Tree Survey Information
Your Obligations
Under the Occupiers Liability Act 1954 / 1980, it states that anyone who owns or manages land where trees are present, has a legal duty of care to ensure that all trees are in a safe condition so that any foreseeable damage does not occur. A tree survey and subsequently written report will notify the land owner of any defects within trees that may cause harm to anyone on your land, and provide suitable remedial recommendations.
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Commercial premises have an extended obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to carry out regular tree surveys so that trees do not cause foreseeable damage to persons using their land.
The Survey Process
After we receive instruction to complete a tree survey, we will plan a time and date to visit the site and inspect the trees. During the inspection, we use Visual Tree Assessment methodology to assess the current condition of the trees including any defects that may be present. We collect slightly different data depending on the survey that is required, however in most cases the recorded information will be as follows:
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Species of the tree
Age class
Height and stem diameter measurements
Physiological and structural conditions
Observations and comments (including any defects)
Recommendations with appropriate timescales
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Reports for planning and development (BS5837) or subsidence will included further detailed information to suit your requirements.
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A bespoke report will be written and sent to the client in PDF format that presents the above information in a detailed, clear, and understandable manner. An easy to follow site plan will be created to help the client locate trees on their site that may need attention.
Risk Assessment vs Inventory Surveys
We provide two different types of Tree Condition Surveys, risk assessment and inventory surveys. If a risk assessment approach is requested, all trees on the site are inspected however only those that require remedial action are recorded. This provides the client clear and concise information so that they can know exactly what needs to be done to ensure their site is safe.
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An inventory survey will detail every tree on the site, regardless of whether the tree is in good or bad condition. This approach give clients a full analysis of the trees they own.
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Most of our clients opt for the risk assessment approach as it is the easiest and most cost effective way to satisfy their legal obligations.