VALID: Tree Risk-Benefit Management in Yorkshire

AWA Tree Consultants regularly inspect and risk assess many thousands of trees, around the Yorkshire region and the UK, as part of Tree Safety and Risk Management surveys. There is often a need to undertake detailed risk assessments for trees to ensure we can provide our clients with appropriate, proportionate recommendations, that manage the risk while retaining the benefits our clients appreciate from their trees.

All our tree risk surveys are undertaken by experienced and qualified arboriculturists. In addition to our formal academic qualifications in arboriculture, we regularly undertake continuing professional development in the area of tree inspections and tree risk. We keep up to date with seminars on tree risk, are qualified in the LANTRA Award in Professional Tree Inspection, have training in the Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA) system, and THREATS Tree Hazard: Risk Evaluation and Treatment System, as well as our in house bespoke tree inventory methodologies and risk assessment procedures. This allows us to provide our clients with current, recognised assessment methodologies to support our decisions and give our clients the confidence they need.

Tom Readman, our newest team member at AWA, recently attended two days of training in York, to get to grips with the VALID application and become an official Validator, to allow us to provide VALID risk-benefit assessments for AWA clients.

Tom joined AWA from his previous role as a tree risk surveyor with Harrogate Borough Council, where he undertook tree risk surveys at a range of sites – including housing, highway and public open spaces – and prescribing suitable management works, so he is well placed to put VALID through its paces as part of our Tree Safety and Tree Risk Management surveys.

The VALID method describes itself as “the first complete tree risk-benefit management system”, with a methodology and strategy adopted worldwide by a range of public and private institutions. Being user-friendly with a straight-forward presentation, it’s an ideal system for communicating risk-benefit, keeping our clients informed.

As well as learning about the benefits of VALID relative to other risk assessment methods, Tom also got a crash course in biomechanics, tree safety factors and recent, high-profile legal cases pertaining to tree risk management.

If you need a qualified and experienced arboriculturist for your ‘Active Assessment’ tree surveys, we can help. We provide clear accurate tree reports and plans, using enhanced GPS technology to accurately plot trees for easy identification on site. Our reports include easy to read schedules of work for tree contractors and managers, to help them understand the value of their tree resource and understand what needs doing when, to keep risks to a minimum in the most cost-effective way.