Plant Health Care Technician

Oyster Bay NY

Description

Job Title: Plant Health Care Technician (Applicator) Job Description: The primary function of the Plant Health Care technician is to accomplish tasks such as fertilizing, treating, and injecting trees and shrubs. Plant Health Care technicians commonly also perform trunk crown excavations and soil root therapy using large volumes of compressed air and soil amendments. Training for these tasks include learning about safe work procedures, small equipment operation, hydraulic sprayer operation, safe driving procedures, secure chemical mixing practices, and moderate to advanced knowledge related to arboriculture. Applicators may also be required to assist other departments as needed based on work load and schedule. The above task work procedures and safe work practices are required to fulfill our clients' needs. The applicator's actions are all directed toward satisfying the client, the Arborist Representative and the General Manager, while at the same time maintaining a safe, efficient, and productive operation. Job performance abilities include the following: 1. Work safely 2. Learn new skills 3. Communicate with other crew members effectively (hear verbal instructions, sometimes from a few hundred feet away) 4. Work in adverse weather conditions, i.e. cold, heat, rain, snow 5. Lift heavy objects sometimes weighing 75 pounds or more 6. Bend to lift objects from the ground 7. Sometimes work standing on uneven ground for long periods of time 8. Perform plant health care treatment operations (during months of April through November), i.e. a. climb out of truck b. mix chemicals for treatments c. drag heavy applicator hose d. carry backpack sprayers e. move lawn and patio furniture f. write notes on work orders and client leave-behinds g. post pesticide application warning signs prior to applications h. complete application record keeping paperwork i. converse with clients 9. Pour/pump gasoline and diesel into equipment in a safe, efficient manner 10. Must be able and willing to wear safety equipment at all times, i.e. hard hat, hearing protection, eye protection, chain saw protective apparel 11. Climb in and out of large trucks; both from the cab and the rear of the trucks to perform duties such as filling application tanks or mixing chemicals 12. Read, understand and use a street map book 13. Use shovels, rakes, picks, wheelbarrow, hammer, chisel, air compressor and other hand tools to spread soil amendments and perform root/trunk therapy and inspections 14. Walk around large properties monitoring plants for problems that might require treatment 15. Operate small powered equipment such as a leaf blower 16. On occasion, work using a chainsaw only after demonstrating competence in using one 17. Use a pole pruner and pole saw to remove branches from plants 18. Wash company vehicles to maintain clean work environment and a quality public image