Pandemic Precautions To Better Protect Our Customers

Our Priority Is To Protect Our Customers and Our Workers

At Beaver County Tree Service, the safety of our employees and all those who come into contact with them is of paramount importance to our everyday work. Our anti-pandemic precautions include several tangible amendments to our safety practices as detailed below. These changes will also place us in good stead for any future health epidemics.

How We Have Changed our Operations

We have heavily modified our way of working in strict compliance accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Specifically, our new safety practices include:

• Customer option of “Zero Contact” tree service estimates via photos or video chat (e.g. FaceTime)
• Social distancing
• All workers will wear masks and gloves
• Payments for completed work can be made virtually online/remotely or through mail
• Cleaning and sterilizing equipment
  

Our Focus on Safety Benefits Customers in 5 Ways:

1. Faster, more professional work
2. Much-reduced risk of damage to their property
3. Much-reduced risk of transmission of infectious diseases and viruses
4. Full insurance coverage (general liability and workers compensation) in case of mishaps
5. Much-reduced spread of tree diseases through improved equipment sanitation procedures
   

We Remain Vigilant to Protect Customers and our Workers

Despite the lifting of mask mandates in Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2022, we shall continue to be vigilant.

For example, we intend to keep the above 5 new measures up-to-date by closely monitoring:

• Local public health advice
• Directives from Pennsylvania State Government
• Advice from Tree Industry Bodies
• Working practices advocated by the CDC

In this way, we are better able to protect our local communities residing within Beaver County, Pennsylvania and further afield.

Temporary State Governor’s Orders

Periodically, there may be various orders issued by the Governor of our state which declare that those providing ‘Essential Services’ may be permitted to continue to serve the public. In accordance with such State Government directives, we are only able to provide those services which are essential to keep people and property safe. Whenever these orders are active, we are only able to provide emergency services such as:

– removal of hazardous trees
– removal of hazardous tree branches
– treatment or removal of invasive species of tree pests
– emergency tree service
– emergency tree removal service

On 23rd March 2020, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) issued a joint statement on a recommended list of Essential and Non-Essential Services for our industry.

Tree services we can provide during an emergency:

The full list of 11 tree services classed as ‘Essential’ is shared below word-for-word from the joint statement:

• Hazard Tree Removal or Removal of a Dangerous Tree
• Pruning of dead, dying or dangerous limbs
• Treatment For Invasive Insects which if left untreated would rapidly destroy a tree causing a hazard
• Utility Line Clearance
• Road Safety Clearance
• Cabling or Bracing a hazardous tree
• Mitigating Storm Damage
• Emergency Response Readiness
• Treatment for Ticks and Mosquitos or other public health treatments
• Removal of Fire-Damaged or Fuel Trees in a Fire Hazard Area
• Assessment of Hazard Trees or Pest Issues For The Purpose of Removal or Treatment as described above
  

Tree services we cannot perform during an emergency:

Furthermore, the TCIA and ISA have clarified those tree services which are regarded as Non-Essential:

• Routine tree trimming/ pruning
• Shrub trimming or pruning
• Routine tree removal when no abnormal safety issues exist
• Vista pruning
• Tree or Shrub Planting
• Installation of Irrigation
• Tree Fertilization
• Pest management that does not involve invasive pests, borers, or disease that can rapidly destroy trees
  
  

Professional Tree Service Operators Play A Vital Role

Only experienced tree experts e.g. certified arborists can identify the extent of the required tree hazard, any hazards, how much tree to remove, whether the remaining tree structure is safe and whether any infestation is from an invasive tree pest.