out the risks of practicing at height on a customer’s property. The next time you are thinking of send- ing crews home or calling the day alto- gether, instead, you can choose to have crews maximize the day and invest in their skill development and your compa- ny’s long-term efficiency. Travis Vickerson got his start in the tree care industry at the young age of 17, when he started a small tree care compa- ny in North Carolina with his father. Even- tually, Travis sold part of the business he created and spent several years climbing for different companies and traveling as a contractor, trainer, and then taking on roles as vice president of operations and safety lead for well-known companies in the arboriculture industry. “Required training, such as electrical hazard or aerial rescue, is easy to complete on a poor-weather day. ”
The limb walking playground is a setup of logs and branches randomly placed at ground level and you can either set up a highline for climbing line tie-in or use adjacent tree canopies for tie-in locations.
We even went one step further and placed a log in an upward position at an angle and secured it at the base. This allowed for climbing on spikes with a tree that has lean so that we could discuss lanyard use and body positioning, and even chainsaw cut- ting. Though this playground takes a little time to set up, the benefit is it can be easily used in all weather and allows for low and slow practice with-
4. LARGE-EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE While you plan for operator de- velopment, you can also plan for large-equipment maintenance, and this could be as simple as changing the fluids per manufacturer recom- mendations or just sharpening blades and stump grinder teeth. These are simple ways to get employees invested in the maintenance of equipment as well as improve operational efficiency. One thing to remember here that is of- ten overlooked is the use of PPE while maintaining large and small equipment. Nothing can ruin a productive day of maintenance like an injury. The most common injuries are hands and eyes, but one that is oen forgotten about until later in life is hearing damage, so wear your ear protection! 5. LIMB-WALKING PLAYGROUND This last ongoing training idea was hatched up between me and Emmett Shutts of the Davey Expert Tree Com- pany. The limb walking playground is a setup of logs and branches randomly placed at ground level and you can ei- ther set up a highline for climbing line tie-in or use adjacent tree canopies for tie-in locations. This gives climbers of all experience levels a way to practice their balance and limb-walking skills or even try out new climbing systems.
The limb walking playground gives climbers of all experience levels a way to practice their balance and limb-walking skills or even try out new climbing systems.
48 | ArborTIMES Winter 2023
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