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Many  people are unaware that the tree care industry is one of the most  dangerous professions out there. Tree care employees work at extreme  heights (up to 120 feet here in the northeast) while using dangerous  tools, such as chain saws. The danger is compounded by working near  power lines, busy roadways and other infrastructure obstacles. These  working conditions place urban tree work in the same category as  logging, which is rated as the second most dangerous job in the USA and  has a high risk of serious injury and/or death.

With  all these risks in mind, you can see why having a company that’s  properly insured should be at the top of your list. This is also why you  should make sure that a tree care company has up-to-date industry  certifications and licenses. This ensures that employees are properly  trained and that they use the latest industry standards to mitigate the  risks involved in tree care.

n most cases,  consumers tend to lump tree care companies in with landscapers – after  all, they both do “tree work,” right? But there’s a big difference –  landscapers do not usually work in the high-risk situations listed above  and are certainly not insured properly to cover these risks.

It’s  important to understand how proper tree service will protect the health  and safety of your trees, but it’s just as important to know how the  tree care company is going to protect you from potential liability.

For this reason we can generalize the tree companies into two categories:

• “Tree Guys”

“Tree Guys” will state or advertise that they are  “Fully Insured” with liability and workers comp while not truly  understanding what coverage is actually required. In most cases when we  see “Fully Insured” advertised, it means nothing. There are only a very  small number of tree companies in our area that have proper liability  and workers compensation insurance. Very few meaning 1 or 2 companies in  the city of Fort Smith and surrounding areas.

• Arborist…

Arborists work very closely with industry  associations, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA),  Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) and CT Tree Protective Association  (CTPA), to stay at the forefront of the tree care industry while  meeting or exceeding safety and tree care standards. Arborists are  passionate about their industry and delivering a level of care and  professionalism that greatly exceeds the “Tree Guy” scenario.  Additionally, Arborists commit to a level of training, certifications  and licensing that is ongoing and shows a commitment to being an  industry steward that best represents consumers and their landscape  needs. At Express Tree we are arborists and pride ourselves with  properly training our employees and making sure everyone wears the  proper safety equipment including hard hats, safety glasses, steel toed  boots, leather gloves, and ear protection.

Insurance  policies usually have a working height clause that for “LANDSCAPERS”  can be a maximum of 8 to 10 feet. So, in some cases, if they perform  work in a tree above that height, the insurance policy is null and void.  So if something happens the customer ends up paying for property damage  and or medical expenses.

This means that if a  “Tree Guy” with a landscaping policy has an incident while working 40  feet up in tree, there might not be insurance coverage and you will be  next in line for coverage.

About Workers  Compensation… Workers compensation is legally required in Arkansas for  companies with one or more employees (the owner isn’t required to have  workers compensation, although it’s always a good idea to have it). It  covers injuries that tree care company employees or owners suffer while  at work. This is really the only protection you have from the liability  of someone being injured while working on your property.

Without  workers compensation, tree companies are legally required to take  responsibility for work injuries. However, as the property owner you are  next in line. If you hire a tree care company that has no workers  compensation coverage, you will be required to pay the bill if an  employee is injured and the company owner cannot pay. You can sue the  company to recover damages, but you have to pay for the injured person’s  medical bills, lost wages and costs associated with the injury in the  meantime.

**So if a contractor states  that he has less than 5 employees and is not required to carry workers  compensation, be aware that you are liable for coverage in the case of  an incident on your property**

There  is also the option for a company owner to opt out of workers  compensation coverage. This could result in the same scenario above if  the owner (or an employee) is injured on your property.

How  to Protect Yourself – When requesting tree care quotes there are a few  items to look for to ensure that you are covered in the event that  something happens while the company is performing work on your property.

Certificate  of Insurance-Request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from the company.  This should list their policy number and limits.

The  contractor should also be able to add you as an additional insured or  the certificate holder. The insurance company generally will do this for  free. In some cases when doing work on a property line, both property  owners should be listed.

Call the listed  insurance company to confirm the policy is real and in good standing.  Some ‘Tree Guys” have been known to produce fraudulent insurance  certificates or use expired insurance certificates..

If a company takes offense to requesting this information. you probably shouldn’t be doing business with them.

Accreditation  and Licensing…You can also look to see which companies have even a  local or state business license which includes a check for their  insurance.

So as you can see insurance is  VERY important. It could be the difference of saving a few hundred  dollars by hiring an unlicensed “2 men in a truck” outfit and then going  bankrupt because he dropped a limb on his partner’s leg or having to  deal with $50,000 or more of property damage because he dropped a tree  on your house.

Express Tree & Landscaping is your friend in the tree care industry. Thanks for taking the time reading this article.