What is an Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor?
The Living Forest prides itself on being an Approved Contractor since 21st May 2019.
Licence No: AC2468
ARB Approved Contractor
What does it mean?
ARB Approved Contractor is the only comprehensive accreditation scheme for professional tree surgery businesses in the United Kingdom.
An ARB Approved Contractor (ArbAC) is a business that has been audited and assessed by the Arboricultural Association and has met and continues to uphold the Scheme Standards (including H&S compliance, operational competence, work standards and technical knowledge). The business owner is also required to abide by the Association’s Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct and to conduct its business in accordance with good customer care practices (signing up to a complaints procedure allowing the exceptional unhappy customer access to the Association to help resolve matters).
The Arboricultural Association ARB Approved Contractor scheme has been setting the standards for tree surgery work for more than 40 years. The arboriculture industry is not regulated by government but has a high accident potential and a responsibility to care for the UK’s rich tree heritage.
The Arboricultural Association’s assessment of Approved Contractors is not limited to their knowledge of trees and tree maintenance but also includes:
- Their understanding and practical application of current arboricultural practice.
- Their compliance with legislative requirements of arboricultural contracting.
- Their compliance with health and safety requirements of arboricultural contracting.
- Their high levels of service to clients through efficient business management.
A recognised benchmark
In 2012 the scheme attained ISO 9001 (UKAS) accreditation in recognition of its quality management systems and is also a registered member of SSIP (the Safety Schemes in Procurement forum – the umbrella organisation for recognised health and safety schemes in the UK). This brings further acceptance and credibility to the scheme and its members, who uphold the national standard for arboricultural contracting businesses.
Quality-assured tree care services from contractors assessed and approved by the nation’s largest representative arboricultural body bring security to tree owners and managers.
Tree owners can rely on ARB Approved Contractors for appropriate advice, service delivery and happy customers.