The Cape Town Central City Improvement District’s (CCID) Urban Management department has joined forces with the City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department to provide tree felling training to the CCID’s Straatwerk team – one of the CCID’s NGO partners with which it creates work opportunities.
Explains Richard Beesley, manager of CCID Urban Management: “We recently bought power tools to enable our Straatwerk gardening maintenance team to cut big trees as well as undertake their normal day-to-day landscaping activities. We strive to provide an overall clean, attractive and risk-reduced urban environment in the CBD for everyone to enjoy, but before this, the team had only been able to cut mostly small dead trees.
“To prepare and upskill our team properly, particularly in terms of their own safety, we then enlisted the help of our partners at City Parks as they are highly skilled and experienced in tree felling. The reality is, anyone can climb a tree, but to do it safely is a different story, particularly when using power tools. For example, one needs to understand the dynamics of the tree, decide on the safest method to cut it based on how a branch is hanging and most importantly, communicate with the rest of the team.”
The introductory tree felling training was conducted at The Company’s Garden by Reagan Adams, supervisor at City Parks, with assistance from his team. The training at The Company’s Garden involved four members from the Straatwerk gardening maintenance team climbing a tall tree to remove the top limbs first and controlling the landing of the limbs to avoid injuring people and damaging property nearby. CCID Urban Management will next send the four members from Straatwerk for job shadowing at City Parks for a week as part of the training.
Says Reagan: “The chainsaw that we use to cut trees moves at a speed of 3000 revolutions per minute, so you can just imagine what would happen if someone uses it incorrectly. But besides making sure that the Straatwerk team learns how to use the tools safely, it’s also to create an awareness about using the correct personal protective equipment as well as not endangering others.”
General manager for operations at Straatwerk, James Mandean, shares Reagan’s sentiments: “These machines are dangerous in the hands of untrained persons. So, it is very necessary for our guys to undergo this type of training. In addition, if the guys are not properly trained, they can endanger the lives of their fellow workers, pedestrians or even damage property which could result in litigation.”
Richard concludes: “We certainly hope that, with this type of training, these members will not only feel empowered but can go on to use these skills even after they are no longer a part of our team.”
Images by Aziza Patandin (CCID Project Coordinator)
Opening image: Reagan Adams (in the tree) demonstrates tree felling safety measures to City colleagues and the CCID's Straatwerk team.
Second image: Reagan Adams of City Parks (right) demonstrates equipment usage to CCID staff Simangele Mzizi, Christa Maans and manager of CCID Urban management Richard Beesley.