ARB Approved...are you "sitting on the fence?"

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

So to be clear, there are 250 AA approved contractors in the UK, or am I reading that wrong?

 

Nope, you're reading that correctly, current nos. are circa 250 arb contracting businesses, some big, some not so big n some small (circa 42%, ie about 100.)

 

For the first 5-6 years I managed the scheme we had circa 150 contractors 'year-on-year' so, relatively speaking, the scheme is growing significantly...albeit some considerable way to go yet!

 

Cheers..

Paul

[Billy]

How do you define big, not so big and small?

 

 

WM Tree Services

 

http://www.bestkenttreesurgeons.co.uk

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

How do you define big, not so big and small?

 

 

WM Tree Services

 

Best Kent Tree Surgeons for Professional Tree Surgery Work in Maidstone

 

Sorry, that wasn't very helpful, just speaking metaphorically (I think )

 

There are various business sizes and the qualifying criteria / standards, nos. assessors, assessment duration and costs etc. vary accordingly from circa £500 per year to £1500 for ARB Approval.

 

INCLUDING the employer they are:

1-5 people (small)

6-9 people (small-medium)

10-19 people (medium)

20/20+ people (large), and

multi-office, e.g. Bartletts / Glendales

 

Hope this helps clarify things a bit.

 

Cheers..

Paul

[john p]

Out of curiosity how do you assess a multi office company like Glendale ? Each individual depot/area? Standards must vary across a behemoth like that surely ?

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Out of curiosity how do you assess a multi office company like Glendale ? Each individual depot/area? Standards must vary across a behemoth like that surely ?

 

Hi John,

 

With a multi-office/depot/contract business such as Glendale we start off with a systems / procedures audit of their Head Office, i.e. Chorley, Lancs. Thereafter we only assess, and approve (hopefully), those offices presented and when the certificate of approval is issued it reflects this in the title, e.g. Glendale (Solihull) or Glendale (South Shields) etc. Currently there is no opportunity for a company wide approval 'per se'.

 

You are right, we do see a variation in standards but works presented for assessment must be to a min. standard of BS3998...overall. To be fair, with contractors like Glendale and other bigger businesses undertaking predominantly Local Authority work, the works they undertake subsequently often don't align with BS3998 because of the specs provided.

 

Regardless, they must again demonstrate min. BS3998 works at reassessment. The rationale being IF a client requires them to do works to this standard they can still perform.

 

Thanks for the question

 

Paul

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Hi John,

 

With a multi-office/depot/contract business such as Glendale we start off with a systems / procedures audit of their Head Office, i.e. Chorley, Lancs. Thereafter we only assess, and approve (hopefully), those offices presented and when the certificate of approval is issued it reflects this in the title, e.g. Glendale (Solihull) or Glendale (South Shields) etc. Currently there is no opportunity for a company wide approval 'per se'.

 

You are right, we do see a variation in standards but works presented for assessment must be to a min. standard of BS3998...overall. To be fair, with contractors like Glendale and other bigger businesses undertaking predominantly Local Authority work, the works they undertake subsequently often don't align with BS3998 because of the specs provided.

 

Regardless, they must again demonstrate min. BS3998 works at reassessment. The rationale being IF a client requires them to do works to this standard they can still perform.

 

Thanks for the question

 

Paul

 

this statement surely just makes arboriculture look pretty bloody poor on the whole? I dont mean what you said or you personally, I mean that it is a statement of the true situation.

 

I mean give it some thought "Local authority work doesn't align with the standard because of the specs provided":confused1:

 

You me and Dupree pay these tonkers!

[MWArb]

this statement surely just makes arboriculture look pretty bloody poor on the whole? I dont mean what you said or you personally, I mean that it is a statement of the true situation.

 

I mean give it some thought "Local authority work doesn't align with the standard because of the specs provided":confused1:

 

You me and Dupree pay these tonkers!

 

Worrying thing is its not just local authorities is it.. any client who's spec is below British standards gets the job done their way else the job goes to someone that'll fulfil their needs.. "standards" will always be the issue imo

 

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Arbtalk mobile app

[MWArb]

I'll be popping by Paul on Friday, can't guarantee signing up just yet but certainly on a fact finding mission for the future

 

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Arbtalk mobile app

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

this statement surely just makes arboriculture look pretty bloody poor on the whole? I dont mean what you said or you personally, I mean that it is a statement of the true situation.

 

I mean give it some thought "Local authority work doesn't align with the standard because of the specs provided":confused1:

 

You me and Dupree pay these tonkers!

 

Hi Tony, hope you're well, I share your frustrations here!

 

I think, know, its often non arbs producing the specs and/or bringing previously un-pruned trees, in the higher crown anyway, into cyclical management regimes, ie effecetively a 'high pollard' for deemed ease of future management.

 

the problem is the trees dont help themselves as theyre usually very tolerant and respond positively...a good thing i guess

 

still "up the green party"

 

cheers..

paul

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Worrying thing is its not just local authorities is it.. any client who's spec is below British standards gets the job done their way else the job goes to someone that'll fulfil their needs.. "standards" will always be the issue imo

 

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Arbtalk mobile app

 

Yup, good point..."who's standards are you working to?"

 

I'm not naive in expecting ArbACs never to undertake non-BS3998 standard works, but i do expect the client to be made aware of this and offered a suitable alternative (that is compliant, or compliant'er'). Thereafter, as is usually the case, if the 'informed' client wishes to stick to their original instruction then "so be it"...reluctantly you quote accordingly.

 

ideally, on the quote where your footer states "all works in accord with BS3998" etc, the spec will have an 'NB' stating these works are "outwith BS3998"...or similar.

 

cheers..

paul