Arborists in Ontario, Canada

[outonalimbtrees]

Hey all,

I've been climbing for a few years, doing treework for a landscaping company, and then started my own treecare business a few months ago. I just had a few questions such as, is it necessary to be a certified arborist in Ontario to do this type of work? Although I'm working toward that goal, until I get there, how do I log my time in the tree to qualify for the exam? I have a good amount of experience climbing and cutting, but no certification in either areas. If an inspector was to walk onto my job site, will I get nailed for anything? Just putting feelers out to see what others are doing and want to make sure I'm not breaking any laws!:greenchainsaw:

 

[RedlineIt]

I'm not in Ontario anymore, but was for a decade. Huntsville is a nice town, some pretty good sportbike roads around there...

ISA creds looks good on your business card and to get certified you need to study some things you definitely ought to know to care for trees, but required by any regulatory agency in Ontatio, nope.

You DO need a business license, insurance and compo.

While in Ontario, I took an OHSA training course to become a Workplace Safety Inspector. The last thing an OHSA inspector will ask to see are ISA certs. He/she will want to see:

A properly functioning truck/chipper, lights, mirrors, safety-chains, trailer brakes, seat belts, tires, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, tied down loads and secured tools, documentation including pre-trip inspection (circle check) form. If you have any concerns in this regard you can call OHSA and they will do an inpection of your rig in your yard and write up discrepancies as a helpful courtesy, no fines, but they have the power to mandate corrections by a certain date, if the discrepancies are severe enough the date may be "Immediate".

PPE: Hardhats, hearing protection, safety glasses, chainsaw chaps or pants rated 3600 or better, CSA green patch boots.

If your rig is parked on the street: Wheels chocked, work zone coned off, and "Man with Heavy Umbrella" signs in both directions. If you block a travel lane, you'll need an approved traffic flagging team, they rent by the hour.

Power tools: All guards in place and safety features functioning. You can be incorrectly pruning large limbs with huge bark peel-outs, OHSA don't care, but that saw better have a working throttle lock-out, chain-brake and don't forget the chain catcher! On your chipper, any missing guard or nonfunctioning safety will get you written up, an intentionally defeated safety will get you shut down, tout bloody suite.

I can't talk about bucket truck inspections, that training is way beyond my level.

As far as counting hours toward your ISA cert, estimate your past hours as honestly as you can, and start a log today, keeping in mind that a risk assessment is passable time, pole pruning from the ground is passable time, timming a girdling root is passable time, planting a bonsai is passable time, you don't have to be up on spurs or ropes for your time to count.


RedlineIt

 

[outonalimbtrees]

redlineit

Thanks for the info! I don't have a truck yet, to be honest, I do all the climbing and subcontract my boss to clean up, all my climbing gear is stashed in my personal car. I DO have a business number, and a GST Number, and I have insurance. I just wasn't sure about the Certification, and thanks for putting my mind at rest on that. Hopefully in the next couple years I can write my exam!

out on a limb

 

[toscottm]

Out On A Limb: Certification

Out On a Limb,

While you do not 'need' certification, it can be quite beneficial. In Ontario, arborists are not regulated in any official manner (although there might be practical regulation such as not being considered by municipalities, etc.).

However, the knowledge and expertise of certification can be beneficial in other ways. Improving climbing skills, cutting techniques and all that which is part of 'good arboricultural practice' as well as learning about safety regulations, risk management, etc., will all be beneficial in helping you to run a safer, more efficient and thus likely to be a more profitable and secure business.

In the Huntsville area, you are just a 'hop, skip and jump' from Steve Mann in Bracebridge (Bartlett Tree). He is the current education chairman for the ISAO. Other good contacts doing work in your area that can emphasize the direct and indirect benefits of certification are Phil at Pavey Tree (Dwight) or Mark at The Tree Man (Gravenhurst).

Note also that the market you are working in may influence the importance of certification. If you are going to serve the lucrative 'cottage' market of doctors, lawyers and the like from Toronto, these 'educated' people believe in qualifications. They will want to deal with someone that provide expert consultations on tree issues.

Hope this is helpful. Let me know of any questions or concerns.

Scott