Tree Risk Assessment (Hazard Tree) Workshops with Ed Hayes, Safetrees, LLC

I provide expert training, presentations and workshops with hands on field exercises for Arborists and tree care companies.

My workshops include classroom presentations and hands-on outside field exercises. There are always ISA continuing education credits. These credits range from 6-7 per day.

There are options for one or two day workshops that can include a field day with full tree dissections if resources are available. Any workshop can be tailored to fit your needs. Call (507-282-5739) or Email (ehayes@safetrees.com) Ed to request training at your site.

The 2011 Hazard Tree Workshops were successful! Click Here for a report on the various workshops. The next Safe trees, LLC workshop is for the Nebraska Arborists Association, Feb 6-7,2012, in Lincoln, Nebraska. This workshop is sponsored by the Nebraska Arborists Association (NAA) as part of their annual Great Plains Tree Conference.

Available workshops:

1. Basic Tree Risk Assessment with field exercise (1 day).
2. Basic and advanced Tree Risk Assessment with field exercise (1 day).
3. Basic and advanced Tree Risk Assessment with a ½ day tree dissection workshop (1½ days).

Basic Tree Risk Assessment with field exercise (1 day).

Topics include:

Tree basics; introduction, inspections and rating methods, biology of tree risk assessment, compartmentalization, types of decay, resistance to decay, where to find the weakest wall, adaptive growth, species profiles, modes of failure, and diebacks and declines.

New proposed ANSI Level 1 and 2 Tree Risk Assessment.

Evaluating tree defects; including but not limited to; dead wood, branch attachments and co-dominant stems, wounds and cankers, cracks, ribs, and seams, abnormal growths, branch, stem, and root decay (How much sound wood is enough and where?), tree architecture including leans, crown ratios, stem/branch taper, and asymmetry, and root anchoring and wind-throw.

Structural assessment check lists and field forms

Easy to use methods for evaluating branch and stem decay, asymmetrical decays, and root decay and root loss assessment.

Treatment and prevention; crown reductions, cabling and bracing, propping, and useful cultural practices to prevent tree failures.

Field exercises are hands on. Evaluation of trees defects, decay detection; visual, sounding and probing, and decay evaluation; Resistance drilling, portable drill with brad point bits, resistograph, and increment borer.

See Sample Agenda

2. Basic and advanced Tree Risk Assessment with field exercise (1 day).

Classroom topics will include those from the basic session above and as time permits can include these topics:

Tree mechanics; adaptive growth, reaction wood, contract stress, bending moments (Mb), components of wind loading, live crown ratios (load centers!), taper (diameter/height ratios!), bearing capacity (second moments of area), material strength, and safety factor.

Risk analysis and reporting; what to include and interpretation of results, when to be less conservative and when remain conservative.

Strength loss formulas, origin and use verses, percent remaining walls, and easy to use methods for evaluating decay.

Wind load analysis, actual examples with and without crown reductions; regional Minnesota commercial work, then evaluations using Czech Republic methods (WLA).

3. Basic and advanced Tree Risk Assessment with a ½ day tree dissection workshop (1½ days).

Classroom topics will include those from the basic and advanced sessions above and two ½ or a full day in the field including tree dissections.

Tree Dissection Workshop: I would need a public or private facility where we could remove and dissect a few trees for demonstration purposes. I would need a bucket truck and crew for two days, the day before and the day of the exercise. The availability of an air excavation tool and compressor would be a plus.

Call (507-282-5739) or Email (ehayes@safetrees.com) Ed to request training at your site.