Tree Surgeon Neath

There is an enormous risk of damage to property, the trees or to life, for folks in Neath who attempt to do tree work themselves, or by employing a non-qualified person. However, tree work is not even safe for certified tree surgeons, who know about all of the hazards involved. Within the industry there are a worrying average of three deaths and a hundred and forty serious injuries each year, making tree surgery among the most dangerous jobs in the United Kingdom.

With falling trees or branches causing around five deaths annually in the UK, a risk to life can even be posed by a neglected or damaged tree. You could be liable to third-party compensation claims due to the consequences of your actions, if you hire somebody to conduct tree work and subsequently an injury occurs, or property is damaged. This is why it is essential to hire a certified tree surgeon to work on your trees. (Source - HSE UK).

There are 2 major professional trade bodies, one or both of which a seasoned tree surgeon in Neath should be an approved member of. The professional status and membership of any tree surgeon in Neath can be checked on the websites of both the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Arboricultural Association (AA). On this page you can check for membership of either of these organisations, which gives the tree surgeon in question, recognised ARB Approved Contractor status.

You can get in touch with these trade associations for assistance in arbitration and for help and advice at any point, if there's an issue during or after any work has been accomplished.

If anybody who you cannot find on this directory offers to provide you with a quotation, you should graciously decline their offer of work and carry on with your search for an accredited contractor. You should try and get a minimum of three quotes from different companies in the Neath area when you have reassured yourself of their professional accreditations and memberships. Whilst acquiring the quotations you must ask the questions below, stating you need to know the answers because of the risks involved with the work:

• Would I be able to to contact a person you have recently worked for, so that I can check your tree work? It's a good idea to do an independent examination of any recent work.
• Can you give me a quotation in writing? Verbal quotes alone are not satisfactory. Always get a written quote.
• Do you have documentary proof of your qualifications, professional membership and a NPTC certificate for chainsaw use? It's required by law that any tree worker using a chainsaw must hold a NPTC/LANTRA certificate. City and Guilds Certificates and Diplomas in Arboriculture are qualifications that may be held by a certified tree surgeon in Neath.
• Precisely what level of insurance cover do you have? Your tree surgeon should be able to show you an insurance certificate covering no less than £5 Million public liability, as stipulated by the ISA and AA.

On the written quote that you receive, you will need there to be easy to follow details of all the tree work that's to be undertaken. It should include information on any trees which might be protected in law, and the required steps to get permission to work on them, and also state who is responsible for the removal of waste, tree branches and stumps. You should also make certain VAT is included on the quote. Realising that you have a responsibility for employing only capable people to work on your property and trees, is important. This is outlined by the "Common law duty of care responsibilities and sometimes liabilities under the Occupier's Liability Acts of 1957 and 1984."

PRIOR TO WORK BEGINNING - Your chosen Neath tree surgeon should enquire whether any of your trees are protected and make the appropriate steps to make sure that any tree work can be given the green light from the local authority. Discovering that a tree has protected status doesn't imply that work cannot be carried out, because even protected trees require maintenance in order to cut back old or damaged wood and ensure public safety.

A minimum of 6 weeks written notice must be given to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) prior to any work being undertaken, if your property in Neath is in a designated conservation area. However, tree stems of less than seventy five millimetres in diameter when measured at 1.5m above ground level are exempt from this requirement. If the pruning or thinning of a protected tree's branches are needed in order to sustain and promote growth, notice is also not necessary.

After doing a complete assessment of your trees health, your Neath tree surgeon will decide on the necessary remedial treatment and how best and safely to achieve the required outcome. Public spaces, your property and any section of a neighbour's property that could be affected by falling debris and branches will all be given a full risk assessment. At this point, the quantity of workers needed and the level of protection required will also be determined. This is both PPE (personal protective equipment) together with other safety precautions to keep property and the general public safe from harm or damage.

ON THE DAY OF WORK - Before any climbing, tree felling or cutting of branches is started, safety measures and barriers will be put in place to keep unauthorised persons and passers-by away from the area of work. It might at some point be necessary to halt the traffic temporarily, if there is a danger of debris falling onto the highway.

