Fulfilling clients obligations to take reasonable steps to ensure trees are safe.
The risk of harm from trees is extremely low, but no tree can be guaranteed safe. However, providing there is a demonstrable tree management system in place, if a tree does fail, the risk of being found liable is negligible.
Tree Safety Policy
A tree safety policy sets out and justifies inspection levels for different parts of a site, based on site usage and tree characteristics – often an annual inspection for high risk trees in high occupancy areas and no inspections at all in outlying areas.
In the case of a tree related accident a Tree Safety Policy will help demonstrate that a considered and rational approach to tree safety management has been taken.
Case Study: The Earth Trust
Tree Safety Inspections
Tree Safety Inspections, carried out in line with the Tree Safety Policy, take a non-interventionist approach, only specifying work where essential. We do not carry out contracting work so there is never an incentive to generate work.
Case Study: Faraday Property Management Ltd
Internal Decay Detection
In the great majority of cases Visual Tree Assessment, alongside use of a sounding hammer, probe and binoculars is adequate to assess risk. However, for some trees internal decay detection is required.
Case Study: University of Southampton
'Safety is but one of many goals to which we aspire; the mistake that is often made is to focus on safety as if it is the only goal'
Professor David Ball
Centre for Decision Analysis and Risk Management
Wiltshire
Savernake Barn, Stokke Common
Great Bedwyn, Marlborough
Wiltshire, SN8 3LL
01672 871 862
London
Coach House
Chetwynd Rd
London NW5 1BH
07831 341 887