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Working at height is one of our most hazerdous operations in the tree care and vegetation management industries. The most popular method of accessing trees for many years has been through the use of rope and harness after undergoing the correct training to achieve this. A well set up climbing system utilised by an experience arborist is an extremely safe and efficient way of accessing a tree to carry out work. However, in recent years, there has been an influx of less experienced people into a generally unregulated industry (certainly on the domestic tree care side) which has led to an increase in accidents. The increase in accident statistics prompted the HSE to take a closer look at the climbing methods employed, and as a result made some instant, drastic changes relatively quickley . This lead to the addition of a second climbing system, which was something that was not required previously. Arboricultural work has always required the use of two anchor points (main anchor and work positoning) but only one main climbing system up to the date of said changes. This brought things in line with systems used in the ropes access industry. 

The robocut was out this week helping to clear a fence line ready for a new installation to be completed.

PLS Group UK's remote machines are versatile pieces of equipment with lots of different attachements to cope with a wide range of tasks. In this instance the machine went out with our forestry flail head installed. Not too many years ago a job like this would have been carried out using strimmers and taken considerably longer. With this compact machine, which incidentally, is capabable of traversing a 50 degree slope, we were able to access the site and complete the work easily within the project time frame.

This means less fatigue, less men required, high levels of efficiency and ultimately a safer work site. Not to mention, as you can see from the images, a fantastic finish. The fencing teams will now be able to access the site with ease!!

PLS Group UK are pleased to be sponsoring the Spenni Boys’ Charity Motor Cycle Endurance Ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and The Stroke Association. Our very own managing director, Jason, will be one of the participants in the ride. 

Andrew, Charles, Jason and Jonny are from Spennithorne in Wensleydale who were in a group of six friends in primary school and are still close friends today.

Sadly, one of the group, Phil, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in February 2018 and passed away 9 weeks later aged 46 leaving a young widow and a 5 year old son. Macmillan Cancer Support were invaluable to Phil and his wife during this time, visiting at short notice, offering both practical advice and emotional support during those distressing weeks.

As if that wasn’t traumatic enough, the same year Phil’s younger brother Glynn, the sixth member of our group, had a major life changing stroke in his early 40s, with his wife and teenage daughters now being his carers.

They had a great childhood growing up together in Spennithorne and whilst they all went off and did different things, they all stayed local,  keeping that bond of being ‘Spenni Kids’ and still look out for each other today.

This year would have been Phil’s 50th birthday, a milestone he is sadly not here to celebrate. In order to acknowledge this and to honour both Phil and Glynn, They wanted to do something to raise as much money as they can for Macmillan Cancer Support and The Stroke Association. They wanted to do something as a group to really challenge themselves and felt it would mean a lot to do something in what should have been Phil’s 50th year. All money raised for Macmillan will be restricted to being spent on services Macmillan provide in North Yorkshire

They decided to do something a little left field and set a challenge of each buying a motorcycle for under £500 and attempting to complete an endurance ride from Spennithorne around the coastal route of Scotland and back. A challenging journey of over 1,600 miles over 5 days between 7th – 12th July 2022.

If this endurance ride can put money into these vital charities to help others in the future they all feel that they will have done Phil and Glynn Jackson proud.

Comments from the lads:

“The one thing you could guarantee with both Phil and Glynn whether you had seen them yesterday or not for a year, it still felt like you were those youths just sat talking rubbish on a wall in Spenni” Jason

Being Phil’s 50th year, to do something in his memory, to tip him a wink and let him, and his family know he isn’t forgotten by those who grew up with him in Spennithorne” Jonny

“Glynn is the first person who I ever rode motorcycles with either mucking about on trail bikes and terrorising Wenselydale on our Yamaha TZR 125s” Marra

“Phil had a huge influence on us and our taste in music and travelling the length and breadth of the country with him supporting Darlington Football Club” Marra

We all had a great childhood in Spennithorne, we all played together as youngsters and whilst we all went off and did different things and lived in different places, we still had that bond of being Spenni Kids and still looked out for each other” Charlie

“ I shared a great passion for Rallying with Glynn leading to us both navigating on various stage rallies for local Drivers in the North East , this and spectating on many events were some great times at all hr