Climbing is often necessary for completing quality tree work, but adding a spider lift to your strategies can significantly enhance your arbor business and productivity. Spider lifts are driving the arboriculture industry forward by improving jobsite safety and maximizing efficiency.
Role of Lift Equipment in Tree Companies
While arborists use climbing to complete many tasks, arbor or spider lifts also play a significant role in the tree business. To embrace the role of spider lifts in tree work, it's important to understand their specific applications and how to choose between climbing gear and a lift for each job.
Spider Lifts and Their Applications
Arbor lifts and their advantages can significantly enhance tree services. Consider how using a spider lift is the best option for tree services in the following situations:
- Working on large trees: A spider lift is the best option when working on significantly tall trees where climbing would be physically demanding and time-consuming.
- Working on multiple trees: Regular tree maintenance often requires workers to repeatedly move from one tree to another along streets or in a park. Rather than taking the time to climb each tree individually, it's much faster and more efficient to drive a lift to each one.
- Situations with heightened risks: In some situations, you and your team may work on a dead or decaying tree with a compromised structure. Climbing weakened trees poses safety risks, so using a lift is the safest way to reach necessary areas.
When Climbing May Be the Best Option
In some cases, climbing may be the best option for tree work. While lifts increase safety, climbing is typically the ideal option in the following situations:
- Performing dense canopy work: Complex branch structures and dense foliage can make it difficult to maneuver a lift among trees. Climbing enables you to move easily so you can perform canopy work.
- Narrow urban spaces: Space is often limited in populated urban spaces. When working in tight spaces, it may be easier to climb trees than set up a lift.
- Emergency tree work: Emergency situations may require you to access trees quickly, and climbing can help you maneuver around obstructions such as fallen, entangled branches.
- Precision pruning: Delicate pruning tasks require careful cutting and thorough inspection. Climbing enables you the closest access to branches and foliage, making it easier to perform detailed work.
Benefits of Using a Spider Lift With Climbing
Having climbing gear and a spider lift available is an excellent way to enhance your business. Consider the following advantages of pairing spider lifts with climbing:
- Versatility: Having a spider lift increases your tree work and arborist solutions. With lift and climbing equipment available, you can choose the best option for each job. Whether a project requires speed, precision or access to tight spaces, you have what you need to provide quality services. You can also use a lift to expand your services since it enables you to perform tasks you may not be able to complete with climbing equipment alone.
- Increased safety: Spider lifts help reduce physical strain and fall risks for workers, providing them with a safer working platform on which to perform tasks. Similarly, climbing enables workers to reach spaces safely when a spider lift may not be able to.
- Reduced fatigue: Alternating between spider lift use and tree climbing can help workers preserve energy and prevent overuse injuries.
- Enhanced productivity and efficiency: Since some projects are faster to complete with lifts while others are faster when climbing, using both methods can significantly boost your team's productivity and efficiency.
- Greater access: When you have the ability to climb and use a lift, you have greater access to a wide variety of spaces and can expand your services to more customers for increased revenue.
Choosing the Right Lift
Choosing a spider lift designed specifically for arborist work is crucial for safety. Tracked Lifts carries high-quality spider lifts that manufacturers design and build specifically for arborists.
Spider lifts from Tracked Lifts feature advanced safety controls, protected boom hydraulics and armored components to increase equipment longevity and support workers.
Arborist Safety for Climbing and Spider Lift Operation
Understanding the importance of operator safety and ensuring each worker uses the proper arborist equipment and techniques is crucial. A pre-work assessment is the best way to determine which tools, machinery and strategies you need for a job. You can protect workers and prevent potential injuries with the following tips:
- Evaluate tree hazards: Hazards can vary by jobsite based on tree age, condition and size, so it's important to survey trees thoroughly before starting each job. A tree survey helps you determine whether climbing gear or a spider lift is the best option for completing work.
- Evaluate jobsite location: Jobsite location can also affect safety. For example, working on trees in a residential or urban area can present vehicular and pedestrian safety concerns, so you may need to use climbing methods or secure a lift with traffic cones in these situations.
- Practice power line safety: Power lines can also present hazards, so it's typically best to use a lift and ask the power company to shield or de-energize a power line when you need to work around it. Limit work near energized power lines to qualified line clearance tree trimers.
- Consider weather conditions: Weather conditions such as heavy wind and rain present potential hazards for climbing and spider lift operation. Reschedule tree work if the forecast predicts inclement weather.
- Inspect equipment: Once you determine the best strategy for tree work, equipment inspection is essential. If workers will climb, ensure all ropes and harnesses are in good condition and secure. If you use a lift, inspect components such as the safety chain, controls, hydraulic hoses, tires, guardrails and emergency stop for proper function and condition.
- Secure equipment: Park a spider lift on level ground, and secure it by extending and locking its outriggers before use.
- Wear personal protective equipment (PPE): PPE such as a hard hat, ear and eye protection, gloves, chainsaw protection and a safety harness is crucial for any worker climbing trees or working in a lift. Any worker in a spider lift bucket must wear a secured body belt to prevent falls.
- Practice good communication: Climbers, lift operators and lift bucket workers must communicate with each other to ensure safety. Lift operators must notify workers in the bucket of any position changes before adjusting because this helps prevent falls and potential injuries.
Enhance Your Tree Services With a Spider Lift From Tracked Lifts
Investing in a spider lift can significantly improve your company's productivity, efficiency and safety, helping you complete work faster while protecting workers from potential hazards. A quality spider lift can help you expand your services and grow your business for an excellent return on investment (ROI). Whether you work in residential areas or dense forests, having various strategies, solutions and equipment available is essential.
Tracked Lifts offers high-quality lifts to help you complete tree work safely. We carry lifts built specifically for arborists, featuring armored components and protected boom hydraulics to help you move through branches without causing equipment hazards. Our experienced team can help you choose the right equipment for your unique needs. Contact us to learn more about our available lifts and how you can expand your capabilities.
