Tree Inspection Courses?

[Amelanchier]

Arbocop

 

As a AA member and having passed the PTI (ATI?) i feel I can make constructive critical comments on the course. At the end of the course we were in fact invited to do so.

 

 

In my view the AA is good stuff, but people tend to remember getting stung for £400 and that is a problem that needs discussing.

[benedmonds]

Arbocop

 

This thread was not a attack on the AA, although I'm sure you can find some threads which are.. If you read the posts you'll have read that cerneARB wanted - advice on "decent courses on tree hazard inspection."

 

The AA course is not this.

 

My issuses were that it could have been a course in tree Hazard inspection if correctly run. That is where I think the AA have gone wrong. The course leader was over involved with the details of health and safety and NO attempt at teaching occured. A decent teacher could have made it worthwile. If it is just an assesment it should be 1 day if it is a course then teach something. Or use decent pedagogy.. (google it).

[Lee Winger]

I love attacking the AA...

 

In the 20 ish years i've been in the business, I can't see what the AA has done for the smaller contractor!

 

All I know is, every time the ''powers that be'' come up with more regulations and legislations the AA accept the lot hook line and sinker!

 

Where were they when insurers would no longer insure new firms, and insurers jacked up the price for established companys puting a good few out of business! know where thats where! insurers looked upon the AA as a joke! claiming to represent the industry with there handfull of beleivers [a few approved contractors, consultants and paltry amount of members] Even a few hard and fast worshipers are now having doubts about the AA thanks to there new cash cow of making approved contractors jump through the hoops every 5 years, calling it a reassesment lol.

 

One big hyped up load of tosh imo, they can shove all their expensive courses etc they aren't for for me on principle!

 

One other thing whilst i'm ranting do you know the AA show is the ''most'' expensive uk arb show to exhibit at by far! how they have the cheek to charge punters to get into it, is beyond me! And why is the show held at such an obscure part of the British isles, surely anyone with half a brain would opt for a centralized locality...

[skyhuck]

I love attacking the AA...

 

In the 20 ish years i've been in the business, I can't see what the AA has done for the smaller contractor!

 

All I know is, every time the ''powers that be'' come up with more regulations and legislations the AA accept the lot hook line and sinker!

 

Where were they when insurers would no longer insure new firms and insurers jacked up the price for established companys! know where thats where! insurers looked upon the AA as a joke! claiming to represent the industry with there handfull of beleivers [approved contractors, consultants and paltry amount of members] Even a few hard and fast worshipers are now having doubts about the AA thanks to there new cash cow of making approved contractors jump through the hoops every 5 years.

 

One big hyped up load of tosh imo, with all their expensive courses etc and not for me on principle!

 

totally agree!

[Arbocop]

well thanks for the clarity gentlemen

 

in answer to the innisial question, in MHO finding a tree inspection course almost impossible, there is the QTRA witch is more a methodology of assessing risk in an arb context, interesting, a useful tool.

 

The LANTRA accredited basic tree inspection, delivered by many training providers including the AA, a simplistic training course aimed at for example a park ranger who may well be asked to 'keep their eyes open for any problems'

 

The Prof Tree Inspection, again LANTRA accredited and delivered by a number of training providers including the AA, but it would appear from comments hear that there are mixed feelings about it, personally, i found it very interesting,but perhaps it is very trainer dependent.

 

OCA used to deliver the M&C based method in to large customers, again interesting with a points system for applying an action level, so some eliments of tree related issues but with a risk assessment take on things.

 

Caple manor College Enfield used to do a basic tree inspection course over 3 days witch covered a range of subjects including basic reports, simple plant id recognition of simple mechanical faults etc, but that has now been replaced with the lantra 1 day course. they also used to do an advanced tree inspection course that looked at some simple soil science data collection for specific matters and some gadgets such as resistographs etc, this has now been replaced by the PTI LANTRA cource.

 

thats about all i have herd of except on the odd occasion colleges have tried to run them on there own.

 

so good luck in finding a cource and i hope what ever you choose is helpful to you.

 

as for the other stuff debate is a good thing, i disagree with some of the things stated about the AA, but well i pay my member ship to several bodies becase at the end of the day no single one gives me all i whant,

 

so happy hunting, stay lucky, and ohh no need for google a perfect use of the noun.

 

arbocop

[telhol]

All these courses are more about the money than the teaching.

 

How can say £650 for a three day course be justified minimum of 4 people upwards thats a minimum of.

 

£2600

 

and all you get is a cert to say you can do what you been doing for years then to put salt in the wound after 5 years now you have to do it all again.

 

I fully agree with being qualified its a must but your not getting your moneys worth. these nptc's are the reason there are unqualified climbers they cant afford it.

 

The first couple of courses 30-31 should be lowered then more people will go on them and progress but your building a brick wall at the first hurdle.

 

Just an opinion.

[Brushcutter]

I was thinking about doing the LANTRA basic tree inspection course at Capel Manor. Anybody done it? Was it worth going on, do you do risk assessment report writing or anything like that. Or is it a walk and talk around trees and you have to comment about caverties dead wood lean ect ect?

[Linda]

Ditto to what Tony said. I did the AA course and was very disapointed. There is no reason they couldn't have taught some tree inspection but they didn't! [/url]

 

Are we talking the basic or professional tree inspection course? Supposedly the basic one day course should teach you about inspections. I did the professional 3-day course and found it very useful even though I know most of the risk assessment and biomechanics stuff from before.

[Jack-Arb aka Tiago Sinclair-Julio.]

Does anyone know of any decent courses on tree hazard inspection. Sadly i cant do that part of my Arb course next year so i got to do it independantly Got to get out and do the work thing.

 

Hello cernearb,

 

Im not quite sure at what level you are looking to start with, but would advise you to take one step at the time because they usually not cheap. And depending on what kind of things you want to with it. If you want some basic tree inspection skills to use on a day to day basis with customers, or are you looking for something that is final decision that stands in court for insurances companies dealing with subsidance claims etc... Theres a whole range out there depending on your needs and abilities.

 

Treevolution do more than one for different levels and in my opinion they are good, not the cheapest but good. Check there website -

 

http://www.treevolution.co.uk

 

must colleges that do arb will have tree inspections courses.

 

Best of luck!

 

Jack-arb

[Log-ologist]

I did Lantra Pro Tree Insp. (level 3)

 

It was done at .... somewhere near reading.

 

I cant remember.

 

I come from a silviculture background with 12 years of arbwork behind me, I've read lots of books and I still found it challenging. I remember Guy Watson of the AA led the course.