|
Treevolution has had links in Spain since
the European Congress back in 2000, and
now has an instructor based in Barcelona.
With the Work at Height Regulations being
implemented in the UK from the 6th April
2005, I was invited by Grimpacat to be a
speaker and International Observer at the
Spanish Tree Climbing Championship held
near Tarragona, Spain, on 23rd/24th April.
When new regulations appear, confusion
and misinformation can easily be spread
by the ill-informed. Arborists in Spain
were becoming very twitchy following rumours
that tree climbing would become a thing
of the past and mobile platforms would replace
the rope and harness…it’s funny
how rumours spread so fast!
Hence my invitation to give a presentation
after the first round of the Championship,
along with a tree climbing demonstration
by Dan Hotchkiss and Jochum Bax acting as
interpreter, to an audience of around ninety
practicing arborists. This was followed
by a lecture given by a Health and Safety
‘specialist’ from Valencia and
a question and answer session aimed at both
speakers. By all accounts this generated
huge support for the UK system!
The aim of our presentation was to explain
how UK arborists steered their way through
UK regulations via industry consultation
and negotiation with the HSE.
Our presentation started with an explanation
of the UK’s Health and Safety at Work
Act and associated regulations, including
the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations, Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations, Lifting Operations and Lifting
Equipment Regulations and the Work at Height
Regulations.
By providing examples of how the tree work
industry in the UK has implemented its own
Risk Assessment for Commercial Arboriculture,
training and certification through LANTRA
Awards and NPTC, the provision of LOLER
inspectors from within the arboricultural
industry and its own industry codes of practice
(e.g. Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory
Group (AFAG) safety guides and the soon
to be published A Guide to Good Climbing
Practice), we demonstrated how in recent
years we have managed to self-police our
own industry. (For a country like Spain,
where arboricultural work methods are very
new, we demonstrated how they can implement
their own standards, without reinventing
the wheel!)
We then went on to explain how research
in the UK, funded either by the HSE or the
Forestry Commission, has helped the industry
to move forward: for example: Safe Working
Methods with Top-Handled Chainsaws (2001);
Determination of Rope Access and Work Positioning
Techniques in Arboriculture (2004); Karabiner
Research (2004); Ropes and Friction Hitches
used in Tree Climbing Operations (2003);
and the nearly completed Initial Assessment
of Rigging Methods used in Tree Work Operations
in the UK (see below).
So, back to the Work at Height
Regulations 2005…
These are aimed at everyone working at
height (apart from the Adventure Activities
Sector). For further guidance from HSE,
see their March 2005 press release at www.hse.gov.uk/press/2005/co5008.htm.
The main issue that the industry has had
to consider during the past year or so is
the use of twin ropes when working in trees.
After various Update and Standard Setting
meetings with LANTRA Awards/NPTC Training
Standards Verifiers and their respective
Instructors and Assessors, and industry
wide consultation with organisations large
and small, it was decided that further research
was required. This was duly carried out
and the results can be seen at www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/pdf/wahreport.pdf
To enable the Arboricultural Industry in
the UK to work within the regulations, the
Arboricultural Association will shortly
be publishing a revised A Guide to Good
Climbing Practice (incorporating revised
aerial rescue guidance notes). The Spanish
audience was keen to have a version translated
into Spanish!
Through a series of demonstrations, we
showed some of the issues that were studied
in the UK. These demonstrations included:
ascending trees with twin ropes/friction
hitch systems; climbing on or around trees
with a belay rope and footlocking with a
back-up line; and work positioning whilst
cutting with a chainsaw.
These demonstrations generated much interest
from the crowd, who were reassured by the
fact that through a process of selecting
a method of tree access and referring to
a hierarchy of risks associated with different
cutting tools, in conjunction with UK industry
‘codes of practice’ and Training
and Certification, we are able to work within
the regulations. This was seen as a very
positive way forward, much to the relief
of the audience!
To finalise my input, I explained how Treevolution
has run seminars with the Arboricultural
Association (funded by HSE) entitled Engaging
Arboricultural Contractors. These are designed
to assist the ‘client side’
when employing contractors, and to explain
the need for the general public to be educated
in how to engage qualified professionals
to carry out tree work. This initiative
was approved by the Spaniards, who have
the same problems, but are about ten years
behind us!
Oh! … and back to the Competition…
It was held in a fantastic campsite with
full facilities, including lecture theatres,
supermarket, bars, restaurant, beach, and
wooden cabins, in an area of stunning Palms,
hundreds of pollarded Mulberry trees (to
provide shade) and Pine trees. The presentations
were held on an outside stage with lights
and music, along with a barbecue and a party
that went on into the early hours!
Results of the Masters event of the Spanish
ITCC 2005 (sponsored by Andreas Stihl AB)
were: -
1st: Xavier Enric (Catalunya) - trained
at Merrist Wood!
2nd: Francesc Boix (Catalunya)
3rd: Argeles Rodriguez (Madrid)
4th: Ruben Farinas (Catalunya)
So, if you fancy a break in the sun, Treevolution
will be running courses near Tarragona later
in 2005. Of special interest will be our
new Foreman and Supervisors course which
will be launched at the 7th Arborists’
Trade Fair on 24th/25th June, at the Bathurst
Estate, Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
Further details are available from the
Arboricultural Association - tel: 01794
368717 - e-mail: admin@trees.org.uk,
and on the new look Treevolution website
www.treevolution.co.uk.
Adios!
Liam McKeown
|
