last draft of OH&S Arb code of practice.

Garry Brockley

Ok this is from what i can gather is the last draft of the OH&S Arboricultural code of practice.
This is being pushed forward now so we need to read this and comment on their website.

This document will go to Safe Work Australia's legal section, and once it has come back from there, a REVISED version of it will likely be put out for public comment through their website. You can register at Subscribe to be advised when the revised draft will be open for public comment

Attached Files

Safe-Access-in-Tree-Trimming-and-Arboriculture.pdf (415.8 KB, 54 views)

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Eric Frei

I can tell that was written by a desk jockey shiny ass.

we need to get doggers tickets and industrial rope access tickets now.

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Darrell Mcleod

So is this a Queensland only OH&S proposal?

Did Queensland Arboricultural Association have any input?

redmower

Safe Work Australia is the author. I tending to think it isn't just for QLD

Tony Knight

Maybe not ....

Regards

Tony

Apocalypsse

Haha, in 9.2 they spelt "wood chippers" as "wodd chippers". I'm surprised they don't require you to be a live linie to cut around powerlines. I hope they don't push that Industrial Rope Access stuff on us, climbing a tree is different to descending a building.

Eric Frei

No no ... it's required to hang off structures not trees. So you can ride the hook of a crane.

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derwoodii

They need to put tits in these doc's or none will read em as boring, dry, dull "be sure to put ya jocks on the right way dear" yes mummy.

At least they're considering Crane anchored Industrial rope access systems and give brief of how its best used.
Thats handy I got me 20t crane & doggies ticket 25 years ago so I better get my Licence to perform high risk work ticket updated grrr $45 bucks & Work safe tell me by end Aug or else. Sigh hate fillin in forms n documents and passport picture! good grief need to get me hair done.

Josh Wrigley

Can someone please explain the need for a full body harness?

Cheers

Eric Frei

The closing date for submissions is Friday 16 December 2011

Current details are here:-

Draft model Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice - Public Comment

Follow their guidelines for submissions, the documents (in MS Word) are available. As a member of ATA I will suggest they make an official submission.

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Eric Frei

Page 23 writes:-

I dispute this because consultants often climb trees to inspect, take pictures, do a resistograph test etc. I feel this is overkill and will blow out severely the costs of consulting. It is hardly as hazardous to climb a tree to take pictures as using a chainsaw blocking down large logs or lowering large sections out.

Perhaps it should read:-
7.4 Aerial Rescue
• A minimum of two people must be present during all tree-climbing operations which involve the use of a chainsaw aloft. One of the
ground team should be available, competent and equipped to perform a tree rescue without
delay.

About harness and full body fall arrest systems:-

Page 14 says:-

As to whether or not that is full body we need to dig deeper. It does say on page 18:-
But the issue is we aren't really arresting falls, we are work positioning, there should be no slack in our systems. A passive fall arrest system might be OK on buildings but we are constantly moving with obstacles around (branches).


Also there is no mention of the use of ladders.

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redmower

I agree with the suggestion to propose to amend the code as Eric notes. Is ATA likely to pursue this recommendation?

Sorry if I have missed a few things of late, have been away working well out of town

RM

Eric Frei

I think that a "should" for full body harnesses might lie around the concept of inverting.

How many people have fallen out of a harness in the tree? Anyone got stats on that?

What do you see as the negatives or issues with wearing full body harnesses in the tree?

• More interference and catching on debris/branches
• Uncomfortable with potential movement restriction as often bending and stretching

The positives or people I see who tend to use them use them more for support so their saddles do not slide down especially when hanging up a heavy large saw.

Outside of work and in recreational climbing how many use a full body harness? None, I see none and these rock climber fall more often than tree workers that is for sure. Yes, while they might fall on dynamic (stretching) rope to absorb the shock again how many have inverted and fallen out of their saddle? I see now at Anaconda on their little climbing wall that full body harnesses are required for children as apparently one did invert and fall out of the harness. I was also told that was because of poor fitting and sizing for kids and kids do not have hips.

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Arbomaniac

Many of you will be aware of the Code of Practice for Safe Access in Tree Trimming and Arboriculture. Council Arboriculture Victoria have arranged for SafeWork Australia to make a public presentation of the code so those who are interested can better understand how it may impact on work practices, and more importantly how to make submissions to make the Code the best it can be.

