While trees are of vital importance within the urban environment, as trees mature, there’s an increasing element of risk associated with their management. Arbortecture specialises in the undertaking of both small and large scale risk assessment surveys. All of our consultants are QTRA registered and hold minimum Cert 5 qualifications in Arboriculture. Quantified Tree  Risk Assessment (QTRA) is recognised worldwide as a successful and innovative strategy for risk management particularly within the urban environment.

Tree safety management is a matter of limiting the risk of harm from tree failure while maintaining the benefits conferred by trees. Although it may seem counterintuitive, the condition of trees should not be the first consideration. Instead, tree managers should consider first the usage of the land on which the trees stand, and in turn, this will inform the process of assessing the trees.

The Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA) method, developed by Mike Ellison at Cheshire Woodlands, applies established and accepted risk management principles to tree safety.  The method moves the management of tree safety away from labelling trees as either ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’ and thereby away from requiring definitive judgements from either tree assessors or tree managers. Instead, QTRA quantifies the risk of harm from tree failure in a way that enables tree managers to balance safety with tree values and operate to predetermined limits of tolerable or acceptable risk.

By quantifying the risk from tree failure, QTRA enables a tree owner to manage the risk in accordance with widely applied and internationally recognised levels of risk tolerance. QTRA further provides a decision-making framework which considers the balance between the benefits provided by trees, levels of risk they pose, and costs of risk management.

In consultation with management and/or stakeholders, our expert arborists  can help identify and define the parameters of your risk assessment, whether it’s a singular tree or a large population, we’re ready to assist.