Essential Equipment for Tree Surgeons Everywhere - The DTE Academy

 
 

Whether you are completely new to the field of arboriculture or you have already qualified as a tree surgeon in the UK, there is a certain amount of equipment you will be expected to carry with you at all times. If you are not quite sure what type of equipment to invest in first, you can use our list of essential equipment for tree surgeons to get your collection off to a good start. You will almost certainly feel the need to add to this modest list as you gain more experience but it will more than suffice for a newly-qualified arborist.

Our List of Essential Equipment for Tree Surgeons

If you are preparing a shopping list of essential equipment that you will need to use on a daily basis, don’t forget to include all of the following:

  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – You will need a good-quality helmet, along with chainsaw trousers, gloves and boots, i.e. clothing that has been designed specifically to protect against chainsaw cuts. You will also need top-quality eye protection that complies with British Standard EN 166 or 1731. To work in many areas, you will need some high-visibility clothing too.

  • Cutting Equipment – A quality chainsaw, stump grinder, hand saws and axe should be at the top of your list of cutting equipment when you first start out. You may add to this in the near future, with pole saws, wood chippers and other pieces of equipment that make your working life a little easier.

  • Climbing Equipment – You will need a variety of climbing equipment, including ropes, harnesses, cable hoists, rigging karabiners, winches and swivels. You will also need a selection of ladders and perhaps a crane, depending on the type of work you decide to tackle in your first months and years as a qualified tree surgeon.

As you encounter different types of jobs in different types of environments, you will almost certainly want to add to this collection of essential equipment for tree surgeons, either for safety or convenience. This is quite natural and you may continue to add to your store of equipment throughout your career.

First Aid Kit

In addition to the above-mentioned items, any comprehensive list of essential equipment for tree surgeons simply must include a mention of first aid gear. Owing to its importance, we decided to do more than just mention it: we’ve devoted a whole section to the first aid equipment you need to be carrying whenever you are on duty as a tree surgeon:

  • Plasters – Tree surgeons spend much of their day climbing and attending to specimens with rough bark, sharp needles and other cut hazards. Because of this, plasters are an essential component of any decent first aid kit for arboriculturalists. We recommend carrying a wide range of sizes.

  • Bandages – Along with plasters, bandages are probably the most important components of a tree surgeon’s first aid kit. As with plasters, it is worth packing a variety of sizes when adding bandages to your first aid kit. You want to ensure you have the right tools for the job no matter what may occur.

  • Safety Pins – The primary reason for including safety pins in this list of first aid items and essential equipment for tree surgeons is because you will need them to affix any bandages that are used in the field.

  • Sterile Wipes and Dressings – Sterile wipes and dressings are important components of any type of first aid kit, especially those that are intended to be used in outdoor locations such as on-site with a tree surgeon. All wounds sustained in the field should be thoroughly cleaned before being dressed, to avoid the possibility of infection.

  • Sterile Eye Dressings – As well as plenty of sterile dressings for normal wounds, you should be sure to keep a good stock of sterile eye dressings with you when working as a tree surgeon.

In addition to carrying a well-stocked first aid kit with you at all times, you will, of course, need to know how to use all of the items in your kit. To satisfy this requirement, we recommend adding an accredited first aid course to the tree care courses that you take with us.

 
 
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