Tree risk assessments help us determine a tree’s health and the likelihood of branch or tree failure. It is done only by certified arborists and is crucial in keeping a household, business, or public space safe from falling hazards or obstruction.
By assessing a tree’s health and the likelihood of failure, you can determine whether it poses an immediate threat to property or people. After that, a certified arborist should recommend removal or rehabilitation to the owner.
How Arborists Evaluate Tree Risk in Sydney
Several factors come into a tree risk assessment. Some of which are as follows:
History of the Tree
Certified arborists would look into the tree’s age, history of previous branch failures, and health conditions. Knowing so would help them evaluate the likelihood of failure and at which parts. Besides, finding tree borers and history of pest infestation can also give away the tree’s current health condition.
Current Tree Health and Vigour
Observing the tree’s bark condition, leaf colour, season, and canopy density will help an arborist determine the tree’s current health and vigor. In many cases, we’ll look at the quantity of deadwood attached to the tree and how pruned branches have healed.
Any unusual healing patterns and a low-density canopy indicate a tree’s declining health. Your arborist will then evaluate the necessary treatment or removal procedure.
Tree Profile
Each tree species has unique growth patterns, structure, and maintenance needs. Each tree removal and pruning project is done with a case-by-case risk evaluation. Some trees have shallow roots and risk uprooting over gusty winds.
In other words, a tree’s species is crucial for a proper risk and failure assessment as it will determine which treatments and removal process is necessary.
Crown Thickness and Density
If a tree’s crown has uneven density and a lot less foliage on its top-centre branches than the rest of its canopy, it clearly indicates that a tree’s health is declining.
Potential Failure and Cutting Points
Suppose a tree is situated in a crowded suburb or public location. In that case, removing and pruning will expose nearby properties and people to a significant risk of damage and injury. Certified arborists take the time to properly analyse the tree’s failure points and how to remove a branch with as minimal risk as possible.
Moreover, arborists will assess a branch’s likelihood of failure – its probability of breaking and falling due to disease and decay. The higher a tree or branch of failure, the more you need an arborist to remove it.
Failure Consequences
As discussed, a certified arborist will put safety above anything else and evaluate the consequences of a tree or branch failure. That includes evaluating a tree’s location, proximity to people or properties, flora and fauna directly under a tree, and anything nearby that may be damaged due to failure.
If the only consequence of failure is damaging a fence or a shed, our arborists may advise pruning and preserving the tree’s health. But if the decaying tree has the potential to injure or risk of casualty, we will recommend immediate removal.
Risk Mitigation
As qualified arborists, we value every tree’s life, growth, and contribution to its surroundings. But when a tree is close to its point of failure, we will not risk someone’s life in exchange for a decaying tree.
Risk mitigation is key to every tree pruning and removal project. We always ensure the community’s overall safety and will do our best to remove the tree with as little impact on its surroundings as possible.
Can All Sydney Arborists Perform Risk Assessments?
That’s not quite the case. The term arborist is quite broad and includes various specialists in the same field. That said, not all arborists can perform and verify risk assessments.
Arborists come in many types, two of which include:
- Consulting Arborist – One that performs safety inspections, reports, pest and disease treatments, and arborist reports.
- Working Arborist – One that performs most tree services, including removal, trimming, pruning, and landscaping.
Moreover, arborists also have varying qualifications and certificates. A Certificate III in Arboriculture is required for working arborists, while a consulting arborist should have a diploma in Arboriculture.
At Trees Down Under, we take pride in our certified III licenced arborists and qualified staff to carry out a risk assessment and perform safe and efficient tree removal services.
Are Arborist Reports Included in Risk Assessments?
Depending on your local arborist, they could issue an arborist report at your disposal, and the local council or city will request it for tree removal.
Usually, we will not provide an arborist report for small removal projects as it typically incurs extra fees for the project. Nevertheless, we’ll properly communicate our assessments to our clients and even bring you along the tree pruning or removal to ensure we convey our recommendations.
But if your city or local council is fighting to preserve the tree and you have requested its removal, we can provide an arborist report complete with safety and long-term risk assessments.
Partner with a Credible Sydney Arborist For Your Tree Risk Assessment
Trees Down Under have provided safe and affordable Sydney tree removal services for residents and businesses for over 11 years. We have trained and educated our in-house staff to implement a tree risk assessment case-to-case basis and execute hazard-free tree removal, stump grinding, and tree pruning projects.
You can reach out to us at 047 463 597 or chat with us to ensure safety, reliability, and transparency on your next tree risk assessment in Sydney. Brief us in on your arborist requirements and project details, and we’ll get back to you with a free quote.