The tree surgeon will need different levels of protection according to the kind of work being carried out. When doing basic tree work with a chainsaw, to prevent cutting injuries to the torso, legs and hands, they will at a bare minimum be wearing protective clothing. Without exception, every worker involved in the operation should wear eye and head protection, and high visibility clothing.

Additional operatives will generally be required to help in the removal of high branches and sections of tree trunk, particularly if any working at height is involved, and where ladders and associated climbing equipment is being deployed. A skip or lorry for removing the waste will be stationed as close to the work area as possible, so it is a good idea to inform your neighbours of the need for easy access.

UPON COMPLETION OF WORK - The whole site can be cleared of any debris, and all of the waste materials can be hauled away, as soon as all of the tree work has been accomplished. A certificate of work done should then be created by your tree surgeon, especially when the trees are protected, which can be signed off and a copy handed to you. If any public areas required safety measures, this protection will be taken away and roads and pathways will be re-opened.

If you have any complaints about the work, you should get them put right straight away by firstly speaking to the tree surgeon. If any further arbitration is needed, and your tree surgeon is a registered member of a professional trade association, you can get help and advice from the AA or the ISA in order to come to a satisfactory conclusion.

Locally based Neath tree surgeons will likely have the postcode SA10 and the telephone dialling code 01639. They'll operate in Neath itself, as well as nearby areas such as Bryn, Glais, Cimla, Clydach, Cilfrew, Winch Wen, Skewen, Resolven, Swansea, Cadoxton, Llansamlet, Jersey Marine, Briton Ferry, Cwmafan, Bryncoch, Crynant, Tonna, Baglan, Llandarcy, Ponthydyfen, Tonmawr, Birchgrove, and these postcodes: SA10 7JE, SA10 6BL, SA10 7DZ, SA10 7NT, SA10 7BA, SA10 7FP, SA10 7ED, SA10 6NY, SA10 7HU, SA10 6NN.

For this kind of assistance it's definitely far better to hire an accredited local tree surgeon. Neath homeowners can benefit greatly from the skills and knowhow offered by a trained professional.

Accidents Through Tree Surgery

As has been previously mentioned in this article, the work that is done by tree surgeons in Neath can be very dangerous. All possible safety measures must be implemented when working on trees, because tree work involves a considerable risk of injury to both operatives, co-workers and passers-by.

As reported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a large majority of fatal and serious injuries are associated with the use of chainsaws, falls from trees, and being hit by a falling branch or tree. In actual fact, those involved in tree care have a higher chance of injuring themselves seriously than those in the construction sector.

The most commonplace tree work accidents in terms of insurance claims, involve falling from ladders, being struck by objects (ropes, grapple hooks, cranes, branches, trees etc) and lifting injuries.

When work needs doing on your trees, all this highlights the need for choosing an experienced Neath tree surgeon. Inexperienced workers trying to carry out tasks that they have not been trained to do, accounts for the majority of accidents in the tree care sector. Using a reputable and established company that's been working in the Neath area for a good few years, is the best way to sidestep such problems, and get your tree care work done safely.

Air-Spading Neath

There are various issues that could make the health of your trees a concern, but problems with the root system are frequently the cause. Easy accessibility to your tree's roots is essential for an experienced Neath tree surgeon to check for soil compaction, root rot and other potential issues.

During the past this was fairly tricky, due to the possibility of root damage in the process of digging down. A technique called "air spading" is used by some contemporary tree surgeons in Neath, and this allows compressed soil to be broken up and stripped away by using compressed air, which avoids causing any harm to the tree's root system.

When the soil around the base of a tree becomes compacted by passing vehicles, building work or foot traffic, the general health of the tree can be negatively impacted. A tree can become "stressed" because of a lack of water and nutrients, which renders it more prone to attack by disease, insects and pests. Also useful for correcting root flare issues, air-spading can be employed to clear away the soil from the base of a tree which has become covered in too much soil, heightening the likelihood of root rot.

This clever process involves the use of an air compressor and an air-spade tool which directs air into the soil at a speed of 1,200 mph, the air penetrates the spaces in the soil and immediately breaks it down, whilst leaving tree roots and utility lines untouched. As the surrounding soil is forced away from the tree's roots by the powerful air flow, immediate inspection can take place. The previously compacted soil can then be replaced with a looser layer of chip mulch and fertiliser to encourage the tree to revive, and remedy any problems.

