A popular chainsaw training course for those wanting to learn about chainsaws for the first time or experienced users wanting to formalise their existing knowledge.
What is involved in the Chainsaw maintenance and cross cutting course?
- 2 days training, plus 1 day City & Guilds assessment (0039-20)
- OR Lantra Awards Integrated Training and Assessment - 2 days. Lantra Awards Chainsaw maintenance and cross cutting Integrated Training and Assessment. This is aimed at people who may need to use a chainsaw at work but it is not their main source of work.
- Leads to the City & Guilds NPTC qualification 0039-20, which is the gateway to the entire suite of chainsaw units.
- Learn how to maintain your saw effectivley
- Learn how to cross cut timber safely and efficiently
Objectives : Chainsaw Maintenance and Crosscutting
- Identify the necessary Personal Protective Equipment
- Report on its condition and locate standard marks
- Identify health & safety features required on a chainsaw
- 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.
- Carry out correctly all routine maintenance in accordance with the manufacturers instructions
- Prepare the chainsaw for use with the correct fuel/oil mix and saw chain lubrication.
- Start the chainsaw from both hot and cold in a safe manner
- Carry out pre-cutting tests and state the procedures if the chainsaw fails these tests
- State the hazards/risks when carrying out maintenance or operational tasks
- 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
- Organise site safety and state the procedures required
What qualifications do I need to ahve to do this cousre?
None! Just a reasonable level of fitness and desire to learn!
Refresher Training should be refreshed every 3-5 years.
Do I have to bring my own equipment and PPE?
Kit hire - We have a full range of hire PPE (Person Protective Equipment), Chainsaws, maintenance tools and small felling tools if required. Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like to hire any kit.
My guidebar is not 15” does it matter?
Lantra Awards Basic Chainsaw courses and NPTC assessments all have a 15” guide bar as the standard size. Up to guidebar length means a tree when de-buttressed with a diameter at ground level of around 15” or 380mm. Small variations are acceptable, (in the NPTC assessment at the Assessors discretion) it’s probably not worth spending on a new bar & chain unless they are in poor condition and you would have had to replace them anyway.
However, anything outside the 14 - 16” range is likely to be unsuitable, for obvious reasons with a smaller guide bar – you will run out of capacity at the top end of the tree range, and a larger bar may be less accurate and too wide for boring cuts on a smaller tree.
Should I have type A or C trousers?
The clothing you choose to wear on one of our tree surgeon courses or chainsaw courses is ultimately a personal choice but be informed! Remember no protective clothing will guarantee that you don't have an accident.
There are 2 standard types of chainsaw trousers:
Type A - these protect the front leg only.
Type C - these protect all round the leg. These are commonly worn by arborists, to provide all round protection when climbing and operating a chainsaw or by people who use chainsaws occassionally.
Protective clothing is discussed during all tree surgery courses.
Where are the courses held?
Our chainsaw training courses are held at our site near Tunbridge Wells, where we have a heated workshop and plenty of trees for practice.
Do I have to do a First Aid course?
First Aid training is an essential part of your preparation to use chainsaws, so please look into this if you do not currently hold a relevant qualification. We are pleased to offer an Emergency Outdoor First Aid at Work course through Sussex first Aid. Ian has a wealth of first aid and trauma experience and has created a more bespoke course for the industry – although all the skills are covered (including catastrophic bleeds and trauma), the scenarios and accidents discussed are tailored to the forestry and arb industry.
HSE - Chainsaws at work - this publication covers a number of points to think about when using a chainsaw at work.