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Tree Pruning Assessment and Ground Operations Risk Assessment

Tree Pruning Assessment and Ground Operations Risk Assessment

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Tree Pruning Assessment and Ground Operations Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Tree Pruning Assessment and Ground Operations at a management and systems level, ensuring your arboricultural activities are planned, resourced and governed effectively. This Risk Assessment supports WHS Act compliance, demonstrates Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from operational and legal liability exposure.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Management System: Assessment of WHS responsibilities, PCBU due diligence, policy frameworks, consultation arrangements, and integration of tree work into the broader safety management system.
  • Competency, Licensing and Training for Arboricultural Work: Management of qualifications, high-risk work licensing, verification of competency, refresher training, and supervision requirements for tree pruning and ground operations.
  • Tree Risk Assessment, Planning and Work Authorisation: Protocols for pre-work tree inspections, structural stability assessment, work method selection, permit-to-work processes, and formal authorisation of pruning and removal activities.
  • Environmental and Site Context Assessment: Assessment of terrain, underground and overhead services, weather conditions, noise-sensitive neighbours, restricted access areas, and site-specific constraints impacting safe operations.
  • Contractor, Subcontractor and Labour Hire Management: Systems for prequalification, scope definition, WHS criteria in contracts, information exchange, and monitoring of third-party arborists and ground crews.
  • Plant, Equipment and Tool Management: Management of chainsaws, chippers, stump grinders, EWPs, cranes, vehicles and hand tools, including selection, inspection, maintenance, guarding, and safe operating protocols.
  • Work at Height and Aerial Access Systems: Assessment of climbing systems, rope access, EWPs, ladders and fall protection, including anchor selection, rescue capability, exclusion zones and control of dropped objects.
  • Traffic, Public Interface and Site Security: Protocols for traffic management planning, pedestrian control, barricading, signage, spotters, and managing public interaction around tree pruning works.
  • Hazardous Substances, Biological Agents and Tree Diseases: Management of fuels, oils, herbicides, pesticides, dust, mould, fungi, sap, zoonotic risks and other biological exposures associated with trees and vegetation.
  • Manual Tasks, Ergonomics and Fatigue Management: Assessment of lifting, dragging, stacking, chipper feeding, repetitive saw use, awkward postures, shift length, and fatigue controls for arboricultural crews.
  • Communication, Consultation and Information Management: Systems for pre-start briefings, toolbox talks, SWMS and RA communication, two-way radios, hand signals, and documentation control for tree work activities.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Rescue and Incident Management: Planning for aerial rescues, first aid, severe bleeding, crush injuries, electrical contact, fire, and incident reporting, investigation and corrective actions.
  • Ecological, Heritage and Community Value Management: Assessment of protected species, habitat trees, cultural heritage values, council requirements, and community expectations relating to pruning and removal decisions.
  • WHS Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement: Processes for inspections, observation programs, audits, performance indicators, corrective action tracking and review of arboricultural risk controls over time.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Operations Managers, Contract Administrators and Safety Professionals responsible for planning, approving and overseeing tree pruning assessments and ground operations within their organisation or contracting chain.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Management System
  • • Lack of a documented WHS management system covering arboricultural and tree pruning operations
  • • Failure to identify and comply with WHS Act 2011, WHS Regulation and relevant Codes of Practice (e.g. Managing the Risk of Falls, Hazardous Manual Tasks, Managing the Risk of Plant)
  • • No clear due diligence processes by Officers to ensure safe management of tree pruning and ground operations
  • • Inadequate consultation with workers, contractors and PCBUs sharing the work environment (e.g. councils, utilities, principal contractors)
  • • Poor integration of tree risk assessment outcomes into organisational risk registers and decision-making
  • • No formal review of WHS performance data specific to tree work (incidents, near misses, non-conformances)
2. Competency, Licensing and Training for Arboricultural Work
  • • Workers undertaking coppicing, pollarding, crown reduction and complex pruning tasks without appropriate nationally recognised qualifications
  • • Inadequate competency in complex tree risk assessment methodologies and aerial eucalypt identification leading to misclassification of hazardous trees
  • • Lack of recognition of prior learning and competency verification for external contractors and labour hire workers
