Phillip Pilmer
Team Leader/Lead Climber
Castle Bromwich
philpilmer123@gmail.com
07891929854
11 years climbing experience, competent in rigging operations and mewp operator.
Hold cs units : 30 31 38 39 40 41 47
Utility units : 1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1, 5.2

WORK EXPERIENCE

Forman/Lead climber
Acorn.environmental mamagement grouo – Birmingham
October 2017 to Present

Team Leader/Lead Climber
Central Tree Services
July 2016 to October 2017
I am currently working for Central Tree Services as a team leader/lead climber and my main duties are to carry out the aerial aspect of the job weather working on the utility power line clearance contracts, or the housing association work. Many of the jobs I undertake are complex and not straight forward and require thinking outside the box to get them done safely and efficiently, in line with budget requirements and time constraints.
As the team leader I fill out all the required paperwork and brief all staff on site on topics such as, the site specific risk assessment, method and sequence of works and emergency procedures, ensuring everyone fully understands their job role, and deliver what is expected.
I am always challenging myself and my team and strive to achieve maximum safe working and efficiency, to deliver high standards of safety and excellent quality tree work, I pride myself on my work ethic and ability to do what is necessary.
During my career as an Arborist I have undertaken jobs that require specialist plant and machinery such as MEWPS, Cranes, and forwarders, and taking down trees that are in some very tight spaces over roofs, sheds, powerlines, and in some cases having to use all of my experience and know how to complete the job.
I believe with my Ability to climb, positive attitude and knowledge and understanding of Arboriculture I would be an asset to any team.

Utility Surveyor
Glendale
February 2016 to June 2016
I was employed for Glendale on the Coventry and Warwickshire patch and I also covered parts of Birmingham, My main role was to Survey and consent works identified by the client, as urgent/emergency works, dealing with many local authorities and very large land owners.
The main bulk of my time was taken up by consenting/drawing up survey report forms in line with current legislation and as best as possible the landowner requirements, often this involved working to tight deadlines in order to get the permission for the cutting staff to go ahead.

Field Manager
BTS Group – South Stoke
October 2015 to February 2016
– South Stoke
I am currently working at BTS group, who are Western Power Distributions incumbent Vegetation Management Contractor. My current role as Field Manager is based in South Stoke in the areas of – Lichfield, Cannock, Rugeley, Stafford and Market Drayton. The role requires me to manage teams of directly employed utility arborists and utility surveyors as well as sub contracted utility arborists and utility surveyors. The role also means I am responsible for ensuring all staff on contract whether directly employed or sub contracted are trained and certified to industry standards, ensuring all staff are working to current health and safety legislation, using all tools, plant and equipment safely and efficiently.
To date I am responsible for delivering the 2016 work program, putting together the survey packs and cutting packs and issuing all work across all voltages in line with company policy and procedure to direct and sub contracted teams as required guaranteeing the current work schedules are met.
Part of my role is to pre vet all work sites that require an outage across all voltages making sure we allocate enough resources to get the job completed with minimal customer minutes lost, safely and in line with the land owner, client and budget expectations. Part of my daily duties are to report on my team’s whereabouts and work locations as well production reports and to deal with any issues that may arise.
I am required to audit the quality of the surveying and post cut sites including the auditing of all paper work such as; customer consent forms, site specific risk assessments and span completion forms. Also I deal with any productivity, safety or quality issues that may arise, as well as signing off on contractors invoices – providing that all works completed are done to the correct specifications. I am also responsible for auditing cutting teams and surveyors and expected to conduct a site safety visit to ensure all staff are compliant with stringent safety policies as set by the client, and to report any findings to the health and safety manager. It is my responsibility as a Field Manager to ensure all corrective actions are followed up and reported on.
I currently attend weekly operational management team meetings with the operations team during which we go through any safety issues, near misses and incidents. During this meeting we also report the scheduled program of works to the area manager and contracts manager. As well as these weekly meetings I attend a monthly contract review meeting with the clients, team managers to report on any issues within the areas I manage.
Another important part of my job is to go out and survey and consent all customer reactive requests and engineer requests across all three areas of South Stoke and on occasion this involves tight deadlines in terms of understanding and quantifying the job, ensuring all paper work is accurate and in place, organizing cutting teams, plant and equipment to tie in with specific outage dates to cut and complete these requests.

