commercial purposes.
But I would be allowed to run a saw 100ft. up in a tree ?
Any work in heights is more dangerous than working from the ground !
I just don’t see that making any sense !!!
How are your experience with that ?

1.Did you all make the Falling and Bucking endorsement ?

2.What are the exact regulations for arborists ? Do I have to be more than half way up the tree for it to fall it ?

Sorry I am just totally confused right now.
And a bit disappointed realizing I am not allowed to fall for residential purpose.

Please let me know if any of questions are unclear.

Thanks and have a good weekend
Below:
The answer form a ITA employee to my questions. After asking him for more specific regulations he just told me its difficult.


Hello Leon!

Not a dumb question at all.

BC is unique that we do have a restriction for falling trees over 6” in non-production, non-forestry settings. The WorkSafeBC Regulation Part 26 is outlined on our website here. It is a WorkSafeBC requirement, not something that the industry has initiated.

Of course there are many ways to remove a tree. Climbing, bucket truck (piece-by-piece removal). However, if you are felling the tree in it’s entirety with one cut at the stump, you do require the falling & bucking endorsement.
If you have any questions on the specifics of getting the endorsement after reviewing the above, let me know.

That's weird. Probably a regulation written by non-arborists. How difficult is it to add the "falling and bucking" endorsement? I mean, you'll need it anyway as you'll be doing a lot of bucking.

I imagine this is one of those regs that are often broken. There are so many instances where it's safer and easier to fell a large tree than aerially dismantle it.

Perhaps you could add a firewood/log business on the side that might qualify as "commercial purposes" when you're removing residential trees. We get saw logs all the time from our residential trees.

 

[leonH]

That's weird. Probably a regulation written by non-arborists. How difficult is it to add the "falling and bucking" endorsement? I mean, you'll need it anyway as you'll be doing a lot of bucking.

I imagine this is one of those regs that are often broken. There are so many instances where it's safer and easier to fell a large tree than aerially dismantle it.

Perhaps you could add a firewood/log business on the side that might qualify as "commercial purposes" when you're removing residential trees. We get saw logs all the time from our residential trees.

Yes it is very weird ! Since they also say in the regs that “ Every work at heights is more dangerous than working from the ground and should only be down if determinated as the only way to proceed”
Basically they are forcing you to do something even more dangerous by not allowing to fell a tree from the ground.
Here is the link for the falling and bucking endorsement.

https://horteducation.ca/falling-bucking-endorsement/

 

[crazyhorse666]

I'm assuming BC is British Columbia? My reading of the legislation is that it is only considered falling if the cut is 30cm or less from the base. While it is just a minor technicality, the law usually must respect such technicalities. If you cut your scarf at, say 40cm, it would not be considered falling and the subsequent sectioning of said log would not be considered bucking.