Tree service and vegetation management have become more complex in recent years due to several factors, including urbanization, more frequent severe weather events, and the critical role of regulations and licenses. Urbanization complicates the work of public service arborists by increasing population density and adding new utility lines in underdeveloped or underdeveloped areas. Public service arborists and forest service professionals must manage more vegetation, implement more rigorous safety measures, and at the same time deal with the stricter licensing regulations imposed in urban areas. As the population grows and developers replace wild vegetation with impervious surfaces, such as concrete, glass and steel, the risk of flooding increases, adding another level of complexity to the work of arborists of public services.
Severe weather events, such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods and windstorms, are more common and are causing more damage to communities in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that “the extent of the area burned by wildfires each year seems to have increased since the 1980s. As a result of longer, drier seasons and windy conditions, there is a greater risk of more frequent and serious wildfires.
Utility arborists must consider these threats and strategically manage the vegetation surrounding utility lines to minimize the risk of fires and power outages. Given the inherent risks associated with arboriculture work, regulations and licenses play a critical role in ensuring safety and professionalism in the field. State and local governments often regulate the activities of arborist growers, establishing licensing requirements and safety regulations to protect both workers and the public. Contractors who work with restricted-use pesticides, such as cyanide and methyl bromide, must meet certain EPA certification standards and comply with all state, territorial, or tribal laws.
While these laws may seem obvious to most, other licensing regulations may be less obvious. To promote greater safety, licensing regulations and regulations on the weight of vehicles and trailers have become stricter. Tree service workers regularly hail large sections of trees weighing tens of thousands of pounds. States require a special business license to drive large vehicles, and contractors may also need to obtain a permit to carry oversized or overweight loads, depending on the gross weight of the vehicle.
As governing bodies continue to tighten and enforce these licensing laws and regulations, contractors and their insurance policies must keep up to date. In an era of rapid technological advances, the arboriculture industry has not remained on the sidelines of innovation. Technological advances have revolutionized the way that arborists and vegetation management professionals approach their work, improving efficiency, safety and precision. In this section, we'll explore some of the key technological advances that have reshaped the field.
Nowadays, camera technology is frequently used to monitor tree health, while computers can formulate pesticides and automate fumigation. Most vegetation management professionals will also use heavy machinery such as cranes, barriers and excavators, all of which contribute to more efficient operations. While these tools are extremely useful, they are also incredibly expensive and can increase the risk of company liability. As cities and highways become busier, arboriculturists and other vegetation management professionals must learn to avoid these potential hazards.
One of these dangers comes from vehicles that drive on roads close to those that they work. arborists. Fortunately, technological advances have improved road safety and, consequently, the safety of arboriculture workers. Speed control systems and cell phone use detection systems are two of the most common tools used to improve road safety for motorists, pedestrians, construction workers and arboriculturists.
These systems are far from new, but in the US. UU. Note that, in the chart above, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom In addition, in France there was a significant decrease in the number of deaths due to traffic accidents following the implementation of speed cameras; in the US. Every year, thousands of people die because of distracted drivers.
Unlike pedestrians, tree service professionals often work out of sight of drivers, on aerial work platforms or in truck buckets. At this point, even a seemingly minor traffic accident can be fatal for workers, making distracted driving especially dangerous for arboricultural service professionals. To protect people from the dangers of distracted drivers, mobile phone detection systems are gaining popularity, especially in Australia. One way these systems work is by capturing photos of drivers and taking advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify drivers using their mobile phones.
Despite enormous advances in road safety technologies, most of the responsibility to protect arboriculture workers remains with the contractors they employ. Tree service professionals do much more than just prune and plant trees. They also deal with snow and ice, toxic pesticides and herbicides, and the cleaning of utility lines. Therefore, in addition to adequate training and safety equipment, forest service contractors need the support of an insurance policy that goes beyond the basics.
The arboriculture industry is at a crucial crossroads, with a number of factors reshaping its landscape. Urbanization has led to an increase in demand for products for the care of the trees. This, together with severe weather events that are increasingly frequent and destructive, underscores the urgent need for resilient tree management practices. Despite these complexities, technological advances have become a beacon of hope, offering arborists innovative tools and strategies to perform their daily tasks efficiently and safely.
However, progress brings with it new challenges, and the modern arboriculture industry is not without its own. As arborists and vegetation management professionals face the complexities of urbanization, extreme weather events and technological advances, your insurance needs have evolved accordingly. Traditional insurance coverage may not adequately address the specialized risks inherent in this field. To protect their operations and their people, forest service contractors require insurance policies that go beyond the basics.
TreePro is the gold standard in risk management for contractors working in tree service or vegetation management. Standard insurance policies can have significant gaps in coverage, leaving contractors exposed to serious risks. Tree service contractors and brokers can achieve more if they are backed by TreePro's best coverage, a 30-year track record of excellence, an A+ financial rating of A, M. Best and the experience of their dedicated program manager, Tim Greifenkamp. If you're a forest service contractor or insurance broker, check out all of TreePro's unique features to learn how to get the best insurance coverage and the best price for your business.
Tim serves as manager of the TreePro program and has more than 35 years of experience as a broker and carrier. Tim's extensive knowledge in commercial insurance, his creativity and ability to solve complex insurance problems, and his package of executive skills, which, in combination, have allowed him to simultaneously boost both underwriting profitability and market penetration in previous positions, are an invaluable asset for NIP Group. Complete the form below and a broker relations expert will be in touch with you shortly. Arborists can now better maintain tree inventories due to the ability of some systems to generate databases with information about specific trees.
The arborist management systems market is segmented according to tree species in deciduous trees, conifers, palm trees, fruit trees and trees in flower. The growing demand for tree care services, such as tree pruning, removal and planting, is driving the growth of the arborist segment. Among the major players in the arborist management systems market, Davey Tree Expert Company is known for its comprehensive suite of tree care services, including arborist management. The arboriculture industry is facing a significant shortage of qualified professionals, including certified arborists, climbers of trees and tree surgeons.