Worried about tree condition or risk?
Concerned bout the risk trees pose to you, your family, your property or visitors to the land you manage? Our VALID Tree Risk Assessments are there to provide you peace of mind.
Whether the tree is the responsibility of a homeowner, landowner, business, or local council, tree owners are considered duty holders who have a legal obligation to organise regular tree inspections, carried out by a competent tree consultant, to monitor and assess tree risk.
We possess 15+ years of arboricultural knowledge, experience and understanding and as trained VALIDators and Lantra Professional Tree Inspectors, we work with a diverse range of clients and sectors across Nottingham, Derbyshire, East and West Midlands, London, and the UK.
We are not stuffy consultants; we are personable and authentic. Our expertise in all things arboriculture and digital positions us as an innovative and versatile consultancy.
VALID Tree Risk Assessment.
Our arboricultural consultants are recognised as certified VALIDators. The VALID method offers peace of mind while maximising tree benefits and our use of the VALID Tree Risk-Benefit approach sets us apart.
​What we particularly like about VALID over other tree risk management systems out there is that it has been built in conjunction with a Professor in risk who's an internationally distinguished expert in assessing risk in the natural environment. VALID removes the often vague and misinformed words seen in other systems, and removes difficult maths and ordinal numbers.
Why VALID Tree Risk?
VALID Tree Risk Assessment complies with ISO 31000 Risk Management Standards, the Tolerability of Risk Framework (ToR), and common sense Tree Risk-Benefit Management Strategies. Trained Validators can assist you in tailoring your strategy.
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The VALID system is committed to providing a simple method of identifying potential tree risk features through the use of an easy-to-use Tree Risk App.
During our survey, we enter data into the app including the Likelihood of Occupancy, Consequences of Failure, and Likelihood of Failure categories. The VALID app’s algorithm then generates a risk rating or score.
VALID Active Assessment
One of the major differences with a VALID Tree Risk-Benefit assessment is that the the frequency of surveys is a 5 yearly Active Assessment for trees in Zones of High Confluence (large trees in regularly occupied areas).
Why? Because this is reasonable, proportionate, and reasonably practicable. It's what many Duty Holders are adopting.
However, this is a Duty Holders decision. If they have a lower 'risk appetite' or tolerance to risk, a shorter frequency of Active Assessment can be applied. This is the same for trees where the risk may be tolerable. As mitigation, a reduced inspection frequency may be applied.
DETAILED TREE INSPECTIONS FOR PEACE OF MIND
The VALID assessment levels.
The basis of the the VALID assessment process is the Passive Assessment which is conducted by you, the tree or landowner, going about your daily activities in all zones of use. The purpose of a passive assessment is to identify, at a basic level, obvious tree risk features and gauging if you need to appoint a trained VALIDator to undertake an Active Assessment.
The Active Assessment is where you appoint trained VALIDators (like us) to walk Zones
of High Confluence at your Site every 3-5 years. Because the overall risk is extremely low, and you'll carry out Passive Assessment, day in day out, an Active Assessment every year isn't a reasonable, proportionate or reasonably practicable approach to
managing the risk.
We'll carry out a Detailed Assessment on trees that need a closer look after an initial Basic
Assessment. The Detailed Assessment is performed in the VALID Tree Risk app. Because we have a tree work application and may be necessary where there's concern about a tree, or we want to reassure a tree owner and assign a risk rating to a tree.
Are Tree Risk Assessments important?
Did you know that you have a legal duty to manage the risk of your trees falling or shedding branches? Whether you are a government agency, a private landowner, school, or a homeowner, it's not just a choice but a legal 'duty' and to achieve your obligation, you must be reasonable, proportionate, and practical in reducing the risk to an Acceptable or Tolerable level - this is where VALID can help.
What risk do trees pose?
The risk of harm from trees is remarkably low. However tree failures do still occur, and tree owners have a duty of care in law to manage the risk posed by their trees in a balanced and proportionate manner. In defending themselves following an incident caused by their trees, tree owners should be able to demonstrate that they have fulfilled their duty of care. The best way to do this is to have documented and implemented plans for the management of tree risks. This is where the VALID Tree Risk Strategy helps.
