Execute and Adjust
Now that you have carefully performed and followed each step in the work plan, you and your team are ready to execute the plan. This is where all the time and effort spent with the worksite inspection, the VTA, the worksite risk assessment and deciding on a proper work method really pays off. Making it more likely that you can complete the task safely. But remember: a good plan is not written in stone. More likely than not, you will have to adjust it as you carry out your work.
Always ask: “Can I proceed as planned?”
Even with the best of plans, working with advanced tree felling or in a storm-felled forest always involves risks. Your number one priority should always be to minimise them – even as you and your team execute the plan. After all, things do not always go exactly as planned or expected. So, after each step in your plan (move, cut, etc), check how things are going. Reflect. Question the plan. Can you proceed as planned? This mindset or approach to working in advanced situations is vital. It enables you to continuously adjust and improve the original work plan.
You might even have to adjust in the middle of a cut. When doing a cut in a storm-felled forest, perhaps you notice that the trunk is flexing or bending in a way that was not expected. So, you pause to adjust your plan. In this case, it might involve simply adjusting the position of your feet.