PPE Q&A with Arbortec

by | Mar 23, 2026 | Safety | 0 comments

PPE Q&A with Arbortec

Written by Eric Petersen, CIC & Hannah Maidstone

When it comes to running a successful tree care business, few things are more critical and unfortunately, more often overlooked, than proper PPE. In this Q&A, I sat down with Hannah Maidstone of Arbortec to dig into the real risks arborists face every day and the role protective equipment plays in preventing serious injuries. Hannah brings a practical, field-informed perspective to some of the most important questions tree care owners should be asking; from compliance and comfort to culture and accountability. If you’re responsible for a crew, this is a conversation you can’t afford to ignore.

1. What are the top PPE gaps that cause the most injuries in tree care?

The biggest gaps are usually inconsistent use, worn-out equipment, and the wrong PPE for the task. We often see climbers using damaged helmets, chainsaw operators working without proper leg protection, or crews skipping eye/ear protection during quick jobs. Another gap is heat and comfort. If PPE is too heavy or restrictive, people are less likely to wear it consistently.

     2. What’s the real difference between chainsaw chaps and chainsaw pants?

    Both are designed to stop a moving chainsaw chain by clogging the sprocket with protective fibers, but they’re built differently. Chaps are worn over regular work pants and protect the front of the legs, while chainsaw pants are integrated trousers with built-in protection that typically wrap further around the leg. Chainsaw pants usually provide better coverage, mobility, and comfort for climbers and full-day saw use, while chaps are often used for occasional ground saw work.

     3. How would you recommend building a PPE culture within a tree care crew?

    PPE culture starts with leadership and consistency. If supervisors and experienced climbers wear the right gear every time, the rest of the crew follows. It also helps to provide comfortable, well-fitting PPE and explain why it matters sharing real incident examples makes the risk more tangible. Finally, treat PPE as professional equipment, not just compliance gear.

     4. Do you have any statistics on the Return on Investment (ROI) of PPE?

    The ROI of PPE shows up in reduced injuries, fewer lost workdays, and lower insurance costs. Tree care is one of the higher-risk outdoor trades, so preventing even one serious chainsaw or head injury can save tens of thousands in medical costs, downtime, and liability. In many cases, a full set of quality PPE costs less than a single minor injury claim.

     5. How should a tree care company build a PPE program to inspect, maintain, and retire PPE the right way?

    Start with three simple steps: assign responsibility, inspect regularly, and track lifespan.

    1. Assign a PPE lead (crew leader or safety manager) responsible for oversight.
    2. Daily visual checks by users and scheduled formal inspections monthly or quarterly.
    3. Follow manufacturer guidelines for cleaning and retirement helmets, for example, often have recommended service lives even if they appear undamaged.
    4. Keeping a simple log for inspections and replacements helps crews stay proactive rather than replacing PPE only after something fails.

     

    A big thank you to Hannah Maidstone for sharing her expertise and helping shed light on such a critical aspect of tree care safety. Her insights reinforce just how important it is for owners to be intentional about PPE, not just in policy, but in everyday practice. Please respond to this email if you’d like to connect with Hannah. 

    And if you are struggling with implementing proper PPE usage within your company, please reach out to an ArboRisk team member today or sign up directly for our Thrive Risk Management Safety Package.

    How Tree Care Companies Can Win Big With Marketing in 2026

    by | Jan 20, 2026 | Marketing | 0 comments

    How Tree Care Companies Can Win Big With Marketing in 2026

    Written by Katie Petersen

    The marketing landscape is evolving faster than ever and 2026 is shaping up to be a year where authenticity, technology, and strategic personalization can make or break brand visibility. For tree care companies, this isn’t just about posting more content – it’s about smarter marketing that builds trust, generates leads, and directly supports your bottom line (including how clients see your brand when it comes time to work with you.)

    Here are the top 4 marketing trends for 2026 and how tree care companies can leverage them effectively:

    1. AI-Enhanced Content & Customer Experience

    Trend Overview: Artificial Intelligence isn’t just a buzzword anymore, it’s a core marketing tool. From generating written content to powering customer service bots, AI is helping companies scale their reach without scaling headcount.

    📌 How Tree Care Companies Can Use It:

    • AI-Generated Local SEO Content: Use AI tools to create blogs about local issues like storm preparedness, tree health tips by season, or tree care safety guides. This improves search visibility and positions you as an authority.

    • Chatbots for Your Website: Implement AI chat support to answer common questions (service areas, quotes, scheduling), capture leads 24/7, and reduce response time.

