depends on how oen a company has employees working at height. He rec- ommends training at least annually but having discussions about rescue regularly. Practicing removals is ideal before a busy season begins, he says, noting that if one person is alo during a job, there needs to be at least one other crew member on the ground who has the skill to reach them in the event of a rescue. “Our approach is, if you have one per- son alo, you have another person on the site on that level,” Carpenter says. Sullivan emphasizes hands-on training, which is why he recently helped orga- nize an aerial rescue training event in Oklahoma City, Okla. “Resources are out there,” Sullivan says. “You just have to go and get them.” Many tree care companies see training as an activity with diminishing returns, according to Sullivan. It’s an expense and loss of time that could be spent on a job. However, he believes improving safety techniques and procedures will make a company more efficient in the field. LeVangie says companies oen grow quickly and stop investing in the time it takes to train, leading to a large skill gap.
A team in the tree and a team on the ground work together to protect an injured worker.
leverage when a climber is immobile. It makes moving a person much easier, especially if there’s a significant differ- ence in body size. “So having those little tools can acceler- ate a rescue to be from two minutes to five minutes difference,” she explains. TRAINING FOR AERIAL RESCUES Carpenter says training frequency
Having a three-to-one pulley ready can make it easier to move someone out of tight spots, like the crotch of a limb, according to Sullivan. This equipment also makes it much easier for a person on the ground to move someone who may be immobile. The heightened stress levels in a res- cue situation can make securing a throw line more difficult, which is why LeVangie advocates for having a sec- ondary line. She says someone can typ- ically reach a person at height in under two minutes if they can clip and start climbing right away. “A wonderful thing for companies to start practicing and leading into motion every single time a climber gets into a tree is to put in another access line,” she says. “So, all that person has to do is walk up to the line, clip in, and start climbing.” LeVangie also notes that tree care workers should be familiar with the equipment their crew members use, so everyone knows what is compatible during rescue operations. She recommends using a webbed chest harness to assist a rescuer in gaining
Communication and a clear chain of command will ensure the right procedures are followed.
10 | ArborTIMES Summer 2024
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