ISA HK/China --- Tree Work without Tree Climbing? (不用绳索攀树来修剪大树可以吗?)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#en
zh-CN), 亦可查閱 "百度博客" (http://hi.baidu.com/%B9%FA%BC%CA%CA%F7%C4%BE%D1%A7%BB%E1/blog ) 以取得本文翻绎本和其他文章。本分会的发表文章都已放弃版权, 任何人都可以自由转载作为教育目的, 但不能作为商业目的盈利。如有查询, 请电邮至 egc@netvigator.com 。


*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments from outsiders are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com in English, although images are usually not attached due to size. ***

Dear Station Members,

Given below is a set of local news on Tree Climbing with ropes & harnesses for Tree Work.

Anyone who has conducted tree work would know the danger involved in working aloft to cut down heavy logs. Because there is no two trees in the world with the same branch architecture & strength, the tree worker has to use his skills & judgment above to carry out pruning or removal of tree part above-ground in a safe manner. Safety is always the number one concern. Tree part falling down can injure passer-by, or damage properties. There are many rules & regulations in western countries to govern how proper tree work is to be conducted to an acceptable working standard, e.g. ANSI z133.1 (2006), BS 3893, etc. In ISA, we tend to follow ANSI, as it is updated with the participation of the industry frequently.

If tree climbing with ropes & harnesses is to be replaced by working platform or ladder, would safety level be enhanced? As a seasoned Tree Worker himself who has conducted many tree work operations, the Station Manger (SM) would say "no". This is because the working platform would obstruct the lowering of the cut logs, especially if they are of the large size. Mobile platform installed on a truck will need parking space & a vast working area underneath it. This may not be always possible for roadside trees. Many a times, it is also impractical to erect bamboo platform to prune or cut roadside trees, because road closure is difficult in our urban area.

Working Platform, no matter in a fixed manner like the bamboo lattice, or in the mobile form mounted on a truck, cannot easily penetrate around the branch structures in the tree canopy like a tree climber on rope. If forcing it to enter, the risk of injury to the operator or collapse of the machine itself is high. That's the reason why tree workers are required to be trained with tree climbing around the world to do the work. Arborists are not always sitting in the office, especially the practicing ones.

Ladder has injured more tree workers than when using ropes & hardness. This is because ladder is a straight piece of equipment, & cannot trace the bending structure of a tree. Also, how long be a ladder would one need to reach the top of a 20 m tree? Is there such a ladder as tall & bending, & would the tree worker be able to climb on it so high safely? If not then, is this not against the "spirit" of the CAP 509 Safety Regulations of HK to use ladders?

The solution to working aloft safely should rest on training & adopting proper techniques. Ladder & working platform are not the only solution, & can be impractical. The ISA Certified Tree Worker (CTW) (www.isa-arbor.com) credential was designed to produce quality tree worker to work aloft with internationally recognized techniques & equipment. It was conceived for years to train up qualified tree workers, & to ascertain standards. However very sadly, Arborists in HK have found this credential unattractive, & there is hardly any Govt Contract requiring this basic tree work qualification recognized around the world. Where there is a constant outcry for better safety to work on trees, why can't anybody promote this international qualification to do proper tree work in HK?

ISA HK/China will strongly promote the CTW credential in China in future. Maybe it is only when our brothers & sisters up north have become CTW to do their tree work in a safe & proper way, that they can come down to HK to show the employers there, that using platforms & ladders alone is not the only solution to conduct proper tree work aloft.

best regards,

Sammy Au
President (Station Manager)
Registered Consulting Arborist no. RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-first-rca-in-asia.html)
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist / Certified Tree Worker no. HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-first-bcma-in-asia.html)
Independent Practicing Arborist no. IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html)

"Providing treatment without in-depth diagnosis & research support is professional misconduct. "

"Casual tree assessor delivers wanton tree assessment. Mother Nature makes the rules."


各位会员:

请参阅本文后面的有关在修树工作中, 使用绳索和保护带爬树的附带消息。

任何做过修树工作的人, 都认识到在高空移除粗大枝条的危险性。 因为在世界上没有二棵树是有相同的分干结构或支撑力, 所以修树工作者需运用他的技能及判断力把处于高空的支条安全地移除。 此时, 安全是首要的任务, 因为坠落的支条可伤及途人或破坏财物。 在西方国家, 已有很多规则和条例去规范修树工作, 以达至可接受的标准, 例如ANSI z133.1(2006), BS3893等等。

如果使用工作台或梯架来代替绳索和保护带来爬树, 会否提升安全性呢? 对于一个富于修树经验的人来说, 包括本分会长在内, 答案是〝不会〞的。 因为工作台会妨碍被移除的支条下降, 特别是粗大的支条。 装置在车上的活动工作台需要地方停泊车辆, 而在其下面需要一个广大的工作空间。 这对于种植在马路旁的大树来说, 可能没有足够空间仃放了。 很多时候, 使用棚架工作台去修剪马路旁的树更是没有可能, 因为我们繁忙的市区马路是不可能为此来封闭的。