    • Personalized Email Outreach: Use AI to tailor email recommendations based on customer behavior (e.g., follow-ups after estimate requests or reminders for seasonal pruning).

    Result: More visibility, higher engagement, and a perception of professionalism and responsiveness – all of which make your business stand out to prospects and insurance partners assessing your risk profile.

    2. Video-First Storytelling (Short-Form Dominance)

    Trend Overview: In 2026, short-form video (Reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts) isn’t optional, it’s expected. Audiences want quick, visually engaging content that educates, entertains, or solves a problem.

    📌 How Tree Care Companies Can Use It:

    • Safety Tips with Visual Demonstrations: Short clips showing proper PPE usage, safe climbing tips, or hazard zone setups make your expertise instantly digestible and highly shareable.

    • Before & After Clips: Tree removal, trimming, storm cleanup – these visuals show impact in seconds and help build trust in your workmanship.

    • “Day in the Life” Content: Show real work environments (with safety practices), crew culture, and client interactions. This builds authenticity.

    • Client Testimonials in Real Time: Ask satisfied clients to record 10–15 second comments that you can reuse across platforms.

    Result: More organic engagement, stronger brand recall, and enhanced social proof which are crucial for converting prospects and reinforcing insurer confidence in your business practices.

    3. Hyper-Localized Marketing & Community Engagement

    Trend Overview: Consumers increasingly choose businesses that feel local, relatable, and community-first. Geographic relevance isn’t just about service area, it’s about being part of the local story.

    📌 How Tree Care Companies Can Use It:

    • Geo-Targeted Ads: Run ads targeted to specific ZIP codes or neighborhoods for services like storm cleanup, tree trimming, or risk assessments – especially after weather events.

    • Local Content Calendars: Publish seasonal guides tied to local weather, municipal events, or established cultural moments (e.g., spring planting tips, fall storm prep).

    • Community Sponsorship & Collaboration: Sponsor local youth leagues, environmental cleanup days, arboretum events, or safety workshops (virtual/in-person).

    • Google Business Profile Optimization: Regularly update photos, posts, and reviews – Google’s algorithm favors active profiles with local signals.

    Result: Strong community presence, more inbound inquiries, improved search rankings, and enhanced trust, which also signals to insurers that you are a known, reputable operator in your service areas.

    4. Social Responsibility & Sustainability Storytelling

    Trend Overview: In 2026, eco-conscious buyers and B2B partners expect companies to communicate their sustainability values and responsible practices not as an add-on, but as a foundational story.

    📌 How Tree Care Companies Can Use It:

    • Document Your Green Practices: Showcase how you recycle green waste, protect biodiversity, use eco-friendly equipment, or practice sustainable tree pruning techniques.

    • Educational Campaigns: Videos or posts explaining why preserving certain trees matters, when to choose preservation over removal, and how your practices benefit neighborhoods long-term.

    • Partnerships with Environmental Groups: Partner with arboretums, preserve initiatives, or local nonprofits and co-create content that highlights community impact.

    Result: Stronger brand loyalty, differentiation from competitors, and trust signals that matter — especially to environmentally conscious clients and insurers who value companies with good stewardship.

     

    The best marketing in 2026 isn’t louder – it’s smarter, more relevant, and more human. Tree care companies that lean into AI efficiency, short-form storytelling, community focus, and sustainability narratives will not only attract more clients, they’ll build a brand reputation that translates into better client retention and better perceptions from insurance providers.

    Want more? Contact ArboRisk today to learn more about our Thrive Sales and Marketing Package and take your marketing to new heights in 2026!

    Skills-First Hiring: The New Edge for Tree Care Companies

    by | Jan 5, 2026 | Business Strategy | 0 comments

    Skills-First Hiring: The New Edge for Tree Care Companies

    Written by Eric Petersen, CIC

    As you know, tree care companies face a tough reality with high turnover rates, especially with skilled climbers and ground workers. Finding reliable team members who can climb, handle chainsaws, and spot hazards keeps owners up at night. Enter skills-first hiring. This trend shifts focus from resumes and years on the job to proven abilities. It’s gaining traction in tree care because it builds safer, more efficient teams faster.

    Why Skills-First Fits Tree Care Perfectly?

    Traditional hiring leans on experience. But experience alone misses the mark. A climber with 10 years might lack current safety skills or struggle with new techniques like SRT climbing. Skills-first flips this. Test what matters: knot tying, chainsaw handling, aerial rescue, tree identification, etc. Physical challenges, from backing trailers to ergonomic lifts show actual capability of the candidate. No more guessing if they can handle the daily grind.

