How Often Should I Have My Trees Surveyed?
Do I Need My Trees Surveyed?
oHort recommends that you have your trees surveyed at least once every two years. Most insurers and governing bodies recommend that trees are surveyed ‘regularly’ but often fail to provide more exact guidance. Claims can be made against a property on behalf of any individual.
There have been several occasions where organisations have been liable. One example of this is an incident in Birmingham where a 92-year-old woman was killed by a 60ft tree. An investigation took place and it was found that the tree had not been surveyed for over two years. Therefore, there was no relevant documentation on the overall health of the tree. This led to a fine of £150,000 being brought against the proprietor along with the possibility of civil proceedings against the landowner by the family of the deceased.
Similarly, in 2012, a woman who visited Kew Gardens was killed by a falling tree branch. However, Kew Gardens were not found to be liable. They were protected because the tree in question had been inspected 12 months before the incident. Due to the recent tree survey and completed tree risk assessment, the jury found “no identifiable cause of branch failure from this tree that caused this tragic accident.” This shows how important it is to get your trees surveyed regularly!
Surveying Damaged Trees:
We also recommend that any damaged trees are surveyed as and when you notice the damage. Most commonly, damage is caused by storms or freak weather but may also be caused by animals or insects.
Finally, we advise that a tree survey is conducted before any construction or landscaping work is carried out on your site, to see whether the proposed work may affect your trees. A survey may also need to be carried out after the work, if you suspect any trees may have been affected during the project.
Contact Us Today
If any of the above applies to you, find out more about our tree surveys on our services page, or contact us to arrange a survey!