Davey Tree Flipbooks

20 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | July/August 2020 When the Duke Energy account in the western mountain region of North Carolina says their work is remote, that is not an exaggeration. To reach the rights of way (ROW), it often involves traveling by pickup truck, riding on a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) and walking large distances with all the gear the crews will need for the day. The crews are completing a ROW widening project in very remote areas in the Appalachian Mountains along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. Most of the work is completed manually by climbing and felling trees. If the remoteness of the work wasn't challenging enough, the terrain is extremely rugged and the crews often run into wildlife, such as bears and poisonous snakes. In terms of planning the work, the crews rely on the utility job planning toolkit, especially the sections on awareness zones, work description and the hazard and mitigation plans, said Joshua Pressley, account manager. The goal is to create two mitigation plans for every hazard. "We can't take a backseat when it comes to safety," Pressley said. "Safety is a value. If someone classifies it as a priority, then I believe they may be in the wrong line of work. Like I said before there are no excuses or back seats for safety." Larry McFalls, senior supervisor, stresses to his crews the importance of watching their footing in the rugged terrain to avoid slips, trips and falls. Because the crews are carrying a lot of weight in gear, he also reminds them to be careful not to strain their bodies --especially their backs. Being remote also makes it extremely important to sound the trees before climbing them to ensure they are stable enough to climb. "The general foremen and the supervisors we have in place take safety seriously," McFalls said. "The employees we have now are one of the most safety conscious groups we've had. They are out there with their crews observing, helping and training them. Safety is a value and they care about each other." Gary Jones, senior supervisor, has contingency plans in place that always include a second means of escape should an incident occur. The crews are in constant communication with each other to make sure those escape routes remain open. They also have designated spots where cellphone service is available in case of an emergency. Jones has meetings with his supervisors twice a day to make sure everyone is on the same page and fulfilling the requirements for the client. "We absolutely won't stand for any unsafe behaviors out here," Jones said. "We treat everyone like they are family. We are firm, fair and we call it as we see it. We try to work as a family, more than just a team. Teams can come and go, but a family is always there for you. You have to trust your family." CAROLINA MOUNTAINS CALL FOR EXTRA CAUTION SAFETY Left: Larry McFalls and Gary Jones praised their crews for how well they communicate with each other in the field. Whether it's pointing out hazards, using their whistles or having an open dialogue about the work site, they are in constant communication. "Getting that line of communication open is not only important for hazards," Jones said. "It also opens communication back to management. We want to know about the good catches and near misses. We can't fix something if we don't know about it. Thus far our way to success is a lot of communication." Right: An objective for Gary Jones is to be a working resource for the general foremen and supervisors, so they can make good decisions on the job. "We respect our foremen and trust them," Jones said. "They are our first line of defense to make sure our climbing and ground crews are doing what they are supposed to be doing."

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