Tom Hamments, Technical Officer
Safe corner cut – beyond one bar length – stump profile. (a diagram from Ground Technical Guide 3)
It is now just over a year since work began on developing the Association’s Technical Guides. The project includes both the revision of the existing aerial operations series, the Aerial Technical Guides (ATGs), and the creation of four new guides: one additional aerial guide and three new publications that will form a new ground-based series – Ground Technical Guides (GTGs).
Alongside this work, the Industry Code of Practice (ICoP) is also being revised, updated and expanded to incorporate ground-based tree work, mechanised tree work, and other smaller additions to strengthen the document.
Review
The review phase began with a detailed, word-by-word critical assessment of the existing guides, informed by practical experience and industry feedback gathered since their original publication. The objective is to ensure the guides remain technically accurate, user-friendly, and a genuinely valuable resource for those working in the sector.
For ATG1 (Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue), ATG2 (Use of Tools in the Tree) and ATG3 (Aerial Tree Rigging), the review has resulted in changes to detail and wording throughout. The scope and technical accuracy of the original guides have been held in high regard, and no fundamental changes to their substance were considered necessary. Nevertheless, the revised editions represent many hours of refinement, with updated text and photographs providing a fully current point of reference for readers and, by any measure, a substantial revision.
For ATG4 (Use of Mobile Cranes in Tree Work) and ATG5 (Use of MEWPs in Tree Work), the original documents were likewise recognised as very strong technical references for the operations they address. Building on this foundation, ATG4 will include a greater degree of new and expanded content, while ATG5 will see more extensive refinement of wording, structure, and layout.
New guides
The first of the new guides will join the existing aerial series and cover the use of mechanised equipment to cut and handle sections of tree, typically tree shears and grapple saws. It is titled Aerial Technical Guide 6: Use of Mechanised Equipment in Tree Work. In recent years, the industry has seen a rapid increase in the use of such machines. They provide a method of working that was not previously available: the ability to cut a tree aerially without the need for a person to work at height. This presents clear safety, efficiency, and operational benefits. However, advice on navigating the compliance associated with this machinery – particularly in relation to the compatibility of base machines and attachments – and providing technical guidance for an operation with significant potential risk has been much needed. ATG6 builds on the collaborative work with FISA (Forest Industry Safety Accord), which produced the initial guidance on this subject, FISA 608, in 2021.
The first guide in the new ground-based series will adopt a slightly different structure from the other Technical Guides. It will comprise an inventory of common items of plant, machinery, and equipment used in arboriculture, preceded by sections covering planning, management, and common factors. Each item will have its own dedicated section setting out core principles for safe use. Rather than being organised around specific operations, content will be structured around the equipment item itself. This allows information to be provided for a wide range of items that do not warrant a standalone guide, including some for which little or no comparable guidance is currently available elsewhere.
The second in the new ground-based series will cover the role of a ground worker (or ‘groundie’, to use the colloquial term) on an aerial tree work site. The role of ground staff is essential to the safety of an aerial worksite, particularly when they are directly involved in techniques such as rigging, where their actions or omissions directly impact the safety of the climber. This guide will contain detailed guidance on how to safely run rigging systems, how to work with a climber to ‘eye-in’ pruning jobs, and how to safely navigate the hazards associated with drop zones and generally assist someone working aerially.
The third in the new ground-based series will be based on tree felling and processing. While anyone tasked with felling trees will be able to use the guidance, it is primarily being written in the context of arboricultural work, where there is currently a lack of specific guidance. It will include detail on the hazards and risks associated with domestic and commercial worksites, cover the felling of complex trees (including those that have been part-dismantled using aerial techniques), and have a section on assisted felling containing a substantial volume of new content that sets a standard not previously seen. In addition, there will be a section dedicated to calculations and equations to help estimate whole-tree weight and the forces required to push or pull a tree over using aids or assisted felling systems.
Feedback and publication
In January 2026, the Association invited industry professionals to express their interest in providing feedback on the drafts in order to suggest edits before they are finalised and published. The response was overwhelming, and by the time you read this, we will have closed the expression of interest invites and be in contact with those registered to discuss the next steps.
Across the project, a significant number of people working in the industry have been engaged, from providing technical contributions and photographs to taking the time to critically review documents. These individuals bring vast hands-on experience and have often never had the opportunity to directly shape the industry in this way. Their contribution should be recognised as extremely valuable and reflects the Association’s commitment to advancing the tree work contracting side of arboriculture in the UK. On behalf of the Association, and personally, I would like to 54thank each and every one of them, many of whom have gone above and beyond to ensure this project is a success.
Looking ahead, while the project is not yet complete, it is now close to conclusion. The revised and expanded Technical Guides and ICoP will provide a robust, up-to-date framework to support safe and effective tree work across the industry.
We look forward to sharing further details as publication approaches.
Photo competition
The Association is launching a photo competition to source the front cover image for GTG3: Tree Felling and Processing. We are not prescriptive about the specific scene shown, provided the image:
- Depicts tree felling in an arboricultural environment
- Demonstrates compliance with industry good practice
- Is of sufficient resolution for high-quality print (smartphones are normally acceptable)
The winning entry will be used as the front cover image, the photographer will be acknowledged within the document, and they will receive a free bundle containing all of the revised and new Technical Guides. Other entries may be used in the guides, though these can’t be credited.
To enter, please send your submission to tom@trees.org.uk by Tuesday 31st March.
This article was taken from Issue 212 Spring 2026 of the ARB Magazine, which is available to view free to members by simply logging in to the website and viewing your profile area.