  • • Insufficient training in specific techniques such as trunk injection, root pruning, target pruning, treating tree wounds and removal of infected trees
  • • Inadequate verification of licences for plant operation (e.g. EWPs, chainsaws, stump grinders) and high risk work where applicable
  • • No refresher training program leading to skill fade, outdated practices and poor understanding of current standards and ecology considerations
3. Tree Risk Assessment, Planning and Work Authorisation
  • • Inadequate or inconsistent tree risk assessment processes for hazardous, veteran, historic and infected trees
  • • Failure to properly identify target zones, occupancy patterns and consequences of failure during assessments
  • • No standard method for aerial eucalypt identification leading to inappropriate pruning or removal decisions
  • • Lack of clear criteria and procedures for determining when coppicing, pollarding, crown reduction, root pruning or removal is appropriate
  • • Poor quality documentation of assessments, leading to ambiguous work instructions and uncontrolled variations on site
  • • Absence of peer review or escalation pathways for complex tree risk assessments with high potential for catastrophic failure
4. Environmental and Site Context Assessment
  • • Failure to adequately assess ground conditions (e.g. unstable soil around roots, concealed services, contaminated land) before tree works
  • • Inadequate identification of above-ground and underground utilities impacting root pruning, trunk injection and removal of infected trees
  • • No systematic consideration of fauna habitat, protected species or biosecurity constraints impacting pruning and removal decisions
  • • Insufficient planning for work near traffic, schools, public parks, hospitals or other sensitive receptors
  • • Inadequate assessment of slope, access, watercourses and drainage impacting machine stability and ground operations
  • • Lack of systematic approach to weather conditions (wind, heat, lightning, bushfire risk) influencing aerial and ground-based activities
5. Contractor, Subcontractor and Labour Hire Management
  • • Engagement of contractors for tree pruning and removal without adequate WHS system verification
  • • Poor control over subcontracting chains leading to unqualified or under-resourced crews on site
  • • Inadequate communication of client and principal contractor WHS requirements to arboricultural contractors
  • • No standardised induction for external crews covering site-specific tree risks, complex operations and emergency arrangements
  • • Lack of performance monitoring of contractors, including failure to review incident records and non-conformances
  • • Commercial pressure and poorly scoped contracts encouraging unsafe shortcuts or inadequate resourcing
6. Plant, Equipment and Tool Management
  • • Inadequate procurement standards for chainsaws, chippers, stump grinders, EWPs, trucks and injection equipment used in tree works
  • • Lack of regular inspections, preventative maintenance and tagging for critical plant
  • • Use of non-standard or incompatible components in rigging systems and pruning tools
  • • Poorly managed calibration and maintenance of trunk injection systems and chemical dosing equipment
  • • Absence of pre-start and post-use inspection systems for plant used in aerial pruning and ground operations
  • • Uncontrolled modification of plant (e.g. guarding removal, non-approved attachments) to suit specific pruning tasks
7. Work at Height and Aerial Access Systems
  • • Inadequate organisational procedures for selection between climbing, EWP use or crane-assisted methods for pruning and removal
  • • Failure to enforce competency, rescue planning and equipment inspection for climbers and EWP operators
  • • Poor system for monitoring anchor point suitability and load management in complex tree canopies
  • • Insufficient controls for aerial works during crown reduction, target pruning or removal of infected trees near live traffic and public access
  • • Lack of documented aerial rescue plans and practice drills for climbers engaged in higher risk works
  • • Inadequate inspection, management and retirement criteria for climbing ropes, harnesses and fall protection equipment
8. Traffic, Public Interface and Site Security
  • • Insufficient planning and control of interactions between tree operations and live traffic (vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians)
  • • Inadequate exclusion zones and public access controls around tree pruning, felling and chipping activities
  • • Poor integration of traffic management requirements into job planning and resourcing
  • • Lack of coordination with local councils, road authorities or principal contractors about lane closures and detours
  • • Inconsistent signage, lighting and barrier systems, especially for works near schools, shopping areas or public events
  • • No procedure for managing unplanned public interference or aggressive behaviour at work sites
9. Hazardous Substances, Biological Agents and Tree Diseases
  • • Poor management of chemicals used in trunk injection treatments, stump treatments and tree wound care products
  • • Lack of documented procedures for handling, mixing, application and disposal of pesticides, fungicides or growth regulators