Project Manager – Telford and Shrewsbury
Ground Control – Shrewsbury
February 2015 to October 2015
In February 2015 I was appointed as a Project Manager working in the Telford and Shrewsbury areas. My main role is surveying and consenting and providing up to 8 cutting teams of subcontractors work. Since starting this role I have mainly worked on the reactive surveying. This role has included the pricing and quoting, and planning of jobs from start to completion, liaising with Land owners and local authorities, organizing traffic management, Line Drops, and any other equipment required to carry out the job. I am responsible for carrying out site Audits on cutting teams and post cut quality audits on work that has been completed.
The other side to my role as project manager is to book in shutdowns with the client making sure that they have all the relevant information and maps and correctly filled out paper work and all up to date information relating to each individual reactive job. I am at present responsible for 300 individual customer and engineer requests that have either, been cut and completed, require shutdowns and need cutting or are awaiting my initial survey.
Part of my role has been to attend operational review meetings held with the client to discuss any issues that I am facing in delivering the scheduled program of reactive works. I am also responsible for carrying out any conservation or TPO checks with the local council and where required to gain permission from such authorities to remove trees and vegetation that is encroaching the network, and posing risk to the public.
The role of project manager is very varied and includes surveying, consenting, planning, pricing and quoting, cutting team audits, post cutting audits, dealing with customer complaints, dealing with client enquiries, managing cutting teams, being responsible for the schedule of works and making sure that each job is delivered on time and to budget. I am also responsible for making sure that our work is compliant with the law and to minimize effects carrying out major work has on the environment that all our teams are health and safety compliant, giving tool box talks on issues and health and safety alerts that are issued out.
It is also part of my role to ensure that teams are reporting through hazards and near misses in the correct way, and making sure that all accidents no matter how small are documented accurately to be referred back to later should I need to.

Utility Arborist/Team Leader
Ground Control
May 2013 to February 2015
I have been working for ground control since June last year, as a contractor and now as direct labour. My current role is varied and some of my duties include climbing and carrying out all associated tasks, leading a team on occasion to complete live work on the overhead power line network and my roles as the team leader is, to complete the site specific risk assessments filling out the electrical risk assessments for each live site filling out the responsible person cutting sheet, site briefing and emergency procedures briefing of co workers and audit teams wishing to visit our site, Oversee the quality of the work and make sure that the site is set out with the correct signage, and the safe working methods and quality as outlined in the AFAG guide and BS3998 industry best practice guide is being followed. Also to liase with my manager regarding any issues that arise on site and offering help on how to solve any issues we may have regarding the survey, work specification, safety issues, customer complaints, or any factors that arise on site.
Other duties are driving/towing chippers, using vehicle mounted mewps and filling out any related check sheets and making sure they maintained and in a serviceable condition.
I am also authorized to cut vegetation in the live zone of live low voltage conductors via the use of an insulated mewp, insulated gloves and insulated hand tools and as set out in the western power distribution d744 course.
Also to be aware of the policies that Ground Control adopt, and also the policies and contract specifications outlined by our client. To be aware of the health and safety policies and the rules and regulations in which we operate and to adhere to these rules.

Arborist
GC Tree Services
June 2012 to May 2013
In my current position as utility arborist I am working for Ground Control on live overhead power line clearance and my role is to climb and prune various tree species as agreed with the customer to ensure very high standards of customer satisfaction is being delivered, that the work is all completed to a high standard as per BS 3998 and any other work instruction as agreed by the land owner. Other duties include carrying out site specific risk assessments, Vehicle check sheets, Chipper check sheets and ensuring that all plant is working and serviceable and any defects are reported and rectified as soon as possible. Currently I am the lead climber in the team and I carry out all the Ariel pruning work on site such as side pruning, dismantles, crown reductions and all other related Ariel pruning techniques using modern up to date approved methods, and ensuring all climbing is carried out in a safe, competent and productive manner. I also ensure that my team is hitting its daily targets without compromise to safety, customer satisfaction, Productivity, and to ensure that care is given to the environment at all times, and to ensure that sites are left very tidy, in an audit passing condition.

