In Irish forestry, there are very few reasons why a person would have to climb a tree. Yet, many forestry professionals also work in arboriculture. Arboriculture for this definition is carrying out any operations on a tree which involves either taking down the tree or heavily pruning in the tree, and doing so in situations where the trees are not in a forestry environment. There are many different machinery classes that are used in arboriculture these days including brush cutting equipment, stump grinding equipment, wood chipping machinery, log splitting machinery, climbing accessories, and of course chainsaws.
When a person is climbing trees they should understand that it is a dangerous job and every step to be taken in order to reduce the risks of accidents. I want to point out some of the basic rules behind any tree climbing operations. Regardless of what type of operation you are involved in, adequate safety precautions must always be taken. When climbing a tree, all the necessary safety equipment must be used. This includes the proper climbing harnesses, proper ropes, head protection, and safety belt. Also, the climber must take adequate precautions against climbing during bad weather. Don’t climb the tree when the wind is sufficiently high to be moving either the tree or the branches sufficiently to cause a danger. Also, you should never climb the tree during extreme wet weather or icy weather.
Felling a tree should also never be done during high winds. If you were felling a tree on a slope, the tree must always be felled in a downward direction. Everything during a forestry operation or arboricultural operation should be done with proper care and attention. The trick is to take your time and do things slowly. Even a simple job search as creating forest access paths can be very dangerous because of the chainsaws that are used.