Asking for advice on being asked for advice

[cory]

Absolutely, it wouldn't be realistic to expect it gets done quickly, plus, it is something that will never be finished.

The Japs and Toyota call it Kaizen, continuous improvement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen

 

[treebilly]

Well just letting everyone know that I took a lot of time and wrote out a dozen pages of areas that I saw needing improvement. Safety and training being the majority of it. I'm glad to say that they actually took everything very seriously. Yesterday the two co-owners, another foreman, and I went to an eight hour seminar put on by the BWC that basically gave us a better idea of how to implement programs. The closing speaker, Mr. Tomasi(?) from Davey, touched on every single thing that I listed. I guess that was enough proof for my boss to listen to me. I had to call equipment manufacturers(dealers) to either set up training classes or receive the official training DVD

 

[MasterBlaster]

Congratulations!

 

[gf beranek]

It appears that your input might be heard this time around. Good on you for speaking up!

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Good work!! And getting backed up by the pro!

 

[MasterBlaster]

And you just might have saved a life / injury!

 

[Fiddler]

Good deal. Hopefully they continue to follow through toward improvement.

 

[Burnham]

 

[Evan Sussman]

Great! I love a story with a happy ending.

 

[sawinredneck]

Good deal!

 

[treebilly]

Well about a year has gone by and I'm glad to say the company has come a long way. There is still a lot to work on but it's getting there. PPE was pushed pretty hard and all 20 employees are now sporting comm systems. Training is getting better and is a work in progress. At least all the basic stuff is being covered. A maintenance schedule and inventory has been implemented as well. At our big meeting a few weeks ago we were given daily checklists and job reports to fill out. Incident reports are coming as well. We were also told that hitting our quota per month would be rewarded.
The company still has its issues but I can say that I can see them becoming a company worth working for.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Outstanding!

 

[cory]

Comms for everyone??? That's awesome. What kind? That alone must speed up otj training massively.

What are the big things that still need work?

 

[treebilly]

The Sena units from Treestuff. We're doing the basic safety training stuff now but we need to really train guys to do the job. My ground crew can be trusted to set up the ground rigging and safely run it. One is an experienced climber and a very good groundman. The other two can be trusted with operating equipment safely and are decently efficient. I've been working on their felling a bit. My crew does pretty good. We are working toward getting more guys to be climber/bucket operators. The goal is to be able to send a crew out with out the foreman on easier jobs and trust things will go smoothly. We need to get more guys licensed to drive these trucks. I do a lot of extra equipment hauling because I'm one of the few with a CDL. I brought up a first aid / cpr course and that was addressed. It's scheduled for later this month with the local FD. It's been noticed that my crew consistently hits our deadlines and quotas without incident and the boss is starting to understand why. A good walk through before starting the job, setting a plan , and good communication seem to be the keys.

 

[FireFighterZero]

I like the sound of that First Aid/CPR class.

There are two things that have been PROVEN to significantly improve medical outcomes. Immediate and effective CPR and prompt AED usage.

An AED might be hard to swing, (but a good idea to have with a crew) but CPR is easy and everyone can do it!

Good work Rich!

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Way to Go, Rich!

Seems like every crew still needs someone to lead, even on easy jobs, unless they're really easy. Doesn't have to boss people around, but someone responsible for safety meeting/ job briefing, inventorying gear back into the truck/ checking the jobsite, point of contact for customers.

 

[treebilly]

Yep. Like I said it's a work in progress. We're about to start some big ROW clearing projects through residential areas. The PPE is really being stressed. There is gonna be way to many eyes on us. Between the gas co, environmental co, and highly agitated property owners I would be amazed if we don't have any issues.

 

[Raj]

 

[cory]

Good stuff, Rich, keep up the good work!!

 

[Evan Sussman]

This is great. I look forward to a time when I have employees taking a lead and calling the company out on any short comings.

Thank you for following up with the year later update.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Rich, can you get a list of typical fines for infractions?

I heard, very 3rd hand, that lacking leg protection and lacking hard hats on a tree site are $1000 and $2000, or vice versa, fines here.

That puts a price tag on it for the owner to say "Invest in PPE/ Safety that avoids injuries, damage and fines, rather than paying fines, then investing in PPE/ Safety."

 

[treebilly]

I'm not sure what the fines would be. We have all the PPE. It really shouldn't be an issue. Most wear it daily. It will be the one quick cut without putting chaps on that gets them. A few of the older guys won't wear them either. They're usually aloft so it's not required yet. I'll snoop around and try to find a fine list.