Commercial Arborist Training Program (CATP)


Our CATP program is designed to fit the needs of your staff and is completely customizable to fit the skill levels of your team.

We can instruct up to two topics per day. Our instructors have the experience and skill to train all topics, focused on safety, situational awareness, enhancing skill level and increasing your team’s efficiency.

An IAA Advanced Training logo

All courses follow current ANSI Z133 and ANSI A300 standards.

Training Topics Include: 

  • Aerial Lift Safety, Rescue & Operations
  • Chainsaw Basic Maintenance, Safe Operation, Cutting Techniques & Sharpening
  • Chipper Safety & Operation
  • Felling Safety & Techniques using the 6-Step Precision Felling Plan
  • Pruning Techniques
  • Rigging Principles & Fundamentals

This training is offered at your facility and will utilize your equipment so you have a complete understanding of the equipment that you are already using on a day-to-day basis. 
A certificate of completion if provided at the end of each training.

These are the topics currently available for the Commercial Arborist Training Program. 
If there is a topic addition that would be of value, please contact the Illinois Arborist Association for their review at: illinoisarborist.org or Toll Free 877.617.8887.


Below is a brief description of each training topic

(1) Aerial Lift Safety, Rescue & Operation and rescue goes over pre-trip inspection; flying the unit, to make sure it’s holding pressure, before leaving the yard; aerial lift positioning for the task at hand; leveling using the stabilizers; proper unfolding and folding procedures; using the platform controls to lower the booms; rescue techniques (bringing an injured or incapacitated operator down to a flat surface to begin 1st aid or CPR).

(2) Chainsaw Safety, Maintenance & Operations includes checking for loose and missing parts, making sure the built-in safety features are properly working, proper cleaning techniques including air filter, guide bar resurfacing, drive sprocket replacement, proper chain tension, proper starting techniques, proper grip, proper stance, different cutting techniques and chain sharpening.

(3) Chipper Safety & Operation goes over pre-trip inspection; proper attachment to the tow vehicle, making sure the safety chains are crossed; proper starting method, how soon to engage the drum/disc after starting; checking the built-in safety features (rubber kickback flap, forward/reverse bar, etc.); proper road cone and traffic sign placement using MUTCD Standards; proper chipper feeding methods; using a ‘push stick’ for shorter sticks/raking’s; proper shut down method.

(4) Felling Safety & Techniques using the 6-Step Precision Felling Plan includes using six (6) steps to safely notch and drop a tree from near ground level. Felling is the ‘single, most dangerous act’ performed by an arborist. More arborists are seriously injured or killed by notching and dropping a tree than any other single act. Using the six (6) steps, greatly reduces the chance of an incident occurring.

(5) Pruning Techniques uses the ANSI A300 Standard to perform proper pruning cuts. The various pruning techniques: deadwood pruning, elevation pruning, subordination pruning, crown reduction pruning are all demonstrated. Using the proper pruning tool for the task at hand is also demonstrated.

(6) Rigging Principles & Fundamentals shows how using arborist hardware (pulleys, bocks, ring products, rope friction devices, connecting links) and software (spliced eye slings, ring tools, rope tools) will make the tree dismantling process much Safer and more efficient. Using the trees structure to the riggers advantage is demonstrated by placing blocks/rings in the crown to put the limbs in compression.

This training is offered at your facility. . . . on a day-to-day basis.

NOTE: For the (1) Aerial Lift Safety, Rescue & Operation, and (2) Rigging Principals & Fundamentals courses, a waiver form will need to signed & dated by all attendees before we can schedule a date.

A certificate of completion is provided upon completion of each training course.


Submit the form below to receive a quote for Commercial Training. 
Quotes vary depending on the length of the training, the number of people attending and on the location.

Tree Worker Domain is fully booked for the 2023 season. There are no more openings. We would be happy to schedule a Spring 2024 training.