29.07.2010

Dutch Elm Death Wish

A reader in Holland spotted a team of tree surgeons removing trees the hard way and possibly not the safest way.

The men were working in the village of s-Gravendeel, close to Dordrecht, and were using climbing irons and harnesses plus had fitted safety lines to adjoining trees.
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Man up a tree

Our reader approached the men and asked why they did not use aerial lifts? They responded that their method was very safe thanks to the steel safety cables they use and the fact that they were all intensively trained.

Most of the contracts that they do are for private householders and they claim that the method of tree removal is both safe and cost effective.
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Forgetting safety, this hardly looks like a comfortable or ergonomically sound working posture - especially when using a chain saw

Vertikal Comment

Safe? Hardly! In the UK and an increasing number of European countries climbing is increasingly only permitted when all safer ways have been eliminated. It certainly isn’t high up their on our most dangerous Death Wishes but….

While the safety line to the other tree might prevent a fall to the ground - it will not prevent injuries resulting from the impact with the tree after our tree man swings into hopefully not with his chain saw still buzzing!

Using a chain saw from a leg iron perch is not the safest work practice. The spikes can easily slip – especially on young trees with thin bark – a deep scar on my knee will attest to that! Injury statistics also clearly show that such methods are not at all ‘safe’.

Finally the most efficient? Certainly no on these trees, the team could have arrived with a trailer or spider lift in tow and been up within minutes cutting the limbs from a secure platform. This method while liked by macho young tree cutters often eliminates older more experienced men.

Definitely a Death Wish and definitely a contravention of the European Work At Height Regulations.