Temporary Arborist
Walsall Council
November 2011 to December 2011
Whilst working for Walsall Council my responsibilities as a Temporary Arborist were to climb and prune all council owned trees whether they were on the highways, in schools or in parks. My main roles were to climb and prune trees, restoring the crowns, maintaining the shape and reducing the tips of previously pollarded trees. My role also included all aspects of climbing such as felling, section dismantling, removal of truncated limbs, dead wooding, lifting, thinning and removing any dangerous or hanging branches. When not climbing I was expected to work on the ground setting up work sites, setting out the road signs and road cones to ensure we had a safe work environment, I would also be expected to deal with queries and complaints from pedestrians and to the pass them on to the supervisor.

My team leader made me responsible for all kit and tools
Fountains Plc
May 2011 to November 2011
Whilst working as a utility arborist my main duties were to; climb, prune, section dismantle, fell trees next to live overhead power lines. My team leader made me responsible for all kit and tools, making sure that they were secured away at the end of the day and the completion of site specific risk assessments. My job also included using chippers, driving, towing and being responsible for maintenance of chippers, chainsaws, vehicles and all other equipment used on a daily basis.
Other duties were to adopt to the company’s core values and to be the face of the company, working in the public eye and ensuring all work was done to a very high standard and that the site was left clean and tidy, reporting any near accidents or potential hazards and being responsible for Health & Safety on site.

Temporary Building Services Supervisor
Kings Heath Boys School
April 2010 to May 2011
During my short time as Temporary BSS I have organised Emergency Repairs, dealt with contractors on site, Opened and Closed school checking for break ins, responded to the alarm out of hours, liaised with the Head Teacher to plan any repair works, being vigilant as regards to Health and Safety, ensured school grounds are kept clean and tidy, opened school for contractors during weekends and holiday periods to ensure the smooth running of the school, and any other task that needs attending to.

Arborist
Blythe Valley Limited
September 2007 to January 2010
My job as an Arborist requires me to not only do manual work but be in constant contact with the public. My current duties include; to climb, dismantle, prune and fell trees next to overhead power lines, fill in risk assessments, open up yard, prepare all kit, equipment and paperwork, read the work specification and maps, liaise with clients and managers as well as the public, chainsaw, vehicle and chipper maintenance, supervising other crew members and make sure that they are working safely. I am expected to be constantly aware and vigilant to protect not only team members but also the public. While working at Blythe Valley I have passed my; Utility Arboriculture 1, Utility Arboriculture 2.1, Utility Arboriculture 2.2 and Traffic Management Registration Scheme – 12d – Moving works operative.

Groundsman/Tree Feller
Anthony Charles Tree Surgery
February 2007 to September 2007
During my time at Anthony Charles my job required me to be in constant contact with the public, my duties included; feeding the chipper, making sure the chainsaws were in good working and safe order, setting up site on arrival, protecting the public and making sure that they are aware of any dangers, dealing with the publics queries and being constantly aware and vigilant.

Groundsman
Central Tree Services
March 2005 to April 2006
During my time as a groundsman my job required me to not only do manual work but to be in constant contact with the public. My duties included; feeding the chipper, making sure that the chainsaws were in good working order and safe, setting up site on arrival, protecting the public and making sure that they were aware of any dangers, dealing with the public’s queries and being constantly aware and vigilant.

RAC crewman/ driver
The British Army
December 2002 to March 2005
The Queens Royals Lancers
During my time in the British Army I attended The Army Foundation College of Excellence, whilst there I achieved my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award which taught me how to work as part of a team, but also taught me how to be an individual, it included many activities some of which were; going out on expedition with a group of individuals and being in charge, snooker, karate and rock climbing.
Also during my time in the British Army I attended the Royal Armoured Centre, Bovington where I achieved my Part 1 signals and also became a trained tank driver.
In my final year in the British Army I was based at Catterick Garrison, whilst serving at my regiment I undertook my Part 2 signals, driver conversion course (CVRT D), map reading, specialist weapon training, worked alongside the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers fixing and maintaining vehicles.

EDUCATION

The Army Foundation College of Excellence
March 2015

SKILLS

POWER DISTRIBUTION

CERTIFICATIONS/LICENCES

B licence
March 2004 to Present
Full category b driving licence

B+E category Licence
March 2004 to Present
Full B+E Licence

C1 Licence
January 2018 to Present
Full category C1 Licence

C Licence
January 2018 to Present
Full cat C Licence

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

KEY SKILLS

• Excellent time keeping
• Hardworking with a positive approach to work
• Effective communication skills
• Able to work on own initiative or part of a team
• Able to work under pressure
• Current First Aid Certificate
• Fully authorised with Western Power Distribution.