    The skills-first approach also shines in structured growth of your company. Mapping clear paths from ground worker to crew leader or consulting arborist with the physical skills required helps your current team and new potential new hires envision what they can achieve with your company. 

    When looking to start up skills tests within your hiring process, begin by assessing your most recent new hires. Ask yourself, what skills would have been nice to know before hiring your newbies or what skills do you always have to train newbies at?

    There are many different types of skills tests that you can utilize within your company. For some examples, check out this article that I wrote on the different types. 

    It’s important to remember that skills tests are just a tool to help you assess the potential ability of an individual and should not be the only thing you use when determining who to hire. Knowing where an individual is starting from skill-wise, will help you better develop their talent and assign the right jobs to that person from the beginning. 

    For help installing a skills-first hiring methodology in your tree service, reach out to an ArboRisk team member or register to start our Hiring & Recruiting Thrive Package today.

    Why Every Tree Care Company Needs an Umbrella Policy

    by | Dec 1, 2025 | Risk Management | 0 comments

    Why Every Tree Care Company Needs an Umbrella Policy

    Written by Eric Petersen, CIC

    At ArboRisk, we often say that running a tree care company means managing risk in three directions at once: up, down, and sideways. You protect your people, your clients, and your business from hazards that show up both on the jobsite and long after the work is done.

    One of the most important, and most overlooked, tools for protecting the future of your company is an umbrella or excess liability policy. If you’ve ever wondered whether your business really needs one, the short answer is simple:

    Yes. You do. Absolutely.

    Here’s why.

    Tree Work Has a High “Worst-Case Scenario” Potential

    You already know tree care isn’t a low-risk industry. Your crews operate heavy machinery, climb high into the canopy, work near homes and power lines, and deal with unpredictable natural forces. The unfortunate truth is that even well-run companies can face incidents with massive financial consequences.

    A serious injury, a dropped limb on a house, a multi-car accident involving your chip truck, or a single chainsaw injury can trigger claims well above the limits of your general liability, auto liability, or workers’ comp policies.

    Umbrella policies are what catch you when the unexpected free-fall happens.

    Your Primary Policies Only Take You So Far

    Most tree care companies carry the standard limits:

    • $1 million General Liability

    • $1 million Auto Liability

    • $1 million Employer’s Liability

    When things go wrong, these limits can evaporate instantly. Lawsuits today escalate quickly, medical costs continue to climb, and juries are increasingly sympathetic to large settlements.

    Umbrella policies step in after your primary policy limits are exhausted, giving you an extra $1 million, $2 million, $5 million, or more in protection.

    Without it, the gap becomes your responsibility.

    A Single Claim Can Threaten the Entire Business

    Many owners assume catastrophic claims happen to “other companies.” But year after year, we see tree services, good companies, well-run crews, hit with:

    • Seven-figure property damage losses

    • Auto accidents involving multiple injured parties

    • Severe bodily injury claims

    • Lawsuits that drag on for years

    Without umbrella coverage, these situations can:

    • Wipe out cash reserves

    • Force owners to sell equipment

    • Damage reputation and client trust

    • Put long-term contracts at risk

    • Shut down the business entirely

    Your company has worked hard to build a strong foundation. Umbrella coverage exists to keep it standing no matter what comes your way.

    It’s the Most Cost-Effective Liability Protection You Can Buy

    One of the biggest misconceptions about umbrella policies is that they’re expensive. The reality is the opposite.

    Umbrella coverage is usually the most affordable insurance dollar you’ll ever spend.

    Compared to the protection it provides, annual costs are shockingly low, especially “per million” of additional coverage.

    Think of umbrella insurance as the seatbelt-and-airbag combination for your business:
     You hope you never need it, but if you do, it’s the only thing that prevents disaster.

    Clients, Municipalities, and Vendors Are Increasingly Requiring It

    If you do commercial, municipal, or utility work, you’ve probably noticed a shift: more contract managers are requiring higher liability limits than ever before.

    An umbrella policy:

    • Meets contract requirements

    • Keeps you competitive on bids

    • Signals professionalism and reliability

    • Shows that you take risk seriously

    Companies without an umbrella policy are getting left out of bigger opportunities.

    Umbrella Coverage Protects the Business You’re Working Hard to Build

    You invest in training, gear, equipment, safety culture, and your people—because they matter. Umbrella coverage is simply an extension of that philosophy.

