Jon Kiely
British Standard BS 3998:2010 is 15 years old, which begs a question - what has happened to arboriculture in the last decade and a half? It’s a question that we need your help to answer.
I ask this as chair of the newly formed BS 3998 review panel. This review panel intends to work differently through engagement with as wide an audience as possible. We are here to listen and collaborate with individual professional people and organisations to help shape this key industry publication. We want to hear from climbers, contractors, consultants, tree officers, and all other allied practitioners and stakeholders.
Given the time elapsed from the release of the previous version, we are certain there are new topics to be introduced to the Standard, and equally various elements that should be confined to the annals of history given the progression in our knowledge of many aspects of arboriculture and the effects of tree work on tree health and amenity.
In any event, we aim to undertake this challenging revision in as transparent a manner as possible, as what we are trying to avoid is a situation where a draft revision is published that generates an overwhelming reaction of negativity. Our aim is to progress our joint knowledge and application of tree care through positive consultation and knowledge sharing. To achieve this, we want to hear from you.
Already we’ve had great feedback from a limited consultation that raised important issues to be discussed by the panel such as:
- pruning
- veteran/ancient trees
- environmental arboriculture
and the list goes on.
The official review process is only just kicking off, but it’s clear from the start we’ve got the right team together: diverse, enthusiastic, and with wide-ranging skills and experience. And one of the key strengths is our ability to listen.
To get this running in a manageable fashion requires careful administration. And the great news is that the Arboricultural Association will be helping to facilitate this important, or rather essential, piece of work. I have been asked to speak at this year’s Conference at the University of Warwick in September and to host a workshop to get feedback on all aspects of BS 3998. In addition, I will be writing a regular piece for ARB Mag to keep the Association’s members abreast of the panel’s progress. I’ve also been asked to talk at the National Tree Officer’s Conference in November, which will be great to get specific local planning authority feedback.
In the meantime, an early proposition is to change the name of the current Standard (to help with reader engagement) from ‘Tree work’ to ‘Tree care’, hopefully reflecting a more nuanced understanding of our technical interactions with trees. And we’d like to know what you think about this.
We’d also like to know your thoughts on non-technical aspects such as useability and flow. What level of detail should the BS go into? Do you think BS 3998 would benefit from more diagrams, flowcharts, bullet points?
I will advertise an official line of communication around the time of the Association’s Conference, but in the meantime, please make your own review of BS 3998 and get ready to help shape this process from September onwards.
Let’s make a revision for the betterment of tree care. Thank you.
Jon Kiely is a Chartered Arboriculturist, Fellow of the Association and Chartered Environmentalist with over 30 years’ experience in practical and professional arboriculture.
This article was taken from Issue 210 Autumn 2025 of the ARB Magazine, which is available to view free to members by simply logging in to the website and viewing your profile area.