. . . it may be time to get your trees checked today!
for a Safe & Healthy Environment - for all of us ! (Sect. 70, nat. Road Safety Act 1993)
Over the Years, growing trees will "catch" more wind and become heavier, so they are prone to increased mechanical stress, thus increasing the chances of failure.
At this point, it is recommended to assess the chance that an advanced mature tree could fail (failure-risk-assessment) by detecting any structural weak points, such as tight forks or signs of decay impairing a tree´s integrity.
A decayed tree is not necessarily dangerous. It depends on the extent of decay, its severity, its location within the tree and the remaining amount of sound wood.
Then, the degree of danger posed by the tree is judged by how much damage might be caused, should it fail (consequential-damage-assessment).
Not every decayed tree is directly dangerous. It depends on what it might hit, and in particular, whether it might insure people.
Taking both, the failure-risk and the consequential-damage-assessment into account, then its hazard rating can be determined.
For example, a very badly decayed tree in a remote area may pose less danger than a slightly decayed tree in a busy children´s playground or overhanging a public road !
