Mr Simon Cox

Summary

I am Simon Charles Cox. My specialist fields are trees and tree work. The qualifications I hold which are most relevant to this work are a Master of Science degree in environmental forestry, a postgraduate diploma in arboriculture and urban forestry, and a NEBOSH General Certificate in occupational health and safety. I also hold practical tree-work qualifications. My career to date includes undertaking, supervising and managing tree work as well as giving tree-management advice.

Instructions for expert witness services and advice are usually for: tree work and felling accidents, incidents of tree failure, allegations of damage, tree preservation orders.

I also provide internal incident and allegation review and advice for tree work and felling accidents, incidents of tree failure, direct and indirect damage, forestry act.

Given my work history I may also be of use in grounds care and landscaping incidents, e.g. mowing, vegetation management, herbicide application.

Further information

I hold the following qualifications, accreditations and memberships relevant to arboriculture, tree assessment and tree work:

• Master of Science degree in environmental forestry
• Bachelor of Science degree with honours in forestry
• Postgraduate diploma in arboriculture and urban forestry
• Fellowship of the Arboricultural Association
• Chartered Environmentalist
• Registered Consultant of the Arboricultural Association
• NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety
• NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate
• NEBOSH IIRSM Certificate in Managing Risk

I have over 15 years’ experience of land-based industries, including practical tree work, consultancy, management and technical roles across commercial, local authority and charity sectors.

My work as an arboricultural consultant involves tree assessment and giving management advice for a range of clients such as private arboretums, government authorities, commercial and domestic duty holders for a range of briefs such as;

• Tree health and safe condition
• Formal tree assessments
• Advanced tree assessment using dynamic tree assessment, drilling techniques and decay detection equipment
• Risk management and policy (policy, tree assessments)
• Suspected damage (direct and indirect - subsidence)
• Plant health care and pest and pathogen management
• Tree valuation
• Town and country planning (BS BS5837 and TPOs etc)
• Site supervision - development
• Tree collection establishment and management
• Landscape and garden design

I have worked as an arboricultural officer for a city council, reviewing and commenting on applications associated with trees and the planning process, statutory tree protections (tree preservation orders and conservation areas), high hedges, and associated matters. I undertake work for an Agency associated with appeals for trees subject to protective orders.

My work as a consultant also includes health and safety management services to land-based contractors, such as risk assessment, training and consultation sessions, and site inspection. I am also a director of a business that offers health and safety management services to land-based contractors (Sentinel H&S Ltd).

I hold practical tree work and felling qualifications including climbing, aerial chainsaw use, rigging, ground support and windblown trees. My practical work as an aerial operative and ground-based operative involved the removal and pruning of many mature and over-mature trees in different growing environments, felling and thinning of woodland areas, as well as site clearance and vegetation management, before I moved on to planning for, and management of, internal and external staff and contractors undertaking similar operations.

I have attended Forestry Works Manager awareness training and use of tree shear and grapple saw management training.

I am a lead assessor for the Arboricultural Association’s Approved Contractor Scheme for tree work, which includes being a Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSiP) assessor and reviewer.

In relation to training, I am registered as a Lantra instructor and a technical verifier for Professional Tree Inspection, Professional Tree Inspection Refresher, and Basic Tree Survey and Inspection courses and regularly deliver, and, where necessary, assess, these courses for a diverse range of delegates. I am a published author of guidance for aerial tree inspection and biosecurity in arboriculture, and I deliver and develop training materials such as the Arboricultural Association’s aerial tree inspection, tree pest and disease, BS5837, and arboriculture knowledge courses.

I was a listed contributor for the 2020 and 2015 editions of the Industry Code of Practice: Tree Work at Height and the 2020 Technical Guide 2 Use of Tools in the Tree by the Arboricultural Association. I contributed to the development of safety guidance for the use of tree shears and grapple saws in tree work (FISA 608).

I have undertaken examiner duties for some of the City & Guilds level 2 and 3 qualifications in Arboriculture, Forestry and Horticulture.

You are welcome to call to discuss a potential instruction or contact me to request a CV.

Varied and extensive - See additional detail

Cardiff University Bond Solon (CUBS) Expert Witness Criminal Certificate with additional civil law and procedure training

Fellow of the Arboricultural Association, Chartered Member of the Society for the Environment, LANTRA Registered instructor for Professional Tree Inspection, Basic Tree Survey & Inspection, etc courses