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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for felling
   • Identify and comply with applicable work health and safety (WHS), environmental, legislative and organisational requirements relevant to felling trees
   • Identify and adhere to site environmental protection measures according to relevant legislation and regulations
   • Review job requirements and check with appropriate personnel
   • Select tools and equipment appropriate to work requirements and check for operational effectiveness according to manufacturer recommendations
   • Sharpen and adjust chainsaw or change components according to manufacturer recommendations
   • Identify and control potential and existing risks and hazards in the work area
   • Identify trees to be felled as being safe to fell
   • Establish and maintain communication with others according to OHS requirements
2. Visually assess site conditions and surroundings
   • Review terrain and slope to determine if they add significant complexity to the operation
   • Assess general factors affecting felling requirements and detect and control specific forest or site risks and hazards
   • Assess and progressively plan tree-felling sequence for individual trees
3. Assess tree and plan felling
   • Locate and visually assess tree for felling characteristics
   • Confirm tree is safe to fell
   • Assess and check required falling direction and possible deviation
   • Plan sequence of cuts to fell tree according to standard felling procedures
   • Assess limitations of own skills in safely felling trees, identify trees considered outside own skill level and seek assistance from appropriate personnel where required
   • Monitor and exclude location and activity of other personnel on the work site
4. Apply tree-felling techniques
   • Select suitable escape route and clear of growth and other obstacles according to environmental care principles and statutory requirements
   • Fell individual trees using planned techniques according to site requirements, at a safe distance from other personnel in the work area
   • Adjust cutting technique in response to movement and condition of tree
   • Use planned escape route when tree starts to fall and monitor the fall and movement of tree on ground until determined stable
   • Delay movement back into the felling area until all tree material, including from adjacent tree crowns, has fallen
   • Identify and implement procedures for removal of trees that are hung-up
   • Dispose of waste materials in line with environmental and operational requirements
   • Detect, rectify and report blunt or damaged saw chain according to workplace procedures
   • Monitor chainsaw for operational effectiveness and record and report faults, malfunctions and problems according to workplace procedures

Range Statement

Not Applicable

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Performance Evidence

A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy all of the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit. If a specific volume or frequency is not stated below, then evidence must be provided that the following requirements have been performed on at least one occasion:

comply with applicable federal, state or territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice including OHS, environmental and organisational policies and procedures relevant to felling trees at an advanced level

comply with applicable licensing or certification requirements relevant to felling trees manually at an advanced level

effectively communicate and use safe working practices, including maintaining an awareness of other personnel activity in the work area

assess site conditions, by applying environmental protection measures, detecting hazards and own skill level for felling trees at an advanced level

conduct a tree assessment

identify structural defects and stresses in trees and the impact on felling, including exclusion of trees from hand felling due to hazardous and difficult situations for assessment, monitoring and safe falling including a crown that contains dead or broken material, entanglement or malformation

plan a felling sequence for individual trees and preparing surroundings including escape route

fell advanced trees using appropriate cuts safely without damage to personnel, equipment and surrounding environment

identify trees that are hung up

select, prepare and maintain chainsaw equipment including recognising faults, problems and malfunctions

assess, plan and safely operate chainsaw equipment to manually fell trees at an advanced level in forest, rural and community environments

use tree felling techniques including scarf cutting , back cutting to provide hinge-wood and the use of wedges to assist in controlling falling direction

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Knowledge Evidence

A person competent in this unit must be able to demonstrate knowledge of:

workplace health and safety (WHS) requirements including:

PPE and clothing

safety equipment

first aid equipment

firefighting equipment

hazard and risk control procedures

fatigue management procedures

appropriate signage

elimination of hazardous materials and substances procedures

safe forest practices, including required actions relating to fire

techniques for manual handling, including shifting, lifting and carrying

types and purposes of cuts to fell trees, including scarf cutting and back cutting to provide hinge-wood and maintain control of tree

typical tree defects and how these affect tree felling activities:

shakes

insect defects

knots and resin pockets

pipe

drysides

Identifying trees:

that contain hazards and are deemed unsafe to fell

considered outside own skill level

trees where cuts made may lead to loss of control of tree in felling

hazards and related risks and the impact on felling trees of:

uneven and unstable terrain

unsafe trees

fires

overhead and underground services

excavations

traffic

structures

hazardous materials

insects and animals

other personnel and machinery

methods used to remove trees that are hung up and procedures for removal

methods for assessing chain condition

environmental protection measures to follow when felling trees related to:

native vegetation

soil and water

heritage and archeological artefacts

flora and fauna

geomorphologic features

landscape

external site pollution

recreational opportunities

regeneration opportunities

cleaning plant, tools and equipment

disposing of, recycling and reusing timber and other waste

key features of these varying environmental conditions and their effects on advanced tree felling activities:

general forest lean

ground growth

ground hazards and obstacles

ground slope

gullies

presence and density of seed and habitat trees

water courses

wet and adverse weather conditions

wind speed and direction

the use of types of tools and equipment for felling trees manually, and the procedures for their safe use, operation and maintenance including:

warning signs

chainsaw and components

PPE and clothing

first aid equipment

maintenance requirements

support tools

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