Branching Out: Keeping A Healthy Environment Through Tree Care

3 Things You Should Ensure an Arborist Has

Do you live in a house where tree branches are tagging on power lines and you are worried that something bad may happen soon? Your fears are warranted, for instance, any strong gust of wind could cause the branches to pull the electrical power lines and cause an electric short. Therefore, you need to remove such trees from your property to avoid such an incidence. However, it is good to understand that tree removal is highly technical. If left in the wrong hands, things can go terribly wrong. As such, hiring an arborist is your best bet towards ensuring a safe and professional tree removal exercise is conducted in your home. You should inquire about the following before hiring an arborist.

Industry Credentials -- Dealing with trees next to power lines is a risky affair that requires the services of a professional arborist. When selecting an arborist, ensure that you ask for credentials to ascertain the level of professionalism. For instance, to make work easier for you, start by visiting arborists that are members of the Arboriculture Australia, which ensures professionalism by requiring an arborist to be assessed against the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF).  Some of the certifications accepted by the Arboriculture Australia include Certificate in Arboriculture, Certificate in Safe Tree Climbing Procedures or a bachelor degree in horticulture.

Insurance -- The dangers that come with tree removal, especially near power lines, cannot be overemphasized. While it is imperative for you to enlist the services of a fully qualified arborist, that alone is not enough. The arborist must have an industry-specific insurance cover that will compensate any loss or injury caused during the tree removal process. Therefore, ask a prospective company for a certificate of insurance. It is even better to review the list of clauses that will be covered. For example, endangered tree species are protected by authorities, and an arborist must get an insurance cover before cutting or transplanting them. If the company does not have an insurance cover, you might end up being held liable for any resulting damages and injuries.

Type of Equipment – The type of equipment an arborist will use is essential to the quality of work. You should inquire about the type of equipment that will be used in the tree removal process. For example, you do not want heavy machinery like excavators and huge industrial power saws that will damage your lawn, sprinklers or gas piping. On the other hand, you do not want to hire an arborist with normal tools like an ordinary saw and an axe to take down a big tree next to a power line. A professional and fully qualified arborist will take a survey of your compound and the location of the tree(s) then decide what kind of equipment will be required.


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