The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can safely and efficiently apply tree jacking techniques within organisational requirements

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements of this unit and include demonstration of:

following applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice relevant to the application of tree jacking techniques

following organisational policies and procedures relevant to apply tree jacking techniques

applying tree jacking techniques in line with the work order and within prescribed organisational tolerances

conducting operator maintenance on a chainsaw

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace

Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints

Assessment of required knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context

Assessment is to follow relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements

The following resources should be made available:

workplace location or simulated workplace

materials and equipment relevant to undertaking work applicable to this unit

specifications and work instructions

Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI11 Training Package

Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of required knowledge

Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills

Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access and correctly interpret and apply the required knowledge

Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process

Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances

Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency

The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate

Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English

Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment

Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Required skills

Technical skills sufficient to use and maintain relevant tools, machinery and equipment; advanced tree felling; efficiently and safely apply tree jacking techniques; accurately assess chainsaw chain and tree jacks condition

Communication skills and interpersonal techniques sufficient to interact appropriately with colleagues and others in the workplace

Literacy skills sufficient to accurately record and maintain information relating to tree jacking

Numeracy skills sufficient to estimate and measure and calculate time required to complete a task

Problem solving skills sufficient to identify problems and equipment faults and demonstrate appropriate response procedures

Required knowledge

Applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and established safe practices relevant to the full range of processes for applying tree jacking techniques

Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material, the cleaning of plant, tools and equipment and the recycling and re-use of timber with defects

Characteristics of trees and timber defects

Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures for applying tree jacking techniques

Tree jacking methods

Chainsaw operation, cutting sequences and safety

Established communication channels and protocols

Problem identification and resolution strategies and common fault finding techniques

Types of tools and equipment and procedures for their use, operation and maintenance

Appropriate mathematical procedures for estimating and measuring, including calculating time to complete tasks

Procedures for recording and reporting workplace records and information

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Tree jacked

is the process of felling trees 180o away from their natural lean using purpose built tree jacks, held in position by boring holes into the solid wood of the tree and securing the jacks to these

OHS requirements:

are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation and regulations, and organisational safety policies and procedures, and may include:

personal protective equipment and clothing

safety equipment

first aid equipment

fire fighting equipment

hazard and risk control

fatigue management

elimination of hazardous materials and substances

safe forest practices including required actions relating to forest fire

manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying

Environmental requirements may include:

legislation

organisational policies and procedures

workplace practices

Legislative requirements:

are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, certification requirements and codes of practice and may include:

award and enterprise agreements

industrial relations

Australian Standards

confidentiality and privacy

OHS

the environment

equal opportunity

anti-discrimination

relevant industry codes of practice

duty of care

Organisational requirements may include:

legal

organisational and site guidelines

policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility

quality assurance

procedural manuals

quality and continuous improvement processes and standards

OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures

ethical standards

recording and reporting requirements

equipment use and maintenance and storage requirements

environmental management requirements (waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines)

Work plan is to include:

instructions for tree jacking for the work site

and may include:

type

size

length

quantity

grade

instructions for the environmental monitoring of work and procedures

environmental care requirements relevant to the work

Appropriate personnel may include:

supervisors

offsider/jack operator

suppliers

clients

colleagues

managers

Trees

are those in positions where conventional cutting techniques will not facilitate desired fall direction

Environmental protection measures may include:

ground growth

canopy

general forest lean

wind speed and direction

fallen trees

density of trees

ground slope

soil and water protection

ground hazards

obstacles

contingencies for modifying operations during wet or other adverse weather conditions

Equipment may include:

tree jacks

chainsaws

specific safety attire

maintenance tools and equipment

and is to include:

procedures for chainsaw lock-out such as protecting operators and co-workers from accidental injury by isolating the machine

Communication may include:

verbal and non-verbal language

hand or other agreed signals

eye contact with other operators or personnel

active listening

questioning to clarify and confirm understanding

use of electronic communication devices

Environmental conditions may include:

ground growth

ground slope

gullies

water courses

seed trees

habitat trees

ground hazards

obstacles

Stability

is the physical stability of the tree in-situ, that it is safe to fell and not likely to contain defect

Defects may include:

shakes

insect defects

knots

resin pockets

Grade

is evaluation of the tree for defects, quality and size of log return

Fall direction

is 180o away from natural lean

Hang ups

are trees which become entangled or snagged with other objects, usually other standing trees and do not fall completely to the ground

Extraction

is the method of removing the log from the work site with mechanical equipment and cables, considering site conditions and specific log location

Cutting sequence

is the best direction or angle for making cuts to facilitate achieving the fall direction

Pre start-up checks

are conducted to ensure:

equipment has been set-up correctly

the systems are performing accurately and operating to optimum performance

Leaders

are new tree growth from the base or near the base of the tree

Records and reports may relate to:

tree type, size, length, diameter, inspection, grading and labelling outcomes, storage locations, quality outcomes, hazards, incidents or equipment malfunctions

and may be:

manual

using a computer-based system or other appropriate organisational communication system

Chain

is the fast moving component surrounding the chainsaw blade containing many linked teeth