  • • Inadequate control of biological risks associated with infected trees, fungal pathogens, sap, dusts and decaying material
  • • Failure to manage biosecurity risks when moving between sites with known tree pests or diseases
  • • Insufficient storage, labelling and segregation of hazardous substances in vehicles, depots and at temporary sites
  • • Inadequate worker health monitoring for repeated exposure to chemicals, allergens and biological agents from tree material
10. Manual Tasks, Ergonomics and Fatigue Management
  • • Systemic reliance on manual handling for moving logs, branches, chippers and equipment without mechanical aids
  • • Lack of job design to manage repetitive pruning, overhead work and awkward postures for ground crews and climbers
  • • Inadequate fatigue management, especially during extended emergency storm response or large-scale tree removal programs
  • • Poor rostering and break scheduling during periods of high demand or adverse weather operations
  • • Limited consideration of individual capability, pre-existing injuries and restricted duties in task allocation
  • • No formal process for reporting, early intervention and managing musculoskeletal discomfort among tree care handlers
11. Communication, Consultation and Information Management
  • • Inadequate pre-job briefings leading to misunderstanding of tree risk assessments, pruning objectives and site constraints
  • • Poor communication between aerial and ground crews, especially during complex rigging, crown reduction or removal activities
  • • Lack of reliable communication systems in remote or heavily vegetated areas impacting emergency response
  • • Insufficient worker consultation on the practicality and effectiveness of established procedures and controls
  • • Fragmented information management leading to loss of critical records on tree assessments, permits, incidents and near misses
12. Emergency Preparedness, Rescue and Incident Management
  • • Lack of formal emergency response plans for incidents involving climbers, falling branches, plant entrapment or public injury
  • • Inadequate rescue capability and equipment on site for aerial incidents during pruning, crown reduction or removal
  • • No systematic process for incident notification, investigation and corrective action specific to tree works
  • • Insufficient coordination with emergency services in remote or difficult-access locations
  • • Poor post-incident support and return-to-work planning for injured workers involved in traumatic tree-related events
13. Ecological, Heritage and Community Value Management
  • • Failure to appropriately identify veteran, historic or culturally significant trees prior to pruning or removal
  • • Inadequate consideration of long-term tree health and structure when undertaking coppicing, pollarding, formative or crown reduction pruning
  • • Poor integration of arboricultural and ecological objectives, leading to unnecessary habitat loss or degradation
  • • Community dissatisfaction or legal challenge due to perceived inappropriate treatment or removal of high-value trees
  • • Lack of guidance on acceptable wound treatment, pruning cuts and retention strategies for veteran and habitat trees
14. WHS Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement
  • • No structured program for monitoring the effectiveness of WHS controls in tree pruning and ground operations
  • • Limited analysis of incident, near miss and defect data to identify systemic issues and trends
  • • Audit programs not tailored to the specific risks associated with aerial arboriculture and complex tree risk assessments
  • • Failure to close out corrective actions and improvement recommendations arising from incidents or audits
  • • Inadequate worker involvement in reviewing and refining practical control measures

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice: Guidance on planning and managing work at height, including tree work and aerial access.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements for selection, use, inspection and maintenance of plant such as chainsaws, chippers, EWPs and vehicles.
  • Safe Work Australia – Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice: Framework for identifying, assessing and controlling risks from manual handling in arboricultural operations.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice: Guidance relevant to chainsaws, chippers and other noisy plant used in tree work.
  • Safe Work Australia – First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements for first aid, emergency response and equipment appropriate to tree pruning and aerial rescue risks.
  • AS 2550 series: Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use, including relevant guidance where cranes are used for tree removal or lifting operations.
  • AS 1891 series: Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices, including harnesses, lanyards and anchorage systems for climbing and aerial access.
  • AS/NZS 3012: Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites, relevant to temporary power and electrical safety on arboricultural sites.
  • AS/NZS 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, supporting systematic WHS management for tree operations.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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