Tree trimming...how not to do it...unless you are in Tokyo

JimBuis · October 28, 2006, 03:44:21 AM

Many of you know that I live in Tokyo, Japan most of the year. I've lived here a lot of years, but on occasion somethings get even my attention. I thought you guys would be interested in seeing how the Japanese trim trees here.

On Friday, we had a contractor on campus (Christian Academy in Japan) to trim one of our trees. I could not resist taking a few pictures. Please keep in mind that this is no fly-by-night outfit. This is a company that is in the business.

You might find it interesting to know that the guy up in the sling is over 60 years old and the guy on the ground operating the crane controls was in his 40s. I wonder what OSHA would think of this method. What do you think?

Jim

sawguy21 · October 28, 2006, 09:49:30 AM

??? I was just thinking the safety rules are a little different there. :D Wonder why they would not use a bucket?

chet · October 28, 2006, 09:58:21 AM

For a minute I thought dat was Kevin with a sun tan. ;D

Kevin · October 28, 2006, 09:59:58 AM

I have a seat like that I can use with a winch with a separate safety line.

metalspinner · October 28, 2006, 12:33:46 PM

Who's van is in the drop zone?

rebocardo · October 28, 2006, 02:08:55 PM

With parking being tight as it is in Tokyo, I bet everything is in a drop zone and you have to use a crane or a bucket just to trim trees to drop branches because they have to be lowered to the ground.

I would not want to be in that sling hitting a wire ...

I am pretty sure OSHA would not look kindly on extending the boom all the way out and all the way up to in front of the truck, bucket or not. Makes it pretty easy to lift the rear wheels off the ground that way.

Furby · October 28, 2006, 02:48:08 PM

Anyone ever think that maybe we would be better off without OSHA?

Tom · October 28, 2006, 02:55:13 PM

I didn't have to think too hard.

Furby · October 28, 2006, 03:01:01 PM

;D :D :D :D

mike_van · October 28, 2006, 04:10:40 PM

Who's your buddy? - It better be the guy on the ground running the controls - :D

Timburr · October 28, 2006, 06:13:16 PM

The company has a a crane truck costing millions of yen, but the poor old tree surgeon has to make do with a two shilling board :D Perhaps he is the outfit's head-honcho and doesn't trust anyone else up there, or his hands are too jittery to operate the boom.

At least he has gloves on!!

Is that a battery powered chainsaw in his hand?

VA-Sawyer · October 28, 2006, 06:33:20 PM

Setting the OSHA rules aside for a minute... my only real concern for safety here is just how close is he to the power lines ? I'm guessing from what I can see in the photos that the crane is in the 5-12 ton class. Lots of excess lifting factor with a probably under 200 lb load on the sling. The one I sometimes operate for one of my tree friends is a 15 ton unit and it has no change in weight limitations concerning foward vs aft on the truck. All the weight limits are based on working circle... distance from the center point.
VA-Sawyer

JimBuis · October 28, 2006, 07:36:42 PM

There are two empty parking spaces between the black van and the wall. Some of the tree branches hang out passed the wall and over the street. The wall is our property line, the street begins at the outer edge of the fence and the concrete poles for the power lines are in the street. The poles are up against the street side of the wall. When you drive down this street you have to weave in and out of the power poles especially when you meet up with pedestrians or an oncoming car.

The tree trimmer has a small hand saw in his hand. No chainsaws or power tools anywhere in sight. When he is at the top of the tree, he would be within a couple of feet of the wires depending upon precisely where the operator puts him. Some of the branches he is trimming have grown out into the power lines. Each branch that is anything more than a twig is carried back to the ground as the operator lowers him down each time then he is raised back up again to trim some more.

Jim

VA-Sawyer · October 28, 2006, 10:28:45 PM

If he gets a little too close to a power line and gets even a minor shock, it could knock him unconsious and then, because he doesn't appear to be wearing any kind of secondary harness, he could fall out of the seat and get killed.
"Each branch that is anything more than a twig is carried back to the ground......." The guy is 60 years old and has been doing this work since he was a young man....his goal is to have a career total of 100 trees done when he retires. ;D
VA-Sawyer

JimBuis · October 29, 2006, 12:25:33 AM

In the first picture, you can only see a portion of it as it is covered by his right arm, but there is a strap that wraps around his chest and back and ties to the vertical straps at each end of the seat. If he were unconcious, the straps would hold him in. For the method they are using, they have done a reasonable job of making it safe. It would be better if he were wearing a professionally designed safety harness and had a safety line as a back-up.

Jim

Ron Wenrich · October 29, 2006, 10:34:28 AM

It looks to me that the sling is non-conductive and the rig is on rubber. Would you still get the shock if there is no ground? I don't know a whole lot about 'lectricity.

VA-Sawyer · October 29, 2006, 10:44:16 AM

Jim,
Upon looking closer at the pictures, I think I can see what you are talking about. Glad I covered my tail by saying " he didn't APPEAR to be wearing a secondary harness". All in all, I guess the only real scarey part of that job would be the power lines. Like someone said earlier, " hope the guy running the crane is your best buddy!"
VA-Sawyer

Ron posted while I was typing.

Ron,
The tree could act as the ground. He might get the zap when he reached for the tree, or when the saw cut into the wet wood of the branch.

Ron Wenrich · October 29, 2006, 11:14:52 AM

I kinda forgot about the tree. :D

mike_van · October 29, 2006, 06:34:41 PM

Ron, I wouldn't bet my life on that non-conductive sling - The booms are probably steel, the winch cable too, and i'm sure there are steel out-riggers down. Even without the them, high voltage will track right over rubber tires because of dirt, grime, etc. Hard to tell how close he is from the angle, but if he's [or what he's holding, cutting] are within 10', he's too close. Some years ago I saw a safety film about a crew setting a pole, something snagged a handle & moved the boom that layed the pole into the primary. A helper, apprentice was getting something out of the side bin at the time, he lost both hands from the burns. I never forgot that film.

Ga_Boy · October 30, 2006, 06:24:07 AM

About 4 months ago a customer contracted me to saw a tree he was taking down in his yard.

The day I showed up to load and haul it out, the tree company was there taking it down. They used the same method, one guy rode the cable up and one guy operated the hoist, another tended the sections as they were lowered.

This was done in Alexandria, VA.

These guys were very professional and did an excellent job.

VA-Sawyer · October 30, 2006, 11:50:33 AM

As I understand the safety standard for tree work, a worker may NOT be supported by any lifting device that is also supporting a load. I take this to mean that you can't sling a chunk of wood off the same crane while it is carrying a worker, but, it is ok for the worker to climb into the tree and then allow the crane to handle the chunk of wood.
VA-Sawyer

sawguy21 · November 01, 2006, 06:00:09 AM

I mentioned the picture to a customer who is an arborist. He said they cannot under any circumstances be slung below the hook. His employer is working on a restraint system but it has not yet been approved.

Warbird · February 19, 2013, 04:42:09 PM

This is a better way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvXvioTVVA0

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 19, 2013, 05:06:37 PM

I don't know if would be standing that close.

ely · February 19, 2013, 05:07:21 PM

we have what they refer to as "minimum approach distance" when working with power lines, and this entails us being qualified employees, working with insulated bucket trucks also. non of which i see in any of the photos.