ANSI A300 part 9 2017 94.1

[colb]

"Obvious tree defects shall be considered at all levels of assessment."

Does this seem overly compulsive? If there is an obvious tree defect upon a lower level of assessment and I am compelled to then assess at a higher level, who picks up the tomography tab?

 

[JD3000]

Best to just have a beer and watch some MASH.

 

[DSMc]

The words "obvious" and "considered" are the keywords. No course of action is mentioned in that sentence.

 

[JD3000]

It is therefore a garbage sentence from their worst standard.

 

[ATH]

I think it is saying: "regardless of what level of assessment you are doing, you must give consideration to obvious defects". Which bottom line means if you miss it, you are a moron.

I don't think it saying: "if you see an obvious defect, you must elevate the assessment to the highest level". One quick reason why I'm pretty sure it doesn't say that: If you identify a tree with an imminent likelihood of failure that will strike and damage a valuable target on a Level 1 assessment, there is no reason to elevate that to a level 2 or 3. It is already flagged at a 1.

 

[Jemco]

Now I'm not up to snuff on TRAQ, or whether becoming Tree Risk Assessment Qualified entails actually climbing a tree to assess potential faults not readily apparent from the ground?

I can't count the number of times my whole game plan has changed once aloft.

Does a certification for risk assessment exist that demands climbing or inspecting the entire tree aerially?

Bring me up to snuff guys, please......

Jemco

 

[oldoakman]

I think it is saying: "regardless of what level of assessment you are doing, you must give consideration to obvious defects". Which bottom line means if you miss it, you are a moron.

I don't think it saying: "if you see an obvious defect, you must elevate the assessment to the highest level". One quick reason why I'm pretty sure it doesn't say that: If you identify a tree with an imminent likelihood of failure that will strike and damage a valuable target on a Level 1 assessment, there is no reason to elevate that to a level 2 or 3. It is already flagged at a 1.

Agreed. It also compels you to report that particular defect to the owner or responsible person immediately. The decision to pursue a higher level of assessment is theirs at that point

 

[colb]

Grammatically, is it supposed to read:

"At all levels of assessment, obvious tree defects shall be considered."

?

 

[colb]

Now I'm not up to snuff on TRAQ, or whether becoming Tree Risk Assessment Qualified entails actually climbing a tree to assess potential faults not readily apparent from the ground?

I can't count the number of times my whole game plan has changed once aloft.

Does a certification for risk assessment exist that demands climbing or inspecting the entire tree aerially?

Bring me up to snuff guys, please......

Jemco

I'm not aware of an intrinsic demand for climbing/bucketing. It fits into the level 3 as one of the level 3 tasks that one can do, as appropriate.

 

[Jemco]

Thanks Colb, I had a feeling that was the case.

Jemco

 

[ATH]

the actual TRAQ training and test is almost 100% Level 2 assessment. Done on the ground with relatively simple tools - sounding mallet, probe, binoculars. Once you get into aerial access (whether climbing or bucket), resistograph, sonic tomography, laboratory sampling of fungal fruiting bodies, etc.... you are into Level 3.

 

[CanadianStan]

the actual TRAQ training and test is almost 100% Level 2 assessment. Done on the ground with relatively simple tools - sounding mallet, probe, binoculars. Once you get into aerial access (whether climbing or bucket), resistograph, sonic tomography, laboratory sampling of fungal fruiting bodies, etc.... you are into Level 3.

I will add : you tailor your level 3 assessment based on the symptoms or “obvious defects” that are present in your Level 1/2 assessments

A suspect, hard to see crotch or inclusion would entail a climbing / aerial inspection

Stan