Some of you may have received this twice from me, some of you may receive it from others. I apologise for the inconvenience that duplicate emails may cause.




Model Work Health and Safety Regulations and model Codes of Practice

To facilitate the current public comment process on the draft model Work Health and Safety Code of Practice http://safeworkaustralia.gov.au/Legi...imming-and-Arb
for Safe Access in Tree Trimming and Arboriculture http://safeworkaustralia.gov.au/Legi...imming-and-Arb released on 26 September 2011, Council Arboriculture
Victoria are hosting a public meeting. This meeting is open to every person that is interested in making the
amenity tree industry a better place to work.

This is your opportunity to better understand how the code came to be formed, what the possible scope of the
code is and how you can comment on it.
When: 4:15pm November 30 2011
Where: Mount Waverley Community Centre
47-49 Millers Crescent
Mount Waverley
Melway 61 E12

There will be a 45 minute presentation by SafeWork Australia followed by a question and answer session.

Information will be presented on how to make submissions. Submissions close 16 December 2011.

Submissions must be made at the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice Public comments Draft model Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice - Public Comment site.

Please come along and help make this Code of Practice the best it can be.

For more information, or to register for the event, visit the CAV website <http://www.cavinc.info/> .

It is expected the meeting will finish by 6pm.

There is no charge for this event.

It would be appreciated if you could pass this on to every person you know that may be interested in attending.

Apocalypsse

No idea how that ended up in my ISP email account. Either way I can't make it across town after work in time. Will be good to get some notes of what happened from someone who does get there.

TrevMcRev

I urge all with an interest in continuing with tree work as we know it to make a submission as above. Your time to fill in 2 simple forms could make a big, big difference. If there is little opposition to this it may be introduced as is and will completely change tree work. You need to fill in the Cover Page document and the Response Form document.

The draft is poorly considered, and has been prepared with little to no input from the tree industry. As such, the majority of what is written has been cut/pasted from Industrial Rope Access standards. On the surface it might all sound ok, but if you dig deeper and look at these standards they are irrelevent to current tree climbing systems & practices. No current tree climbing harness would meet these requirements.

So unless you want to spend the next 5 years dangling in trees from Abseiling rope in an Industrial Fall-Arrest Harness then you need to let Safe Work Australia know that they have got it all wrong, and the draft should not proceed to becoming a Code of Practice untill it has been re-written with input from appropriate industry experts & organisations/associations.

This draft started life as a way of getting Crane Assisted Tree Access as done in N.T. officially accepted nationwide, then someone thought it would be a good idea to expand on that and add some tree climbing standards, in haste to meet a deadline it was done without appropriate consultation in my opinion.

derwoodii

Agree, obvious changes to harness and rope systems to Arborist equipment.

I ll suggest that the operator of the crane and the tree climber must/should be interchangeable roles i.e that they both can do each others job, so they have a clear understanding of the needs and capacity of the equipment and techniques being used to dismantle a tree. No guess work by a 20 ton rig driver please.

I see benefit for tree access and dismantle in situations where all other safer methods have been assessed as unwise. EG the big dead decayed one. Its not often but when needs must a crane will allow greater safety and efficiency in a tricky tree dismantle.

Be good if any NT blokes could weigh in with their thoughts as we are mostly guessing the how to's down here as no ones even tried riding the hook past 20 years that I,,, err hmm,,, want to own up to.

TrevMcRev

Australian Tree Assoc

Australian Tree Association will respond in official manner on all specific issues raised in this thread so simply post here.

It has to be specific, just like the way they want us to lodge it.

Your comment must reference the section ..... just a broad brush comment will not have impact.

Our industry uses work positioning systems not fall arrest.

Please read through and be specific, we will combine all input in this thread to ATA's submission as an industry body.

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Australian Tree Association Ltd - The nationwide industry association that members trust ... delivering integrity through transparency

Australian Tree Assoc

Please find attached a copy of what we have to submit so far.

Time is running out so please add your comments before it is too late.

Attached Files

Response-Form.doc (289.5 KB, 40 views)

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Australian Tree Association Ltd - The nationwide industry association that members trust ... delivering integrity through transparency