Following the recent death of Tree Surgeons Alexander Kirkleatham and more recently Greg Bulbec who is an ex colleague of mine , it's clear that changes have to be made to the industry to prevent further avoidable deaths. In order to become a Tree Surgeon it is a requirement to complete an aerial rescue course. However it is currently not a requirement for every arborist to learn first aid. It is my opinion that the current requirements for becoming a qualified tree surgeon are wholly inadequate from a health and safety perspective for one of the most dangerous jobs. I therefore propose that arboriculture specific first aid training is integrated into the NPTC aerial rescue course, with the possible inclusion of compulsory refresher courses. This way tree surgeons would be trained to treat the injured patient during and after the rescue, and refresher courses would ensure that the knowledge is always fresh in the mind and the latest techniques are learnt and rehearsed. It may also be sensible to include in the training the use of a secondary rescue line to be installed in the tree, which would speed up the rescue and increase the chance of success.

This petition will be aimed at the Health and Safety Executive and the City and Guilds training body. If you are an arborist, a medical professional or part of any other relevant industry please include details in the comments box when signing.

The aim of this petition is to gain support from industry professionals and other concerned parties to highlight the obvious need for changes to be made. It is my intention to present a proposal to the the HSE, training bodies and other relevant organisations to implement the necessary improvements to the training standards and health and safety legislation. This petition will form an important element of that proposal.