Tree hazard assessment

When you need this form

Grounds teams assess trees on a cycle and after storms, on sites where a failure would land on people, cars or buildings. Schools, retail car parks, aged care gardens and public reserves all carry that exposure. Public liability claims outdoors usually turn on whether the tree was inspected, what was found, and whether the recommended work was actually done.

Photographs are the assessment. Deadwood, cavities, lean, root damage and fungal bodies mean little in text alone, but a photo with a date and a location pin makes the finding reviewable by an arborist later. It also proves the reinspection interval was set and met, which is where retrospective claims tend to fail.

What good looks like

• Tree identified by species, location pin and a reference number.
• Hazard indicators recorded individually: deadwood, cavities, lean, root damage, fungal bodies.
• Targets under the tree noted: paths, seating, parking, playgrounds, buildings.
• Risk rating with the recommended work and its priority.
• Reinspection interval set, with photos supporting every indicator recorded.