It almost seems a natural progression to branch out from gardening to tree pruning. If you?EUR??,,????'???re successful at one, the other should be easy, right? Duties of an Arborist Too often, landscape companies jump into the related arena of tree care without much thought for the legal, ethical, business and arboricultural requirements that shape and govern the tree care industry. Tree work is some of the most dangerous work in the world. Here are some of the main reasons that insurance companies look at: Constant use of chippers, chainsaws, working off the ground, slip fall hazards, back injury hazards, electrical hazards, hearing loss hazards, heavy equipment operation and frequent operation of commercial vehicles. A landscape company needs to seriously consider if these risks are worth the undertaking. With some landscapers, the common sentiment seems to be that safety, while a high priority, is not a major concern. After all, if you wear safety glasses and don?EUR??,,????'???t reach under a mower deck while it?EUR??,,????'???s running, you?EUR??,,????'???re being safe. Arboriculture is entirely different. Our job is safety; we are paid to be safe and we only make money if we are safe. Tree care is simply the profession we choose to be safe in. If it sounds like an odd perspective, consider a police officer or a fire fighter. All of these jobs have known inherent dangers, and they will be encountered daily. And, as with these public servants, it is our job to make our communities safe in our particular field of expertise. The ethical duty of an arborist is two fold: First, an arborist has the best interests of a tree in mind, and second, we are committed to public safety. Therefore, an arborist needs to adhere to the standards set for our industry by organizations like the International Society of Arboriculture and the National Arborist Association. If a landscape supervisor is going to run a tree crew or sell tree pruning, it should be mandatory to become a Certified Arborist. This certification acknowledges that an arborist has demonstrated sufficient knowledge to perform basic tree care practices. Further training and certifications can qualify an arborist to operate near power lines, perform highly technical work, and consult at the highest levels. By becoming, developing or hiring a Certified Arborist, this will provide a good starting point for respectable tree pruning, insuring that poor practices like topping or overpruning are not included in your new tree crew?EUR??,,????'???s repertoire of work. Equipment Maintenance I couldn?EUR??,,????'???t tell you how many times I have seen a tree crew on the freeway driving a dirty truck with racks on the outside for pole saws, pruners, rakes and brooms, pulling a chipper in such disrepair it sends chills up my spine. Equipment is vital to our profession. Not just in the economic sense, but also in regards to safety. An arborist?EUR??,,????'???s truck is a moving billboard. Impressions about your business can be strongly made from the age, quality, condition and cleanliness of your truck. It is important to maintain an arborist truck in a consistent manner that builds pride in the employees that operate it and prevents expensive problems in the future. A good place to start would be to service your truck every quarter, and wash it monthly. Servicing it every three months will help prevent costly engine repairs, and the crucial brake inspection and clutch adjustment will allow you correct minor issues before they become extremely costly. The frequent clutch or brake assembly overhaul can really eat into your profit. It is important to remember the abuse these arborist trucks endure. Treat them well, and you won?EUR??,,????'???t waste profit dollars fixing them. A chipper is one of the most dangerous machines in the world. With lightning speed, terrible harm can come from the abuse of this valuable tool. No other piece of equipment in our arsenal demands the respect that this machine does. It should only be used by certified operators who follow the safety instructions. Also, it should only be serviced by trained professionals. My experience has been that a well-maintained chipper will provide years of faithful service. The blades should be sharpened and the clutch adjusted regularly in addition to the daily maintenance responsibilities. As convenient as outer tool racks may seem, they leave your tools exposed to the elements. While inexpensive rakes and brooms may wear out quickly, pole pruners last quite a while. If left exposed to the elements, these expensive tools will deteriorate faster, and more importantly, their insulative properties that help protect us from electrical hazard around power lines will be voided. Dirty fiberglass pole pruners can conduct electricity. A few equipment guidelines that I recommend are: First, fix scratches and burned out bulbs when they happen, because as minor as they seem, they will snowball if left alone, and secondly, do not operate equipment that has damaged or missing safety features. Proper Training is Key There is no replacement for a properly trained arborist. Having all the ?EUR??,,????'??right?EUR??,,????'?? equipment will not make up for poor training and workmanship. Having a crane truck will not make you safer or more qualified to perform a technical removal. Having an aerial lift will not enable you to perform better tree work. This equipment is not only inconsequential, but it is even dangerous, when operated by someone untrained and unqualified to use it. Due to the dangerous nature of our work, it is imperative that employees receive thorough training in all areas of the job. Arborist training should cover all aspects of the employee?EUR??,,????'???s position: The company?EUR??,,????'???s employee manual, driver?EUR??,,????'???s certification and/or licensing, First Aid/CPR, equipment specific training, and of course, arborist training. Business Practices It should be understood that, based on the hazards already mentioned, arborist workers compensation insurance is expensive. You should check your local insurance rates, but they will be considerably higher than gardener insurance. Of course, it is assumed that anyone performing this kind of work is licensed and insured. If not, the consequences can leave you bankrupt. It is our ethical duty to inform a client of every apparent tree related risk on their site. This could save them a lot of money in litigation, and could award you a lot of work. However, there will be scenarios where, in looking out for the client?EUR??,,????'???s best interest, the work requested does not actually need to be performed. We should always be honest with our clients, and the resulting trust that is built with the client may actually lead to much greater opportunities. It is important to be a healthy competitor. A healthy competitor is one that builds the credibility of our industry. As insurance costs, the wages of a well-trained arborist, and the cost of living all rise, an arborist company fights to remain competitive in the market. This is not exclusive to a single company in a given area; these demographics affect most companies. Arborist companies slowly and steadily wage the uphill battle of establishing the legitimacy of their trade and the value of their services. It is disheartening, to say the least, when a company that does not uphold proper arboricultural standards and practices severely underbids local treework. This undermines the ?EUR??,,????'??cause?EUR??,,????'?? of arborists as a whole, and is a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. The legitimacy of the industry is set back, the client receives substandard work, and the low-bid company that got the work has left a lot of money on the table. If you are confident that, without ?EUR??,,????'??low-balling,?EUR??,,????'?? you can provide the most competitive price and perform the work correctly and safely, then everyone benefits. In summary, it is imperative to weigh the costs and risk of performing treework. If done correctly, it can be rewarding and lucrative, and provide a consistent stream of revenue that ties in perfectly with your existing landscape services. If a tree service venture is launched without addressing all the safety and training issues and without an accurate understanding of what it costs, it will inevitably run itself into the ground. About the author: Brandon Elrod is the Operations Manager at Valley Crest Landscape Maintenance Tree Care Services Orange County, California