VALID Tree Risk Management

Tree Risk Assessment and Management

Offering countless benefits such as the ability to produce oxygen, eliminate carbon dioxide, house various species of animals and plants, shelter livestock, counteract pollution and improve the visual appearance of an outdoor area, trees are desirable assets in the natural environment. Efforts to enhance biodiversity, reverse negative impacts and meet carbon-neutral targets have seen local authorities encouraging the planting of more trees, equating to thousands of new trees appearing across the country.

On the other hand, however, trees are equally as capable of causing any level of harm to the surrounding areas. From roots hiding within foundations and falling branches to the consequences of poor weather and complete tree failure, landowners should factor in tree management and assessment measures as an important part of their priorities. Arbtech guarantees effective delivery of tree risk assessment and monitoring for clients by relying on the VALID tree risk-benefit management system.

What Risks Do Trees Pose to People and Property?

Different types of issues can result in a tree posing potential hazards to both people and property. The local environmental conditions could mean that high winds, severe storms and changes in temperature lead to falling trees and branches. In other cases, a given area where trees are present may be close to busy roads, populated buildings or pedestrians passing by, making it a high-risk component for people and infrastructure.

Even simply the growth of a tree can result in possible danger, especially if the particular tree leans to one side, spreads roots through the ground, develops a tree disease or forms overhanging branches. Whether the responsibility of the tree falls to a homeowner, landowner, business, local authority or designated tree manager, the individuals will be treated as duty holders with a duty of care to organise professional tree inspections intended to monitor and assess tree risk. If, for instance, a tree was an unacceptable risk and caused damage to a property or a personal injury to a person, the duty holder could be subjected to any level of penalties.

What is a Tree Risk Assessment?

Also titled a tree risk survey and tree condition survey, a quantified tree risk assessment is a type of inspection carried out to address potential safety concerns. Not only does it consider the risk from trees on the site and the current standard of the individual trees but also the state of the surrounding area and how nearby buildings or people could be negatively affected by health and safety issues regarding trees.

Unlike the common BS5837 tree survey, tree condition surveys are applicable to a wide range of different people and aren’t solely relevant for planning. For instance, a tree owner on private land may need tree management help to prevent harming themselves, other people present or their property. Alternatively, a local council may request help to manage tree risk if it could endanger members of the public or public buildings.

Whenever a certain level of concern is caused by trees, the owner of the land will be seen as the duty holder. That means that if there are trees falling down, breaking apart into debris or in such a dangerous condition that falling over or breaking apart is imminent, it is the responsibility of the person in charge of the land to organise a tree risk assessment or risk breaking health and safety laws, harming nearby individuals and damaging proximate buildings.

VALID Tree Risk Assessment

Created with the goal of simplifying and optimising the tree risk assessment process, VALID is a management system that incorporates all considerations into a single application. It has been designed, developed and tested at length by natural hazard and risk experts to support arboricultural surveyors during tree risk assessments and any similar duties, such as the ongoing management or monitoring of trees in chosen locations.

The app itself is free to download and available to anyone, but as it is primarily utilised for tree risk assessments, arboricultural surveyors will go through extensive training in order to use the app for undertaking tree risk assessments and formulating suitable tree risk management strategies. Once qualified, the arboriculturist will be known as a validator. From there, they will be able to harness their understanding of the app and their existing knowledge of arboriculture to lead tree risk surveys.

Tree Risk Management Strategy

Set out in a formulaic style, VALID makes it clear how the tree risk-benefit management strategy works to deal with any and all potential hazards involving present trees. The strategy itself is a process followed by the qualified risk assessor in all tree risk surveys.

Passive Assessment

A common part of the process, the passive assessment involves a qualified tree risk assessor inspecting all trees for what are known as obvious tree risk features and gauging if the risks are considered unacceptable.

Active Assessment

A more detailed tree surveying exercise, the active assessment involves tree surveyors monitoring trees on a site for risks that are considered unacceptable every five years using the three levels of basic, detailed and advanced analysis.

Results and Measures

Within the VALID tree risk assessment, ‘ISO 31000 – Risk Management‘ and ‘Tolerability of Risk Framework (TOR)‘ have been integrated. By following these processes, VALID can be successful in achieving the desired aims of growing, maintaining and conserving trees.

After making observations about trees on the site through a tree condition assessment or continued tree condition monitoring, the tree consultant will move on to grading each tree and evaluating suitable next steps. A traffic light system will then be used to determine the condition of each tree on a spectrum of not acceptable to acceptable, as detailed below.

Measuring Tree Condition

Before an arboricultural consultant is in a position to confirm the condition of a tree and whether it could cause any potential risks, a comprehensive inspection of the affected trees will take place. Data regarding the tree will be collected through a combination of visual evidence, in-depth readings from applicable tools and equipment, and information about the tree such as species and predicted age.

