A. Any commercial tree care company in the United States and Canada can apply for accreditation. There are different rates for TCIA members and non-members.
A. Accreditation is a credential for your whole company, not an individual. It is based on a checklist provided by the Accreditation Standard. Your company is compared to the checklist. Most companies are already doing a good number of items on the checklist.
The Accreditation program is also designed to be a helpful program you can use to improve your company. When you enroll in the program, you receive an Accreditation CD. For every item in the checklist that you are not currently doing at your company, there is a resource on the Accreditation CD that helps you implement it.
Example: The accreditation standard calls for a company to maintain a number of company safety policies. Many companies already do this, so it would be checked as complete. If you do not maintain all the policies, you can go to the Accreditation CD and find an electronic copy of the TCIA Model Company Safety Program. The Model Company Safety program is complete with a model safety manual that has the policies you need. The model can be adapted for your company.
A. All you need to do is fill out the Application form to get started. We recommend you review the Accreditation Guidebook and the Accreditation Standards before sending in the application. In this way, you pre-qualify your company for the program.
A. Sure. If you are not a TCIA member, you will have to create login credentials. But it's a simple process. Start your application here.
A. The application form lists the fee schedule.
A. 1. An Accreditation enrollment package is sent to the company. You will receive an Accreditation CD, an Accreditation Standard, Accreditation Training Database CD (MS Access required for use), and an auditor’s checklist for self-audit. The Accreditation CD has an Accreditation Guidebook with live links so you can access all the information you need to help you get Accredited. For each requirement in the program, there is a resource on the CD to help with compliance. The CD includes TCIA’s Model Company Safety Program, ANSI standards, TCIA Tree Care Company Management Guides, other useful forms and references.
2. Use the audit sheet to self-audit your company
3. If you are missing any elements required for Accreditation, implement that portion. The guidelines, models, forms, and samples provided in the Accreditation CD will help.
4. Send in the suggested mail-in items to TCIA. We do not ask that every item in the Accreditation checklist is sent in. We are just trying to get enough information to determine that you are ready for a site visit. We will open a report.
5. A site visit will be scheduled once you are ready.
6. You can be accredited at the conclusion of the site visit. Once accredited, an Accreditation Marketing CD will be sent.
A. There are many marketing initiatives and a full marketing plan has been developed with a marketing budget line specific for TCIA Accreditation.
Upon accreditation:
- Your company will be listed on TCIA’s website as accredited;
- Your company will be given permission to use the accreditation logo;
- Your company will receive 15 free zip codes in our zip code search for consumers;
- A press release from TCIA will be issued; and,
- You will receive a Marketing kit and CD.
The marketing kit contains sample Accreditation decals for your truck, equipment, and helmet decals (additional are available for purchase), a deluxe, customized accreditation plaque for your office, and samples of our accreditation and BBB brochures. The marketing CD includes additional press releases, various logo formats, web banners, sample yellow-pages ads, a white paper you can customize and send to your insurance company announcing your accreditation, a brochure for residential clients, and a brochure for commercial clients. The company is free to print as is or to customize brochures with company names and contacts. TCIA can create and print customized brochures for you as well. In addition, our web site prominently features accreditation with an accredited company search feature for consumers.
We also have outreach campaigns to municipalities and communities. The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) has included TCIA accreditation as an item in their accreditation program for municipal and community forestry programs. They ask that preference for TCIA Accredited companies when awarding bids be given and documented in a municipality’s forestry plan.
A. Yes, this is a new, distinct logo for consumers to identify accredited companies:
A. Yes, the program was tested with small companies. Cost of the program is related to company size. In fact, each company production facility is accredited and employees need to be trained. This means small companies could actually have an advantage, resulting in quicker accreditation.
A. The Accreditation program is designed to be not only a credential that sets your business apart, but also a helpful process that takes a look at your company and offers suggestions.
There is a list of TCIA-approved Accreditation Auditor/Consultants on our website. They are available for consulting to help your company implement the accreditation program. There is a list of companies they have already consulted with on our website as well. If an auditor consults with your company, they will not be able to audit it.
TCIA staff can answer any question you have and will help any way we can over the phone and by email. The accreditation CD has resources to help you meet each item in the accreditation checklist as well.
A. Company statistics such as size, number of employees, vehicles, etc.; Safety statistics (Incidence and DART rate – TCIA will help you calculate this if you haven’t done it before); Consumer Satisfaction, such as number of complaints, complaints resolved, etc. (The Accreditation CD contains sample policies and a complaint-tracking spreadsheet to help you with this.)
1. Reduce stress for tree care company owners and managers.
How: helping you set up training programs and establish policies that help employees perform better.
How: Employees with good training and performance can work independently and make sound decisions.
2. Save work time by reducing mistakes, call-backs and complaints.
How: By using standard written specs, employees, sales people, and clients will be on the same page about what work is to be done.
How: By having a consumer policy that allows employees to: 1. Handle complaints; or, 2. Make quick referrals when they can’t handle the complaint.
3. Give consumers a way to find tree care companies that are trustworthy in their business and tree care practices.
How: Accredited companies are marketed by TCIA as ethical and as having a good consumer satisfaction record since TCIA will be tracking consumer satisfaction data.
How: Accredited companies are marketed as the source for expert, professional service since they have trained employees.
4. Give tree care companies a means of evaluating themselves against industry standards and best business practices in order to improve performance.
How: Accredited companies follow industry standards for safety – ANSI Z133.1, and performance – ANSI A300.
How: Accredited companies are reviewed for compliance with federal government regulations.
How: Accredited companies are asked to adopt the TCIA Code of Ethics and Best Business Practices recommended by the TCIA Accreditation program.
5. Help tree care companies of any size create and maintain safety and technical training programs.
How: Accredited companies have documented training programs. The Accreditation process helps companies evaluate their OSHA, DOT, and HazMat compliance programs as it relates to their training programs.
6. Give governmental and institutional clients a means of finding companies that meet industry standards for safety and performance.
How: TCIA Accreditation is well recognized as proof of compliance with industry standards.
7. Will give insurance companies a way to identify safer companies.
How: Research shows that companies are safe, not individuals. Accredited companies have formal documented training programs that improve worker safety records.
8. Will help TCIA develop a sorely needed coop insurance program for our industry.
How: TCIA tracks key data to prove that accredited companies are safer, in order to negotiate a discounted insurance rate.
Q. Can anyone apply for TCIA Accreditation?