What does a day in the life of a tree surgeon look like? The day starts at 6am. Especially during the summer months I tank up with water and my own energy drink. I then load up the van usually with more than we need. I always like options. If we need it, it is there, if we don’t then there is no option. So, I load spare saws extra ropes and too much fuel. I hate time wasted on not having enough fuel. I go back inside get changed pack up the last of my gear and head off the job booked in for that day.
Our days vary a lot sometimes we often have a full day job or two half day jobs. Once the team did 8 tiny jobs in one day, other times it can take as long as a week. The variety is great and certainly not monotonous.
Health and Safety
Health & Safety in the life of a tree surgeon
The first job upon arrival at the respective site is putting in place important health and safety measures. This includes setting up safe working at height equipment to keep workers safe, setting up warning signs and keeping the fuel out of harms way.
Start time onsite 8am
Normally we arrive onsite at around 8am. The first half hour is usually set up time. Getting a climber in the tree, setting up the lowering block, finding a good safe rigging point for the pulley. Then positioning the van and chipper and fuelling up the chainsaws. If it is a full day, I try to plan the team size and the work accordingly. The aim is that the majority of the work is done by lunch.
What is tough sometimes in our work is that the heaviest part is the last part. Moving all the timber off site takes a huge effort. How quickly the day unfolds depends on the volume of work to be done and how easy or hard the access is.
Working with the team
I am privileged to work with a great group of fellas who have a lot of initiative and a real go to attitude. So thankfully the work flows, each not waiting to be asked but pitching in wherever they can. One thing at this stage of my life I’m also grateful that we all climb. If the worst ever happened, I know there is always a person there who could do an aerial rescue. Normally by 3.30 we should be packing up and by 4pm leaving site. So ends a day in the life of a tree surgeon, or is it.
A day in the life of a tree surgeon over?
Is that the end of the day? No.
Part two. Off to a tip site to empty the van of chip and logs. Then home usually to sharpen saws and do whatever maintenance is needed. This is normally followed by a couple of quotes, booking in jobs and then back home sometime in the evening. So, there you have a summary of a day in the life of a tree surgeon.
For more information on what difference tree surgery makes, read on: Why is tree surgery important – Roots and Shoots Manchester
