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| To advance the science of arboriculture for the public benefit |
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| To advance the science of arboriculture for the public benefit |
Up Front
Industry news and views, events, technical developments and people.
A Quarterly message from the Arboricultural Association by Nick Eden, posted September 2004
(This message is published in the Arboricultural Association's June Newsletter. For your regular copy, join us)
Happy 40th Birthday AA!
How things have changed in the last 40 years. How many of us could still find an old pot of Arbrex in the shed if we looked hard? And what about those old cast iron tree braces and supports?
I remember my first pair of "safety trousers" - hastily bought one morning because we heard the "Forestry Commission bloke" was doing the rounds checking on his harvesting contractors. And what dreadful things they were - even though they were front protection only they were still like wearing a suit of armour. And as for chainsaws, some of them now look like they were designed by the guards in the Tower of London as instruments of torture. Trying to keep up with the latest developments is not always easy.
Contractors' Health and Safety Package
In order to help contractors keep pace with the ever increasing paperwork demands of running a small arboricultural business the AA's Contractors Working Group is developing the "Contractors' Health and Safety Package". It provides contractors with most of the information they need to stay on top of the paperwork essential to managing health and safety - and it is uniquely tailored to arborists, so in it you will find specific reference our industry
it provides a proforma specifically for chainsaws, one for chippers, one for stump grinders
it has all the potential faults with ropes in tick-box format - abrasions, glazing, contamination, cuts, core milking,
stiffness, stitching/splicing etc.
... and so on. 100 pages of arb-specific health and safety paperwork to make the contractors' life easier, supplied in a folder and on disc so you can customise to your particular company's requirements.
Guy Watson, our Technical Officer is in the final stages of drafting the document - if you want a copy register your interest by email admin@trees.org.uk or phone 01794 368717 and we will let you know when it is available. Cost is likely to be £45 + VAT (inc P&P) and we anticipate it's launch within the next two months.
More New AA Publications
Three of our guidance leaflets have been rewritten and are now available with up-to-date information and in full colour. Many thanks to Guy, Brian Wallis and others who have helped to complete these leaflets. Order forms are available from this website or you can purchase over the phone with a credit card. You can also download FREE from the 'Publications' page of this site.
A new Guidance Note is now available to help those faced with the prospect of prosecuting (or being prosecuted!). Principal author John Price recognises that litigation is not normally a regular part of an arboriculturist's duties and that it would be easy, if one is not versed in the complex and varied procedures surrounding Court practice, to commit basic errors that can have grave consequences.
The performance of the arboriculturist as a witness can sometimes be pivotal in a case and this new guidance note gives an insight into the basics of what would be required of an arboriculturist when called upon to appear as a Witness.
Andy Jones has provided a suite of appendices including standard letters for site investigations, issuing official cautions, taking witness statements and conducting interviews under caution.
Further details and order form can be found on the 'Publications' page of this site and appendices are available as a FREE download.
The AA's 40th Year Conference
This year's Conference is set to be one of the best as we celebrate the Association's 40 years of serving British arboriculture and arborists. So much has changed in that time and the pace of change doesn't look like its going to reduce.
As well as the normal scientific and informative papers we've lined up some more light-hearted subjects too - Bill Matthews and Roy Finch will take us through the first 40 years (Monday) and Graeme Mc Mahon will give us video footage of some extreme tree removals down-under (Wednesday). Full details on the 'Events' page of this website if you've not got access to a conference brochure.
Don't forget the AUS Utility Skills Competition will be running again at the conference - can Fountain's retain the title for 2004, or will this go to another team?
There are still a few sponsorship opportunities left for you to promote your business at Conference - or other AA activities. Ring Ampfield (01794 368717) to enquire about current availabilities. Full details are in the September 2004 Newsletter.
The Work at Height Regulations and Implications for Tree Climbing.