Hedge Trimming Neath

While focused primarily on specialist tree surgery work, Neath tree surgeons are quite often involved in the maintenance and routine trimming of hedges. With conifer hedges like Leylandii, this is particularly helpful, given that they can quickly get so tall that a homeowner or gardener will find them impossible to deal with using regular tools.

A hedge can pretty quickly become overgrown and out of control when it's uncared for and poorly maintained. If you allow a hedge to overrun large areas of your garden, it can be tough to fix down the road, therefore frequent cutting is advisable for both the aesthetic appeal and health of your hedge.

You can help your entire garden to look neat by tidily trimming your hedges. And if you're planning to sell your property in the future, neat hedges may even add some extra value.

Crown Thinning Neath

If you need to lower the wind resistance of the tree, to prevent the tree from being uprooted when it's windy, to alleviate the stress on larger branches caused by snow, wind, ice, or gravity, to lessen the overall weight of the crown or to let more light throughout, some of the smallest tertiary branches growing in the outer crown of a broad leafed tree are trimmed in a technique that's generally known as crown thinning. The overall shape and dimensions of your tree are not altered by this, and the likelihood is that it will need to be carried out on a fairly regular basis, as shoots continue to sprout. Crown thinning shouldn't alter the all round structure and size of the tree, but needs to produce a uniform foliage thickness around evenly distributed branches. It should be possible to find crown thinning specialists in Bryn, Glais, Cimla, Clydach, Cilfrew, Winch Wen, Skewen, Resolven, Swansea, Cadoxton, Llansamlet, Jersey Marine, Briton Ferry, Cwmafan, Bryncoch, Crynant, Tonna, Baglan, Llandarcy, Ponthydyfen, Tonmawr, Birchgrove, and the Neath area. (Tags: Tree Crown Thinning Neath, Crown Thin Neath, Crown Thinning Neath)

Dutch Elm Disease

Not quite the problem now that it once was, Dutch Elm Disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi) has killed tens of millons of precious elm trees right through the UK over the last 50 years or more. Caused by the Ophiostoma novo-ulmi fungus which is spread by the elm bark beetle (Scolytus), Dutch Elm Disease (DED) was imported into the UK inadvertently in the late Sixties from Canada.

After its arrival, it quickly spread through the nationwide movement of elm products like elm crates, mulching bark, saplings, and logs with the bark still attached. Believed to have originated in Asia (probably Japan), DED did not just affect trees in the British Isles, but also decimated elm stocks in continental Europe, North America and New Zealand.

Normally first appearing in early summer, the main symptoms of DED disease are:

• Twigs with dark streaks beneath the bark.
• Clusters of leaves turning yellow, wilting and falling.
• Shoots that die back from the tip.
• Twigs turning into a "shepherd's crook".

The felling of dying, infected and dead trees, has effectively decimated the elm bark beetle's habitat, and in recent times the spread of DED has been substantially slowed. There's a continuing project for propagating young trees that are so far resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.

You can request a diagnosis from the THDAS (Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service), or you can contact your neighbourhood tree surgeon for advice and guidance, if you have elm trees on your property in Neath, and suspect they might be afflicted with Dutch Elm Disease.

Tree families affected: Ulmacae and Zelkova.

Vectors - small beetles of the Scolytus genus.

Cause - fungi Ophiostoma Novo-Ulmi & Ophiostoma Ulmi.

Ash Dieback

A harmful fungal disease that is expected to wipe out close to eighty percent of the current UK ash trees, in the next few years, ash dieback was first recorded in the United Kingdom in 2012, when a nursery brought in a significant number of trees from the Netherlands. Ash dieback is almost certain to have huge repercussions for our beloved countryside, piled onto the devastation resulting from the Dutch Elm Disease outbreak.

Ash dieback has a particularly disastrous effect on the native British common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), although it actually affects all trees of the Fraxinus genus, which have different degrees of tolerance. The fungus which causes the disease is called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (H. fraxineus), and it originally came from Asia.

Readily spread by minute spores produced by the fruiting bodies of the fungus, and can be blown for miles on the wind, ash dieback has become established in most regions of Britain with mortality rates of up to eighty five percent.