无论是一个固定的或活动的工作平台, 都不能像一个使用绳索爬树的树木工作者, 能灵活地穿插在树上枝条架构之中。 如果要将工作台强塞到枝条架构内, 那么树木工作者会受伤或工作台会倒塌。 这就是为何世界各地都要训练树木工作者要使用绳索爬树的原因了。

转用梯架来代替攀树可能危险性更高。 因为梯架是直的, 不能跟随分支来改变方向前进。 哪攀爬一棵20米的树需要多长的梯架呢? 如真的如此长的梯架, 多少人会有足够够胆量去使用呢? 怎样去保证这个人不会掉下来了? 滑足又怎麽办? 怎样去救? 哪这有否违反了〝香港法例CAP509职安健条例〞的安全精神吗?

训练正确使用攀树技术是达致树上安全工作的唯一方法。 国际树木学会的 “注册攀树师” (Certifed Tree Worker, www.isa-arbor.com) 资格, 是为训练优质的树木工作者而设, 令其懂得使用国际认可的技术和装备在树上工作。 但可惜的是, 这资格甚少吸引香港的树艺师投考, 同时几乎没有政府的外判合同中要求这个基本的树木工作资历。 当社会上经常要求树上安全工作之时, 为甚么没有人出来去认同这国际认可的资格呢? 香港的做法令人 “丈八金刚” 吧!

本分会将会在中国大陆极力推广“注册攀树师” 资格; 可能在不久将来, 我们的大陆同胞在取得这个资历之后, 会调过头来香港, 展示给哪里的树艺师同业们, 看看单靠工作台和梯架是否能执行正确树木工作呢?

谨此致意!

国际树木学会中国地区分区会会长
欧永森
顾问树艺师号RCA#497
(http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-rca-in-asia.html)
资深树艺师/注册攀树师号HK-0174BT
(http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-frist-bcma-in-asia.html)
执业树艺师号IPA-010908
(http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-tree-news-1441-report.htuml)

“不深入诊断和参照研究来批出处方,是专业失当。 ”


“速成出来的树木评估员,只会作出胡乱的树木评估。 大自然会决定成败。”


(以上由霍健, 香港注册房屋经理R.P.H.M.-119翻译。 一切内容以英文版本为准。)

勞處責康文署漠視人命

政府管理樹木不善一直被人詬病，有工會踢爆康樂及文化事務署未有提供鋸樹手套給員工，而遭勞工處警告。工會又質疑，署方不應叫員工用繩 索爬樹，勞工處也說，檢查樹木應用合適的工作台或梯，要求康文署加強安全管理。

過去曾有康文署員工用繩索爬樹，工會關注有關安全情況。

工會透露，勞工處職業安全主任去年八月巡視完鯉魚門公園及度假村後向康文署發出警告信：「根據職業安全及健康條例第五○九章第六條，僱主均 須在合理切實可行範圍內，確保工作中的僱員安全及健康，例如提供安全鋸樹手套及確保員工在工作中佩戴適當個人用具。」

該用工作台 屢反映無理會

勞工處去年十二月再去信康文署，指巡視過鯉魚門公園及度假村、清水灣第二灣泳灘、摩理臣山游泳池、大埔運動場、九龍城體育館後，提醒康文署 加強安全管理，特別是提供適當個人保護裝備，而在外判修剪樹木工作時，康文署亦要建立有效監察制度，確保外判商保障工人安全。

工會質疑署方不應叫員工用繩索爬樹，而應用工作台，工會多次向署方反映，但是，署方並無理會。

鋸樹電油屬危險品隨處放

工會續稱，用來鋸樹的電鋸，所用的電油屬危險品，但只是存放在康文署場地士多房，對前線員工來說十分危險。

康文署回應說，樹藝工作人員會視乎實際環境，採用適當的方法和設備護理樹木，如有需要會使用工作台進行高空工作，該署亦有提供專用手套供員 工鋸樹時用。

康文署承認，電鋸用的電油屬第五類危險品，豁免量為二十升，即二十升以下不需要向消防處申請危險品倉儲存牌照。該署人員一般會將電油儲存在 危險品倉庫，而電鋸內小量電油，因為其容量屬於豁免範圍，人員會按照場地實際情況儲存。

勞工處則稱，為確保樹藝工作人員不會在工作時從高處墮下，僱主及承辦商應作風險評估，訂定安全施工方法，包括使用合適工作台或梯。

立法會議員陳淑莊說，不時收到康文署員工訴說裝備不足，她認為該署要多加留意，「不要攞人命較飛」，她亦不鼓勵該署員工隨便用繩索爬樹。