Managing tree risk as a duty holder
Whoever owns or manages land with trees on it has a duty to take reasonable care that trees do not cause harm to people on or near it. The National Tree Safety Group publishes Common sense risk management of trees (second edition, 2024), which it describes as nationally recognised guidance on tree-safety management in the UK for anyone responsible for trees. HSE has also set out what its inspectors expect in a sector information minute, Management of the risk from falling trees or branches (SIM 01/2007/05, now held in the government web archive). It is written for inspectors rather than as a guide for duty holders, but it expects systems that include risk assessment and, where appropriate, routine checks by a competent person. In practice that means:
- a tree register or map, with trees grouped by how many people use the space beneath them;
- inspections by a competent person, more often where the public goes and less often elsewhere;
- a record of what was found, what was done and when;
- a programme of follow-up work, prioritised by risk.
A tree surgeon can carry out inspections or recommend a separate arboricultural consultant. For individual tree reports, see tree surveys.
Ongoing contracts
A multi-year contract gives you a regular crew who know the site, and gives the firm the chance to plan its work. Check the contract allows for changes, such as a storm or new disease, and says how extra work is priced and approved.
Many firms take on planned work as well as one-off jobs: cyclical pruning, hedge cutting, ash dieback management, and emergency call-outs. For grounds maintenance, agree the visit frequency, what counts as an emergency, response times, and how waste will be handled. Our emergency tree surgeon directory covers out-of-hours cover.
Accreditations to ask for
- Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor. A scheme run by the Arboricultural Association, which keeps a public directory.
- CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline. Health and safety and pre-qualification schemes that many councils, schools and housing providers require before a firm can tender. Constructionline is a pre-qualification register for construction suppliers.
- Individual qualifications. Check chainsaw and aerial rescue certificates for the people who will be on site.
An accreditation tells you the firm has passed a particular assessment; it is not a guarantee of any single job. Ask to see the current certificate.
Insurance and paperwork
Ask for current certificates showing public liability insurance and, where the firm employs staff, employers' liability insurance, which is a legal requirement for employers. Check that the cover amount meets what your contract or policy requires, and that the work being done (for example, using a crane or working near water) is covered.
Before work begins you should receive a method statement and risk assessment (RAMS) that covers the tree work, rescue plan, exclusion zones and how the public will be kept away. Where work is on or beside a road, ask who is arranging traffic management and signage, and whether the road or footpath owner has given permission.
What to put in the tender
- The trees covered, ideally listed or mapped, and the work wanted on each.
- Access arrangements, working hours and any term-time or event restrictions, which matter for schools and parks.
- Who removes the waste, and what happens to any timber or chip (see green waste and woodchip).
- How the firm will report back: photographs, completion notes and any new defects spotted on site.
- References from similar clients, and a named contact for the contract.
Compare quotes on the same specification. A cheaper quote that leaves out waste removal or traffic management is not like for like.
Legal checks for site managers
Check whether trees are protected by a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area (see the TPO guide), and whether work will affect nesting birds or bats (see our bird and bat checks page).