    It protects:

    • Your employees

    • Your customers

    • Your assets

    • Your reputation

    • Your future

    At ArboRisk, we view umbrella insurance as foundational, not optional. It’s one of the strongest tools you have for taking control of your risk and securing long-term stability for your company.

    Final Thought: Control the Controllable

    You can’t control the weather. You can’t control tree biology. You can’t control every driver on the road. But you can control how well your business is protected when the unexpected happens. An umbrella policy gives you the peace of mind that one bad day won’t define your company’s future. It keeps your focus where it should be: building a safer, stronger, more profitable tree service.

    If you have any questions about umbrella coverage, reach out to an ArboRisk team member today for a FREE Insurance Coverage Review.

    Preventing Fire and Theft Losses in Tree Care

    by | Dec 1, 2025 | Risk Management | 0 comments

    Preventing Fire and Theft Losses in Tree Care

    Written by Eric Petersen, CIC

    At ArboRisk, we talk a lot about controlling your risk. In tree care, there are plenty of things outside your control, like weather, customer expectations, and daily surprises on the jobsite. But when it comes to preventing equipment fires and theft losses, you do have the power to dramatically reduce your risk.

    Well-maintained, secure equipment doesn’t just prevent costly insurance claims. It keeps your crews safe, minimizes downtime, and strengthens your reputation for professionalism. Below are the core practices we encourage every tree care company to build into their routine.

    1. Clean and Inspect Equipment Regularly

    A clean machine is a safe machine. Sawdust, chips, grease, and fuel residue build up fast, and all of it becomes fuel when heat or sparks enter the equation. Regular cleaning also exposes developing issues before they turn into failures.

    ArboRisk Tip: Build equipment cleaning into your daily shutdown routine. A few minutes spent blowing out a chipper or wiping down a saw can prevent hours of downtime or worse; a total fire loss.

    Key actions:

    • Clean saws, chippers, and grinders after every shift

    • Remove debris from engine compartments

    • Conduct quick visual inspections daily, with documented inspections weekly

    • Train crew leaders on what “not quite right” looks like

    2. Replace Worn or Damaged Components Promptly

    “Run it until it breaks” is not a profitable strategy. Worn parts create heat, cause breakdowns, and can spark fires; especially in high-load, high-friction operations like chipping and griding.

    ArboRisk Tip: Empower your team to tag equipment out of service when they find damage. A culture where people feel safe speaking up leads to fewer losses.

    Replace immediately if you see:

    • Frayed or cracked hoses

    • Leaking fuel or hydraulic systems

    • Worn bearings or belts

    • Exposed or damaged wiring

    • Loose, missing, or damaged fasteners

    3. Follow Manufacturer Lubrication Recommendations

    Lubrication isn’t a suggestion; it’s a risk-control tool. Proper lubrication reduces friction, prevents overheating, and extends the lifespan of your equipment.

    ArboRisk Tip: Create lubrication schedules for each machine and post them where crews store the equipment. Consistency wins.

    Best practices:

    • Use the exact lubricants specified by the manufacturer

    • Maintain a lubrication log

    • Train crews on proper lubrication points and intervals

    • Tag machines when lubrication is overdue

    4. Keep Fire Extinguishers Accessible and Maintained

    Even with strong prevention practices, things happen. A functioning fire extinguisher can turn a potential claim into only a minor incident if your crews can access it quickly and know how to use it.

    ArboRisk Tip: Perform a quick “extinguisher check” every Monday morning. Make it a habit, and you’ll never have an empty or expired unit when it matters.

    Ensure that:

    • Every truck and major piece of equipment has a properly rated extinguisher

    • Extinguishers are inspected monthly and serviced annually

    • Crews practice using expired extinguishers so they’re comfortable under pressure

    5. Store Tools and Equipment Securely

    Theft is one of the fastest growing sources of equipment losses in tree care, often happening at night or when tools are left on an unsecured jobsite.

    ArboRisk Tip: Assume that if it’s not locked, it’s not safe. Thieves look for easy opportunities, so don’t give them one.

    Reduce theft risk by:

    • Locking trailers, job boxes, and equipment whenever not in use

    • Securing your yard with good lighting, cameras, and fencing

    • Parking high-value equipment inside or behind locked gates

    • Storing all keys in a secure, centralized location

    • Avoiding leaving equipment onsite overnight

    Every dollar you invest in equipment maintenance and security pays you back in fewer breakdowns, fewer claims, and fewer scheduling disruptions. More importantly, it helps support the safety culture that you’re already trying to improve upon. 

    For more help with equipment safety ideas, reach out to an ArboRisk team member today or sign up for our Thrive Safety Risk Management Package today.