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www.arborage.com ARBOR AGE FALL 2015 17 TRAINING & EDUCATION or the lines were brought down by trees affected by the storm. Examining the work site closely for energized conductors must be a priority before any work is started in a storm situation. Crews must also keep in mind that a line downed away from them may reach their worksite through other conductors such as chain link fences, metal curbing, or even "harmless" phone or cable lines. The ground under a crew's feet can even conduct electricity for a distance given the right soil conditions and voltage. Tree crews should also always be aware of the possibility of an incorrectly hooked-up generator back-feeding into the "dead" lines, and causing serious injury in a "known" safe area. LOOK, LISTEN, FEEL, AND THEN DO IT AGAIN Checking out and evaluating the worksite should happen every time a tree job is happening, but this evaluation/planning process is vitally important in the case of storm work. Prior to anything being cut, or even the saw started, the operator needs to examine the wood closely to try to determine what kind of pressure and forces it may be under; and from where they originate. Not only will this examination help figure out how and where to cut, but also where things are going to move once severed, and where a safe place to be is while cutting. The two primary forces present will be compression and tension; and, as mentioned in previous articles, an excellent way to deal with these particular forces is by using the acronym CUT developed by the instructors of Arbor Canada. Compression wood is cut first, Tension wood last, and "U" are in the middle. The forces acting on the particular lead, branch or trunk may not be readily apparent or obvious, so personnel need to look closely to find the forces, but also try to predict their effect on the wood and the whole piece. Sometimes, when a visual examination is not successful, the operator may be able to "hear" or "feel" the wood talking to them. This is not meant in a spiritual "Long Island Medium" sense, but more in the sense that stresses in the wood can literally be heard "groaning" or "cracking," and can be felt in the wood trembling or moving in a particular direction. A "good" cut that's completed Ice, trees and electricity: a combination that demands all of a tree worker's focus and attention to deal with safely. PHOTO S BY MICHAEL "HOUSE" TAIN A fairly reasonable illustration of what the tree crew might encounter upon arrival at the storm cleanup work site — in this case after an ice storm.