31st January 2012

ICF South Scotland Regional Group Evening Meeting                         14th March 2012

 Dear Colleague

 ICF South Scotland Regional Group – Tree Safety & Duty of Care –  7:15pm to 8:45pm. 

 ICF members are invited to attend a Joint meeting with the Arboricultural Association Scottish Branch to a presentation and discussion regarding tree . . . → Continue reading: ICF/AA NTSG seminar 14th March 2012

An opportunity to “get a foot in the door” with the Royal Botanic Gardens is available. Their flyer reads:

Temporary Horticulturist (Dawyck)

Salary £15,680, pro-rata

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is looking to recruit a full time Temporary Horticulturist for a period of 3 months to be based at Dawyck Botanic Garden. . . . → Continue reading: Botanic Gardens job available Feb 2012

No-one was hurt, but the road was closed for a day and the bridge damaged. So unlikely to make it onto the data used by NTSG.

The National Tree Safety Group (NTSG), as I am sure you are aware, are a self appointed group that  have produced, arguably, the most important guidance to . . . → Continue reading: National Tree Safety Group Guidance – a response

The National Tree Safety Group (NTSG) have made available three documents that provide safety guidance to tree owners, tree managers, advisers etc.

Durations of inspections, qualifications, legislation etc are covered. Important as these documents are, don’t expect definitive answers – guidance is just that, guidance!

The documents can downloaded from the NTSG web-site (see . . . → Continue reading: National Tree Safety Group publish new guidance

iTS Ltd are pleased to be able to provide scheduled dates for our arboricultural courses, during the first half of 2012 – unlike most of our competitors. To view our course dates just visit the “Training courses” pages. Or, download a PDF of our programme from the “Downloads” page.

The Expert Witness Institute is running a report writing seminar on Wednesday 9th November 2011 at The Western Club, 32 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AB From 5pm until 8.30pm. Contact EWI at www.ewi.org.uk

The Royal Forestry Society has just launched a new on-line tree “learning” resourse. To check it out, go to:

http://www.rfs.org.uk/learning

Regards, Chris Simpson.

Under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) certain accidents and near-accidents must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE have rolled out an on-line reporting system for all but the most severe accidents. HSE write…

“From 12 September 2011, statutory reporting to HSE of work-related injuries . . . → Continue reading: New RIDDOR accident reporting system

Cinder fungus is one of the more common (and serious) wood decay fungi that arborists come across. Ever since I have been involved in arboriculture its correct botanical name seems to have been disputed. Many refer to it as Ustulina deusta, others as Kretzschmaria deusta.  Some will tell you it was changed from . . . → Continue reading: Ustulina or Kretzschmaria deusta? An answer at last!

The Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) have released a review of Bat Crime from 2003 – 2010. The report makes for interesting reading and is relevant to arborists – 8% of of police reported incidents in 2010 related to arboriculture. Interestingly, while many tree surgeons may be worried about possible prosecution – perhaps they shouldn’t be. . . . → Continue reading: BCT Bat Crime review 2010