Tree Condition Categories

While the condition of a tree is typically defined via several criteria, the deciding result will be based on three categories, which are:

Consequences – Harmful outcomes that could happen as a result of the tree, such as serious damage to buildings and injury or even death to individuals in the vicinity.

Likelihood of Failure – Chances of physiological and structural condition issues that could lead to a branch or the entire tree falling and causing serious damage to buildings and injury or even death to individuals in the vicinity.

Likelihood of Occupancy – Buildings or individuals being present in the area, raising the chances of either or both being inflicted with serious damage and injury or even death.

Tree Condition Rating

The rating system within the VALID app is clear, only relying on four different colour-coded results. Each rating will then indicate the suitable outcome for trees on the site between options to retain, relocate or destroy.

Red: Not Acceptable – Risks need to be reduced to an acceptable level.

Amber: Not Tolerable – Risks need to be reduced to an acceptable level, but with a lower priority to a ‘Red: Not Acceptable’ rating.

Amber: Tolerable – Risks do not need to be reduced but may need more frequent inspections.

Green: Acceptable – Risks do not need to be reduced.

Tree Risk Assessment Report

Sharing similarities to the other tree surveys we undertake, tree risk inspections will finish with the certified tree risk assessor producing a tree condition report or tree risk assessment plan. All information from the basic survey, ground-level and aerial inspection techniques and old and new account research will be detailed by the tree surveyor leading the assessment process, giving the client a complete understanding of the current state of the trees.

Depending on the purpose of the tree inspection, tree risk reports can then confirm that the tree risk reduction and removal work has been completed correctly. If the intention of the tree survey was to impose tree risk mitigation over any tree safety issues, address concerns over climate change or deal with a matter affecting a planning application, tree condition reports could include a reference to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Forestry Commission or the guidance of the local planning authority.

Tree Risk Assessment Methods

In all of the surveys we do, it is crucial to ensure that the highest standards and latest methods are used. Our tree risk assessments are no different, with good tree management based on the guidance of such documents as the Common Sense Risk Management of Trees from the National Tree Safety Group, as well as any tree survey updates emerging from VALID.

If ever a one-day training course or something more comprehensive is needed, our team will take part as a way of maintaining the required standard of tree risk assessment certification. As a result, our tree surveyors are extensively knowledgeable about the VALID tree risk app, the tree risk assessment process and the needs of clients, local authorities and relevant regulators.

Tree Risk Assessment Tools

In addition to the VALID tree risk app, multiple tools and pieces of equipment may be used to conduct a tree assessment for risk. Such items include:

Clients Our Tree Risk Surveys Apply To

Aside from any issues that indirectly relate to planning such as a high-risk tree obstructing a development or issues caused by an ongoing Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or conservation area, a tree risk assessment is not solely used to support an application for planning permission. Instead, it can help an assortment of purposes for a broad selection of duty holders.

Tree Risk Assessment Near Me

More than three billion trees appear across the entirety of the United Kingdom, with even the less rural and more urban areas displaying patches of woodland. Due to that factor alone, we cater to all clients by supplying an arboricultural consultant to each location. In doing that, all potential tree problems can be dealt with, addressed, monitored and eliminated.

Refer to one of the arboricultural surveyors close to you by contacting our team and explaining the situation to our administration staff. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach and assuming that local details will be irrelevant, we can use our system to instruct a local tree consultant to visit your site, bringing with them crucial insight and expertise of the area.

How Much Does a Tree Risk Assessment Cost?

If you were to book any type of assessment with Arbtech, you would often find that we have set baseline prices for the survey and only increase them based on the size of the development site. In the case of trees, the tree survey cost is primarily decided by the number of trees on the site, as surveying 500 trees will take much more time and effort than surveying 50 trees.

During the process of pricing up a certified tree risk assessment, a similar approach is used, evaluating the cost by the number of trees and the type of service needed. Then, if any further tree survey services are needed, our team can not only price up how much that will cost but also conduct the assessments in-house using the same team and the same arboricultural surveyors.

How Do I Arrange a Tree Risk Survey?

If you need a tree risk assessment for tree work, to support planning applications, guarantee tree safety of potentially hazardous trees or for any other reason, get in touch with our team, and we can talk you through the process and explain how a tree condition survey could help you. A free quote is available to all clients who contact us, with options to visit our website and fill out a quote form, call us directly or check out our social media platforms.

On a suitable date, one of our team will visit your site to assess tree risk, undertake a quantified tree risk assessment and begin making recommendations based on the tree risk-benefit management strategy. A tree report designed to manage risk to trees will then be given to you, explaining what you need to do to meet your goals. If you need a further tree survey, ongoing tree risk management or any other type of assistance applying to trees or the natural environment, Arbtech can help, whatever the issue.