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Old 11th March 2008, 01:56 AM   #2 (permalink)
Ekka
Eric Frei Administrator - Brisbane L5 (Dip) Hort Cert III Arb + some
 
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 7,158
Default Re: Tree Lopping Design Project help???

Straight off the bat here's a serious one where the rule makers are generally not the rule takers .... in other words do as I say regardless.

Country Energy NSW and perhaps other energy organisations around the place often need tree climbers to remove trees within the close approach distance of a power wires.

They mandate that the trees must be climbed spurless, that's for a removal not a prune as you do not spur living trees only removals. Now imagine trying to do that without having spurs on, imagine trying to use a large saw to block out wood. It's downright dangerous!

Their argument is that if you or the tree were energized your feet would get blown off. Generally the spurs are made from steel, alloy or carbon graphite. All capable of carrying voltage.

Now you need to do the research on the rules of these places ... then market research if there are any insulated spurs, which I doubt otherwise they'd be using them.

The shafts and pads could be made from some polymer that's non conductive and the actual spur that sticks in the tree from ceramic or bakelite etc. There cannot be any steel, screw etc. Velcro pads would solve the strap problem except the cinching clip cant be steel.

These would have to be tested and tagged according with OHS voltage safety limits as per the energy company rules, could be a global market.
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