Tree Trimmers & Pruners
Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.
Technology Tools
Key Tasks
- Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
- Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
- Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
- Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
- Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
- Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.
- Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.
- Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.
- Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.
- Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.
- Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
- Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
- Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.
- Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.
- Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.
- Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes, or other tools.
- Remove broken limbs from wires, using hooked extension poles.
- Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees.
- Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support.
- Scrape decayed matter from cavities in trees and fill holes with cement to promote healing and to prevent further deterioration.
- Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment.
- Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces or seal surfaces and to protect them from fungi and insects.
- Transplant and remove trees and shrubs, and prepare trees for moving.
- Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
100%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
98%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
93%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
92%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
87%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
85%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
85%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
84%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
83%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
81%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
81%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
81%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
80%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
80%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
74%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
74%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
73%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
71%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
71%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
70%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
69%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
68%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
68%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
64%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
64%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
63%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
63%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
61%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
60%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
60%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
59%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
51%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
51%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
51%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
49%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
48%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
48%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
44%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
42%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
40%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
38%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
38%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
37%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
35%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
29%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
26%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
26%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
23%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
21%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
21%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
18%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
14%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
12%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
11%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
2%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
2%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
1%
Education
Less than high school diploma
High school diploma or equivalent
Some college, no degree
Interests
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Work Styles
Work Values
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