Hit 50 big removals this year without a single close call yet

Back in January I set a goal to just be more careful on the sketchy jobs. Yesterday I counted up my ticket stubs and realized I had done 50 big removals so far this year. That means 50 times climbing into dead oaks or taking down storm damaged maples right next to houses. The number surprised me because I usually just grind through the season without tracking anything. Has anyone else tracked a milestone like that and found it changed how they approach the next job?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_palmer4424d ago

Not to be that guy but "without a single close call" is one of those things that makes me wonder if you're paying close enough attention. I've seen guys say stuff like that and then a week later they're posting about how a limb kicked back and almost took them off the ladder. 50 removals is a solid number for sure but counting tickets doesn't really measure risk the way you think it does. You could have had ten close calls and just not realized it because you were focused on getting done.

tessa_murray24d agoMost Upvoted

Hang on, I mean it's a good point but I gotta gently push back on the "you could have had ten close calls and just not realized it" part. A close call is something you definitely know about - like when a branch swings past your face or your footing slips, your body knows. You feel that adrenaline hit. So if someone says zero close calls, they probably mean zero moments where they actually thought "oh shit." That said, idk, maybe the real problem is they're just not counting the small stuff that could've gone bad but didn't.

betty_kelly924d ago

Oh come on. That's the kind of thinking that gets people killed. Fifty removals without a single close call means you either got lucky or you're lying to yourself. I've seen guys brag like that and then a week later they're posting a picture of a chainsaw cut through their boot. Complacency is the real killer, not the tree.