What the law states.
The Occupiers Liability Act 1954 and 1984 mandates managing tree risk and foreseeable damage. We'd emphasis the need for a "competent" person (a professional tree inspector, arborist or consultant) to conduct regular tree surveys. For commercial premises, there are also further obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Regular tree surveys are not just a precaution; they're a necessity. Let us guide you through the legal landscape, ensuring your trees remain a source of pride, not problems.
Any assessment of risk from trees falling should begin with a Tree Risk-Benefit Management Strategy.
Whether you're a Duty Holder or a Risk Assessor, a strategy establishes the context (ISO 31000) of the risk in which you're working. It sets out your your 'risk objectives', and defines the rules of the game. It explains what a Risk Assessor is doing when they examine a tree, why they are doing it, and what their limitations are. Perhaps more crucially, your insurers will be willing to underwrite you.
The VALID Risk Ratings.
The VALID methodology uses an easy-to-understand traffic light signal coloured risk rating. The risk ratings are based on several site factors including the likelihood of occupancy around the tree, possible consequences, and the likelihood of failure.
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Consequences: The direct outcomes that could happen as a result of the tree or part of the tree failing, such as serious damage to buildings and injury, or even death, to people in the vicinity.
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Likelihood of Failure: In the context of tree failures, the term likelihood is used to specify the chance of a tree failure occurring, impacting a specific target, and the combination of both.
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Likelihood of Occupancy: An evaluation of the possibility of people being present in vicinity to the tree, or the duration of the identified target being amongst the tree.
Acceptable risks posed by tree and/or tree part will not be reduced.
Tolerable risks will not be reduced but may require an increased frequency of assessment than green Acceptable risks.
Not Tolerable risks will be reduced to an Acceptable level, but with a lower priority than red Not Acceptable risks.
NOT ACCEPTABLE
Not Acceptable risks posed by tree and/or tree part will be reduced to an Acceptable level.
Innovative equipment that aids our assessments.
Alongside our standard use of custom digital data forms and mapping, the use of a nylon hammer, diameter and measuring tapes, metal probe, and hand trowel, we also use drones to conduct aerial tree risk assessments, artificial intelligence to help analyse results, and photogrammetry to produce 3D models which aid with interpretation of key findings.
​Our aerial tree assessments include:
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Detailed inspection of the structural integrity of the risk feature identify, and the tree as a whole.
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Internal decay detection assessments, using specialist equipment, for parts of the tree inaccessible during a ground level inspection.
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We can provide:
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Maps of tree positions with legends for easy identification of tree characteristics.
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Trees plotted onto GIS using GPS, aerial imagery and orthomosaic photographs captured by our drones.
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3D models or 3D Gaussians and high-resolution photographic evidence of assessed defects.
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Detailed reports on findings.
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Easy to read schedules of survey data including risk ratings in accordance with the type of methodology or tree risk strategy adopted..
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Prescription of targeted tree works specifications for long-term management.
Tulip tree with included union
Click the play button or the Sketchfab icon to view the interactive 3-D model.
This Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) was inspected as part of a VALID Tree Risk-Benefit Survey in Staffordshire with the 3D model produced and provided as supporting evidence to the local authority for an Application for Tree Works: Works to Trees Subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).
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This high-definition, annotated 3D model, accompanied by a written technical statement, helped to visually represent the survey findings and aid the local Tree Officers decision-making process.
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NUMBER OF PHOTOS: 171
DEVICE USED: Google Pixel 6
TIME TO CAPTURE: 6 mins
WE ARE DEDICATED TO HELPING YOU UNDERSTAND TREE RISK AND TREE INSPECTIONS
Tree Survey Questions? We've got you.
We're sure you've got a lot of questions and we're more than happy to answer them. When it comes to arboriculture and understanding trees, tree risk assessments, and the various tree surveys and reports available, we're happy to provide the answers. After all, knowledge is power!