Hello and your thoughts please.

[MATTMOSS]

Hi everyone, I have just joined the forum and i have been tryin to familiarise with stuff, from the things i have seen I think this is a great resource if you are unsure of anything in the tree world and there are some knowledgeable people with some good sensible answers to some trying questions. And also some funny topics like talking about how many press ups you can do standing up inbetween each one! (still laughing thinking of all the arb lads that must drop their laptops and try this in their living rooms). So I just thought i'd say hello and ask a little question myself! I see myself as a very competent arborist who has been working with trees for 13 years, I have all the nptc's the RFS and have my abc tech cert. so i know the basics- so i have been asked by one of my mates who has a tree company if i will do a tree survey for a local hotel (about 150 trees) including a preliminary works list. The question is do you think I should have professional indemnity insurance to do this work or not? thoughts please .. regards Matt

[felixthelogchopper]

Hi everyone, I have just joined the forum and i have been tryin to familiarise with stuff, from the things i have seen I think this is a great resource if you are unsure of anything in the tree world and there are some knowledgeable people with some good sensible answers to some trying questions. And also some funny topics like talking about how many press ups you can do standing up inbetween each one! (still laughing thinking of all the arb lads that must drop their laptops and try this in their living rooms). So I just thought i'd say hello and ask a little question myself! I see myself as a very competent arborist who has been working with trees for 13 years, I have all the nptc's the RFS and have my abc tech cert. so i know the basics- so i have been asked by one of my mates who has a tree company if i will do a tree survey for a local hotel (about 150 trees) including a preliminary works list. The question is do you think I should have professional indemnity insurance to do this work or not? thoughts please .. regards Matt

 

Are you putting yourself in a position where your professional opinion will be relied upon by somebody who will be paying for your services? I would say so, therefore IMO, definitely.

[easy-lift guy]

It is your reputation at steak. Get the insurance.

easy-lift guy

[Andy Collins]

As above

[MATTMOSS]

Are you putting yourself in a position where your professional opinion will be relied upon by somebody who will be paying for your services? I would say so, therefore IMO, definitely.

 

Ok fellas thanks for your comments, deep down i know that i should get the insurance really. I went to have a look at the trees in question and there were quite a few and some had significant basal decay/cavities and were positioned alongside a busy main road, so i am a little dubious anyway! although i cant see a problem if I am condeming trees!, is it not when you say a tree is safe and its not the problems arise? regards matt

[T14EES T14UNK]

Also, Professional Indemnity insurance covers you for the time of the policy. So if you do the report today and you are insured then that's fine. But if the tree falls in two years time, and you haven't renewed the policy, you would not be covered. Therefore you will need cover for however long the trees are still around ... As far as I thought on the matter anyway. But as you say, if you condemn the trees anyway and put a time limit for felling there shouldn't be a problem really.

[janey]

If you are supplying the survey for your friend and not directly for the Hotel, then see if his (or hers) insurance covers you.

 

I don't do enough private surveys to warrant my own insurance so I always make sure I'm covered by whoever I'm working for.

[skyhuck]

Also, Professional Indemnity insurance covers you for the time of the policy. So if you do the report today and you are insured then that's fine. But if the tree falls in two years time, and you haven't renewed the policy, you would not be covered. Therefore you will need cover for however long the trees are still around ... As far as I thought on the matter anyway. But as you say, if you condemn the trees anyway and put a time limit for felling there shouldn't be a problem really.

 

Thats not true.

[tommer9]

Really Huck? That was the impression I was under too. In fact I had heard that you were required to hold the insurance for quite some time after the survey to protect yourself. Whether or not a legal requirement or simply "good practice" though I am unsure.

[skyhuck]

Really Huck? That was the impression I was under too. In fact I had heard that you were required to hold the insurance for quite some time after the survey to protect yourself. Whether or not a legal requirement or simply "good practice" though I am unsure.

 

You need to keep the certificate for ever (we a fair while anyway)

 

The insurance covers your professional opinion at the time of writing the report, so if the tree falls over later, it was your opinion at the time that the report was written that was wrong, so you were insured when you were at fault.

Edited October 21, 2011 by skyhuck