Chainsaw symphony

[Jethro]

following our neighbours (with contribution from us) felling of two trees from his front garden, and 3 from his back ...

today, heard a chainsaw, and saw house across the road is having trees felled in the back.

Then round the corner, another house is having trees in his front garden felled.

And now, there's a whine from the bottom of the close where another house is taking trees out of their front garden.

Wonder if we started a trend ? Also wonder how the water table will fare !

As an aside, the company(s ?) doing the felling today look a little cowboyish. The firm that took out the neighbours trees (advertised in the parish gazette with 40+ years of experience) were using full-face masks, parachute harnesses, and heavy boots and gloves. Just looking out the window the lad doing the front tree has no face protection, no gloves, no trainers, and was climbing the tree without a harness. I couldn't look too long.

[Another John]

Shame! Now if your name was Adam, and not Jethro, you'd be at the window with your videocam and your Youtube connection, for the benefit of us all! :-D

J.

[1] "just" trainers I expect you meant.

[Jethro]

Yes (crosses legs !)

[David in Normandy]

Was he sitting on the branch he was cutting off? :P

[Chris J Dixon]

A neighbour of mine, after having been ripped off by itinerants (they had invented a story that there had been complaints, and he had to let them do the work) who left him with unbelievably mangled eyesores of trees, plus all the trimmings for him to dispose of, apparently went with a garden landscape firm to clear the lot, and give the plot a bit of a makeover.

They had a reasonably large conifer to bring down, without room to drop it in one. I saw no goggles, ear defenders, or safety clothing in evidence whilst using a chain saw. An extended sectional ladder rested against the tree, but wasn't secured to it. There was some form of primitive personal safety loop, but it was only clipped to the ladder, the top rung of which rested insecurely against the curve of the trunk.

As they worked down from the top, the chain saw was deployed at about head height but, having no goggles, the operator was showered with sawdust and had to look away from the cut. Meanwhile the second man had to leave his position footing the ladder to heave on the rope hoping to persuade the section to fall the right way.

To my surprise they survived, but that is simply not the way to do it. At almost every stage they progressed in such a tentative way, that it seemed to me that they were way out of their depth.

Chris

[Brian Gaff]

I cannot believe anyone would be so stupid as to not at least protect their eyes when using such equipment. Brian

[Jethro]

I can assure you it's true. Further observation showed that it was the same crew doing 3 addresses. What was disturbing was they had a nice, smart van with "landcape gardening and tree surgery" painted on it - so they looked the business.

Chatting about it with the Mrs last night, and she also noticed they didn't have any ear defenders. It was an instructive contrast with the crew that did next-doors tree. As I said they had full-face masks, ear defenders, proper harnesses, and they frequently stopped to inspect their chainsaws, and used something like a file to check each tooth.

When we first moved in, I sawed a tree down, and wanted to get the stump out of the ground. A chat with an acquaintance put me off chainsaws for life - they are incredibly dangerous tools. IIRC there was a QI episode about Danger, and they stated the most dangerous job in the world is a Feller (i.e. Canadian for lumberjack).

[dennis]

I don't think a tree surgeon is anything like a feller.

[Gib Bogle]

I don't think Canadian fellers use full-face masks, not those I've seen on TV anyway. No sneakers though - high heels.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Nothing like a dame, either.

[Andy Champ]

So I'm not the only one thinking of That Song?

Andy