The obvious signs of ash dieback are:

• Wilting leaves that turn black and drop early.
• Dying shoots and leaves that are visible during the summertime.
• Dark patches on leaves during mid to late summer.
• Dark brown lesions (often diamond shaped) form where branches meet with the trunk, and the inner bark under the lesions looks brownish grey.
• New epicormic growth appearing from buds that were previously dormant.

Sometimes ash trees are seen to fight off early infections, but as the disease returns year after year, they ultimately succumb. There's currently no cure for ash dieback, and no obvious method for stopping it spreading.

If you suspect you have identified a case of ash dieback in your garden in Neath, or somewhere else in the neighbourhood, you could report it to the "Tree Alert Service" provided by the Forestry Commission, although chalara ash dieback is so commonplace throughout the United Kingdom that they're really only interested to know about cases discovered in locations not affected previously. You should however contact a local tree surgeon, who will offer guidance and advice on how best to proceed.

Trees of the genus Fraxinus are affected by ash dieback.

Tree Surgery - Health and Safety

The safety issue is one of the major concerns when you're having tree surgery done, because if carried out incorrectly it can certainly be a very dangerous enterprise. If the so called tradesmen carrying out the work are inexperienced or untrained, there are a great many things that may lead to disaster such as an absence of head protection, not using hearing or eyesight protection, little fall protection, in the shape of ropes, platforms and harnesses, failing to put on cut resistant (chainsaw resistant) clothing (in particular trousers and boots), falling timber and branches and not roping off the area to safeguard vehicles and passers-by. What can be at risk because of this sort of incompetence are garden outbuildings and fencing, the tree surgeon himself (up the tree), facilities on the street, stationary and passing vehicles, the property or home, the groundsperson, the property owners family, passers by, the actual tree itself.

Tree Surgery Tasks Neath

Neath tree surgeons can usually help you with tree bracing, hedge trimming, decompaction, woodland clearances, cable bracing, damage restoration, pest management, tree staking, hedge laying, brush cutting services, hedge reduction, woodland management, crown removal, tree removal in Neath, tree lopping, tree dismantling Neath, hazard assessments, waste removal, tree management Neath, root pruning Neath, crown raising Neath, stump treatment, tree pollarding in Neath, crown lifting, forestry management in Neath, tree planning in Neath, commercial tree surgery in Neath, tree transplanting, retrenchment pruning, formative pruning Neath and other tree surgeon services in Neath, Wales. Listed are just some of the duties that are performed by a local tree surgeon. Neath professionals will let you know their entire range of services.

Tree Surgeons Nearby

Also find: Baglan tree surgeon, Jersey Marine tree surgeon, Briton Ferry tree surgeon, Bryn tree surgeon, Ponthydyfen tree surgeon, Cwmafan tree surgeon, Glais tree surgeon, Cilfrew tree surgeon, Resolven tree surgeon, Birchgrove tree surgeon, Cadoxton tree surgeon, Cimla tree surgeon, Clydach tree surgeon, Llandarcy tree surgeon, Llansamlet tree surgeon, Tonmawr tree surgeon, Bryncoch tree surgeon, Tonna tree surgeon, Winch Wen tree surgeon, Crynant tree surgeon, Skewen tree surgeon and more. Almost all of these places are served by local tree surgeons. Homeowners in these areas can obtain tree surgery quotations by going here.

Tree Care Services Neath

Find a Tree Surgeon in Neath Here

• Neath Tree Cutting
• Neath Root Grinding
• Neath Site Clearance
• Neath Arboriculture
• Neath Tree Dismantling
• Neath Woodland Management
• Neath Crown Thinning
• Neath Stump Treatment
• Neath Eco-Plugging
• Neath Tree Transplanting
• Neath Hedge Reduction
• Neath Crown Cleaning
• Neath Tree Felling
• Neath Woodchipping

To find out local Neath information click here

Tree Surgeon Jobs Neath: Find Neath tree surgeon jobs here: Neath Tree Surgeon Jobs

Tree Surgery SA10 area, and dialling code 01639.

Tree Care Neath - SA10 - Vegetation Control Wales - Tree Pruning Neath - Tree Surgeon Neath - Tree Surgeons Neath - Crown Thinning Neath - Tree Management Neath - Forest Management Neath