The Health and Safety Executive gave an enlightening presentation at the June Arborists' Trade Fair. The new WAH Regulations shift the balance between rope access and MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms). The Regulations do not outlaw rope access, they do not insist on MEWPs, but they do place MEWPs above rope access in the hierarchy of control measures for minimising risks to those working at height. As you might expect, a job-specific risk assessment is needed to determine the selection of the most appropriate access method.
Most of us will recognise the joint AA/FASTCo publications 'Guide to Good Climbing Practice' and 'Aerial Rescue Guidance Notes' as containing the nationally accepted industry standards for tree climbing practices. Now that the regulations governing our practices are changing, so must the associated guidance and the AA will be publishing a new guide, incorporating both climbing and aerial rescue. Technical Authors Mick Cottam, Liam McKeown and Chris White have a first draft ready for consultation - you can access a copy from this website. Please do comment by the consultation deadline (15th October 2004) so that we can make the new guide truly representative of the industry's needs.
We are expecting the WAH Regulations to take effect in our industry early in the New Year so the launch of the new guide will follow shortly thereafter.
High Hedges
The AA's Professional Committee submitted a consultation response to the Government's proposed 'High Hedges' legislation. Peter Annett (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) will review the development, content and application of this new legislation at our Conference in Chester in September 2004.
Karabiner Research
Over the years there has been much debate about the pros and cons of three-way versus screw-gate karabiners used in tree work. Much of the arguments revolve around the three-way karabiner - intended to ensure automatic gate closure without the operator having to take conscious action yet some report gates opening unintentionally (or perhaps not closing in the first place?).
The HSE have researched this aspect - you can find a copy of their report on
www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl/engineer.htm.
A brief overview of their conclusions can be summarised as:
A more detailed report can be found in our September 2004 Newsletter.
Arboriculture and Bats: a Guide for Practitioners
I am delighted to be able to announce another new training course is available for arboriculturists. This very topical subject which has appeared many times recently in the Newsletter and in essentialARB is now available as a Lantra accredited training course developed by the Bat Conservation Trust in partnership with the AA. The course was piloted in June 2004 and a schedule of courses available over the next few months can be found on the 'Events' page of this site. The course covers bat biology and ecology, bats and the law, potential and bat/roost recognition (both theory and practice) contact and emergency procedures.
Arborists' Trade Fair 2004
You can see highlights from the 2004 show on this site - it was a great success.
Many thanks to sponsors:
Fujikura
Honey Brothers
STIHL
Tree Climbers Forum
Treevolution
Wilkie Recycling Systems
What else is in the September 2004 AA Newsletter?
There are articles on:
Uplift Rates for Arboricultural Contracts: useful for those involved with long-term contracts, both client and contractor - guidelines on reviewing the price year-on-year. An additional factor that may need to be factored in this time is the increased cost of insurance faced by many contractors. Clients will need to recognise this factor if we are to continue to support competent and responsible contractors. I expect we all know we could get a cheaper price somewhere, but at what long-term cost, and at what risk? It's not just about avoiding prosecution for employing an inappropriate contractor; it's also about the long-term viability of the industry
Membership Restructure Consultation Response. We published a consultation document "Proposed Membership Grade Changes - Your Views Please" in the June Newsletter. The proposal included the introduction of a new grade of Professional Member who may use the style M.Arbor.A., and the introduction of the grade Student Plus to help facilitate new workers' transition from Student subscription rates to full member rates. Feed back has so far been positive and after further consultation with members at the AGM (part of our annual conference in the University College of Chester) the board will decide the way forward. Currently adoption without modification looks likely
Traffic Management Bill - will this affect arboriculturists working on the highway?
Contractors' Working Group Update
Risk Assessment in Arboriculture Part II
Perenniporia fraxinea briefing note with colour photos
Article: 'A New Generation Thermograph for the Assessment of Tree Stability'
Genetic Tree Root Identification
European Arboricultural Council AGM Report
What's happening in Scotland
Nick Eden
Director