Last weekend I attended the Penn-Del chapter of the ISA's shade tree symposium. My CPR training is finally complete and I also received training in EHAP (Electrical Hazards Awareness Program) and Aerial Rescue which really proves to be vital to every practicing arborist out there. Some speakers that presented at the symposium were renowned educators like Dr. John Ball from South Dakota State University and Dr. Kim Coder from The University of Georgia. John Ball illustrated in the EHAP training how dangerous utility work is, and that any preconceived notion of an "accident" is obsolete. These "accidents" are "incidents" because, of course, cases of arborist injury could have at one critical point been prevented. Safety really is one of the most important tools we can carry with us in arboriculture.
Kim Coder discussed topics concerning the constant misdiagnosis of tree health symptoms. Too much or too little of anything can hurt you, and the same is true for the trees that we work with. Really, we need to be careful when it comes to tree symptom diagnosis. What are all the ailments associated with chlorotic leaf tissue, tip tieback, or early leaf drop? Sometimes there can be a bad habit developed in diagnosing certain symptoms as simply one common disease, insect infestation or nutrient deficiency all the time. The point Dr. Coder made was that as arborists and plant health care specialists we need to test more and not settle for an observational diagnosis. There needs to be more investigation behind tree health symptoms. We need to replace our old magnifying glass with a new and bigger one so that the right diagnosis can be made.
And then there were the climbing presentations, some of the best training that a working climber can possibly receive anywhere. Information shared by Don Coffey, Tony Tresselt, Kris Edson, John Ball, Gareth Peoples, Derek Martin, and Jim Roach about concepts in tree climbing today such as: Single Rope Technique vs. Doubled Rope Technique systems, Spar Pole Rigging and safely setting up a climbing and rigging system to rig down large pieces of wood efficiently, and also new concepts in aerial rescue. These ideas were shared by some of the best working climbers in the entire country, and to have this wealth of information at our disposal as tree climbing systems continue to advance and evolve will keep our dynamic profession progressive and most importantly, safe and enjoyable.
There was definately a common thread that I can take away from the newest techniques that these climbers are practicing with today: efficiency. Whether your climbing on a single rope system or a doubled rope system, there is one thing that is absolutely necessary--it needs to work for you as a climber. And furthermore, your climbing system also needs to be completely understood by your ground crew in case an accident should occur.
Let's be more comfortable as climbers, and more importantly, let's be safer and efficient at the same time. Involve your ground crew more by leaving what you may not immediately need on the ground. Keep it simple. Set an access line in case there is an aerial rescue that needs to be performed. This access line can also double as a constant connection between the climber and ground crew for gear and other hardware that may be needed aloft. Make the most of the equipment we have access to. Also, make it a point to understand how different climbing systems work and let's understand how we can benefit from the vast array of techniques that are available to us as climbers for moving throughout the canopy. Single rope techniques may be more efficient to access the canopy, but maybe switching to a doubled line at some point during the work might prove to be more efficient in different working positions. Ascent on a single line works extremely well for myself, but I do like to change over to a doubled rope system once I begin to work the tree. In this sense its very important to me that I fully understand both single and doubled rope systems because I benefit from fully understanding and utilizing these two different tree climbing techniques.
And of course, all of the climbers made the point of how important the pre-climb inspection is. How are we going to climb this tree? Can we climb this tree? Where are the hazards? Where are the targets? Where is the drop zone? Its questions like these that need to be addressed before we even get off the ground. Once in the canopy of the tree, there should be no doubt that the tree is structurally sound and safe to work on. But, of course, our inspection of the tree really doesn't ever stop. We must constantly be looking for any structural hazard that may not have been easily observed from the ground. There may be pockets of decay near the top of the canopy closer to a tie in point. If so, re-working the plan will be necessary to complete the work objective. Knowing that a tree is structurally sound will improve our mindset as a climber, giving us confidence to move efficiently through the canopy and work the tree with the diligence that we need to. But it is this safety that must constantly be on our mind and an objective in our work plan as arborists. If it's not safe, don't do it.
Climb higher. Climb safer. And much thanks to ISA for the awesome educational seminars they have provided through such programs like the shade tree symposium.
