Basic tree safety surveys are undertaken to assess the potential hazard trees can pose to people or structures. This guidance is aimed at providing volunteers with a basic knowledge and understanding of the processes involved when conducting tree surveys on or near waterways and to identify tree’s which could pose a danger to the community. For larger areas or woodland a more in depth safety survey should be undertaken by an arboriculturalist.  

Surveys should be undertaken in the following order:

1. Preliminaries and consultation
2. Scope of the survey
3. Planning and preparation
4. Tree risk management
5. Tree Assessment
6. Reporting

Preliminaries and Consultation

Prior to undertaking the tree survey, discussions should be held with the client from the relevant group, e.g. land management agent, project planner or restoration manager, to determine the expectations and criteria for assessment. A summary and explanation of the survey process and personal capabilities of the surveyor’s should be outlined to the client. Surveys can range from identifying individual trees that are an immediate threat to people, or they can encompass an assessment of every tree within a target area and their potential hazards. Clear and specific requirements should be agreed. Surveys completed by unqualified individuals are an advisory assessment in lieu of a fully qualified surveyor; it should be discussed with the client that the surveyor cannot be held responsible for sudden tree failures.

The assessment itself will be a ‘visual inspection’ looking into the physical signs of failure and making observations in the context of the local environment.  The local environment can play an important part in the trees’ current condition. An idea of historical site use, soil conditions, local climate, previous tree works or previous constructions and any land use change can lend a hand in accurately assessing the potential failures on a site. To assess a tree’s overall condition, signs and features associated to tree failure are inspected, as well as an assessment of the risks made, from ground level, noting variations against what would be expected from a healthy tree. The assessment utilises the surveyor’s knowledge and experience of tree biology and structure to assess the overall condition of the tree. 

Reporting

Data collected should be filled into the appropriate areas in a Basic Tree Safety Survey Form during the survey of each tree; ensuring notes are easy to follow and are written in laymen terms for those who may have less knowledge concerning tree surveys. Once a report has been written and digitised, the original copy should be stored in a safe location. A PDF document should be sent to the client outlining your observations and possible recommendations, dependent on arboricultural knowledge.  Copies of this should also be sent to the client and stored for a minimum of five years.

Basic Tree Survey Methodology

Hazardous Trees

This section will help identify hazardous features on trees and help you decide upon the urgency of the required actions. At this point the preliminary planning and scoping should have identified ‘Target Zones’ and the trees within them, as well as the agreed upon parameters set out by the surveyor and client. In the case that the surveyor believes they have not got the appropriate knowledge to fully assess whether a certain tree is hazardous, the decision/survey should be referred to an appropriately qualified person.