1. Identify the groups of trees that you have responsibility for. Take account of their position and the degree of public access to them.

Make a note of these

This will help prioritise any risks associated with your tree stock, and decide if any checks, inspections or other precautions are needed.

2. Decide what risk the trees at your church present and what further checks or inspections are necessary.

Where these are necessary, complete them at appropriate intervals, making a note of the outcome.

If you are an employer, you will need to complete formal risk assessments. These should help you identify what precautions might be required.

You may need to make arrangements for your trees to be inspected periodically. To help you decide what is required, you should classify your trees into ‘zones’, including all the trees at your church for which you are responsible.

You should then identify those:

• In areas of high public access
• That could fall onto areas of public use
• That could fall onto property that could be damaged.

Normally, the best person to do this is someone familiar with the land, how the church is used and what trees are present with reference to published guidance. Usually, this does not require a tree specialist to complete this.

Trees can then be divided into two zones:

• Zone One – where there is frequent public access to trees (e.g.popular foot paths, car parks, at the side of busy roads or where property may be affected). As a rough guide, trees in Zone one are those that are closely approached by many people every day
  Zone Two – where trees are not subject to frequent public access.

For trees in Zone One, a system of periodic, proactive inspection is appropriate. This will vary depending on your particular circumstances. For example, individual tree inspection is only likely to be necessary in specific circumstances where a particular tree:

• Is in a place frequently visited by the public
• Has structural faults that are likely to make it unstable; and
• A decision has been made to retain it with these faults.

Trees in areas of low public use may only require irregular inspection, if any.

Formal or more detailed inspections will need to be completed by those who have the necessary expertise, training and experience. You will also need to consider how you will obtain specialist assistance and take remedial action when checks reveal defects outside the experience and knowledge of the person carrying out the check.

If you identify any trees on neighbouring land which could present a risk to the church premises, you should write to the landowner advising them of your concern and requesting them to take appropriate remedial action. You should retain copies of any correspondence.

You should keep adequate records of any zones (maps may be useful here); inspections or other checks made; trees presenting a serious risk; any treatment or other precautions taken; and when tree work has been carried out.

3. Ensure that any necessary precautions are taken and remain effective.

Act on any issues of concern reported to you so that any additional precautions necessary are taken.

Any checks or inspections that are completed should identify what additional precautions are necessary. The hazards set out on the previous page identifies some of the precautions that might be necessary. However, this list is not exhaustive and the precautions you take will need to reflect your own particular circumstances.

You may also need to consider:

• How people can report incidents (such as vehicle collisions) resulting in damage to the trees at your church premises
• Additional checks following potentially damaging activities (such as work by utility companies in the vicinity of your trees or following severe gales)
• Any additional precautions that might be needed to protect those visiting your church premises during high winds (for example, closing or restricting access to footpaths or car parks).

Where trees are the subject of a Tree Preservation Order, the Local Authority should be consulted prior to any work being carried out.

4. Ensure that employees (and volunteers in these circumstances) involved in any inspection or minor tree work are provided with necessary information and training.

Make a note of any information or training that is provided.

The level of information and training required will vary depending on the tasks involved reflecting your particular circumstances. If you have completed any risk assessments, these will help you determine what is necessary.

Those involved in formal or more detailed inspection of trees must be suitably competent.

Whilst it is accepted that experienced, competent members of the church can carry out minor work on trees, anything major (e.g. felling, pruning etc.) must only be carried out by a competent arboriculturist. This is usually because such work tends to present a relatively high risk of injury to those involved and may involve the use of specialist equipment (such as chainsaws). Those completing such work should be appropriately and adequately insured.

If you do provide any information or training for your employees or volunteers, you should keep records of this. These should contain detail relating to the persons who were trained (including their signatures to say that they have received and understood the training); when they were trained and by whom; an overview of the training that was provided etc.

5. Document your arrangements and responsibilities for tree management.

Review these where necessary, particularly if you suspect that they are no longer valid. Retain records of the notes you have made in steps, 1, 2 and 4 above.

If you have prepared a health and safety policy, record these as part of it. You can use our Church Health and Safety Policy template if you haven’t done this and need one to comply with health and safety law.