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Elements and Performance Criteria
Range Statement
Performance Evidence
The candidate must perform the remedial and corrective pruning operations involved in branch pruning, reduction pruning and stem pruning. The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.
The candidate must provide evidence for and demonstrate:determining location of above-and-below-ground servicesundertaking a site-specific risk assessment by identifying work health and safety hazards and assessing riskreceiving pruning instructions from supervisor and clarifying prior to undertaking workcommunicating with work team during operations using voice, hand and whistle signalsconfirming first aid, rescue equipment and rescue procedures applicable to tree workidentifying location of tree to be prunedinspecting trees for access and workdetermining type extent and limit of pruning work in accordance with the specifications, scope of works or client briefmaintaining awareness of power line proximity, safe approach distances and clearancesselecting appropriate tools and equipment for pruningconsidering access and impact value of secateurs, handsaws, chainsaws and polesaws selecting, preparing, and carrying out pre-operational and safety checks, on tools, equipment and machineryselecting and using personal protective equipmentsterilising pruning equipment in between work on individual trees in accordance with hygiene and biosecurity considerationsrecording and implementing work health, safety, site, environmental and traffic control measuresinvestigating stem bark ridge, old cuts, dead branches and occluded and occluding branches determining the separate parts to be a branch or co-dominant stem in relation to the tree anatomy and branch attachmentdetermining the part requiring removal to be a branch or a co-dominant stemusing sharp pruning tools to make clean cutsoperating chainsaws and polesawsimplementing pruning cuts to the standards required by AS 4373applying compartmentalisation of decay in tree (CODIT) principles pre-cutting or undercutting branches to avoid splitting or tearingremoving remaining stub with final cutobserving final cut procedure for branch removal for cutting as close as possible to the branch collar without cutting into the branch collar or leaving a protruding stub.using branch bark ridge to determine angle of cut when removing a branch in the absence of a visible collarensuring bark at edge of all branch pruning cuts remains firmly attachedusing the branch bark ridge as a guide to the angle and position of the final cut when making reduction cutsensuring the lateral branch to which the final cut is made, is at least one third of the diameter of the branch being reduced at the point of the final cut.using the stem bark ridge to determine the angle of cut when removing a co-dominant stembeing guided to the position and angle of the final cut, by positions and angles of joins between tissue of declining or dead stems and those of healthy stems elsewhere in treeensuring bark at edge of all stem pruning cuts remains firmly attachedinspecting past pruning cuts to determine tree responseusing tree response to assess the quality of past pruning cutsseeking feedback on pruning from other arboristsidentifying and rectifying incorrect pruning cutsmodifying future pruning cuts based on tree responses and feedback from othersdropping pruning material into designated drop zonecleaning, maintaining and storing tools and equipmentcollecting and disposing of, or recycling pruned material in a manner that causes minimal environmental damagemaintaining workplace recordsuse of industry-standard terminology to describe arboriculture and the work environment.
Knowledge Evidence