Level 2 Award

From first cuts to full-on felling, BNG Trainings five-day course will teach you all you need to know about using a chainsaw.   This is a hands-on course that delivers both practical skills and health and safety guidance as well as demonstrating that you and your employer have completed sufficient training to meet the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).

Overview in brief

The chainsaw is the go-to tool across any number of industries, from agriculture to woodland conservation.

It’s a powerful and portable machine, but also a dangerous one that requires regular maintenance.

There are a number of individual courses available to teach you the basics of chainsaw care and use, as well as specific skills such as tree felling and processing.

We’ve combined three of these to produce a comprehensive and intensive course that will save you precious time.

Running over five days, you’ll gain all the knowledge and confidence needed to work with a chainsaw safely and efficiently.

The finer details

BNG Training make sure this is run by experienced instructors working with small groups, so you’ll enjoy plenty of one-on-one training.

You’ll be walked through health and safety rules and regulations and learn maintenance tips and tricks.

Hands-on, practical sessions will then allow you to develop and hone your skills at cross-cutting, tree felling and branch removal.

Course sessions:

• HSE legislation and safety guidelines
• Overview of the chainsaw and maintenance equipment
• Maintaining the saw chain
• Maintaining the guide bar
• Power unit maintenance
• Starting the chainsaw and pre-cutting tests
• Cross-cutting timber and felled timber
• Felling
• Branch removal – snedding and de-limbing
• Take down hung-up trees using hand tools
• Clear site and chainsaw checks

This course is for people who are already working in, or are looking to work in one of the following industries: Arboriculture, Forestry, Agriculture, Horticulture, Woodland, Local Authorities, Conservation, Construction, Land-based.

Note: Due to the nature of the training a minimum level of fitness is required for specific operations. Whilst we would not want to disadvantage any learner it is an essential requirement.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify the risk assessment and emergency procedures on a worksite
• Organise site safety and state the procedures required
• Assess the trees to be felled for hazards and risks
• Fell trees which have a diameter less than the effective cutting length of a guide bar (guide bar length not greater than 380mm/15”)
• Assess a leaning tree and the safest method of felling
• Make accurate felling cuts in the correct positions
• De-limb felled trees in a safe and methodical manner
• Cross-cut timber accurately to required lengths
• Assess and explain the terms tension and compression in timber
• Adopt safe procedures to remove a trapped guide bar
• Handle and stack timber in a safe manner
• Assess a hung-up tree and the safest method of takedown
• Select and prepare equipment required for safe and effective takedown
• Check on the safety of takedown tools
• Make accurate severing cuts in the correct positions
• Select and use hand tools safely
• Take down hung-up trees to a safe and stable position
• State techniques which must not be used for the takedown of hung-up trees
• Identify the necessary personal protective equipment required, report on its condition and locate the various standard marks
• Identify safety and health features on a chainsaw
• Prepare the chainsaw for use with the correct fuel/oil mix and chain lubrication
• Start the chainsaw from both cold and hot in a safe manner
• Carry out pre-cutting safety tests and state the procedures if the chainsaw fails these tests
• State the possible hazards/risks when carrying out maintenance or operational tasks
• Organise site safety and state the procedures required
• Identify faults and defects on a chainsaw and cutting equipment and decide which the operator can remedy and which require a service engineer’s attention
• Select and identify correct tools to enable maintenance to be carried out and report on their serviceability
• Carry out all routine maintenance in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction book and/or the Lantra Awards workbook
• Cross-cut timber accurately to required lengths
• Assess and explain the terms ‘tension’ and ‘compression’ in timber
• Adopt safe procedures to remove a trapped guide bar
• Handle and stack timber in a safe manner.

Duration 5 Days