This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to tie, dress, set and finish arborist knots, hitches and bends.

This unit applies to ground based workers undertake defined activities with appropriate methods, tools and information, work in a structured context , apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate limited autonomy and judgement, and provide solutions to a limited range of predictable problems. Work is implemented with low risk work procedures and to comply with Safe Work Method Statement documentation.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory, or certification requirements apply to this unit in some states and territories at the time of publication, and may differ according to jurisdiction. Specific determination should be sought through the relevant State or Territory. Works involving this unit of competency may be subject to local tree protection and preservation laws, and the relevant content of applicable Australian Standards.

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:

undertaking a site-specific risk assessment by identifying work health and safety hazards and assessing risk

confirming first aid and emergency equipment and procedures applicable to tree work

selecting and using appropriate personal protective equipment

recording and implementing work health, safety, site, environmental and traffic control measures

communicating with work team during operations using voice, hand and whistle signals

determining work application for:

ground-based knots

aerial knots

rigging knots and

climbing knots

determining appropriate knot for locking and non-locking attributes, strength, impact on rope strength, loosening and slippage

determining loss of rope strength using selected knot

determining appropriate rope for knot application

determining requirements for secondary knots and stopper knots

determining appropriate rope used for knot application

tying knot to form intended knot

leaving appropriate tail length approximately five times diameter of rope

dressing knot to align all parts of knot

setting knot to ‘tighten and load’ knot prior to use

finishing knot with selected stopper knot as required

inspecting completed knot

checking knot for correctness of assembly

confirming knot for correct work application

maintaining effective communication with work team

installing and using knot in work application

untying knot at completion of work task

clean and check ropes

reporting and tagging faulty or worn ropes

cleaning and storing personal protective equipment.

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

site-specific risk assessment

first aid and emergency equipment and procedures

personal protective equipment

work health, safety, site, environmental and traffic control measures

voice, hand and whistle signals

work applications for knots

knots for ground-based rigging tasks

knots for aerial rigging tasks

knots for climbing work tasks

determination of appropriate knot by evaluation of knot attributes:

locking and non-locking attributes

impact on rope strength

loosening and

slippage

determining loss of rope strength using selected knot

determination of appropriate rope for knot application

knot tying

intended knot

tail length

diameter of rope

alignment of knot parts

knot setting

knot tightening and loading

stopper knot

knot finishing

correctness of assembly and use in application

inspection, installation and use of knots

effective work team communications

tagging system

checking and cleaning ropes.

It is an industry requirement for the assessment of the knots appropriate to the work application as listed in the Range of Conditions section of this unit of competency.

Assessment must be demonstrated consistently over time in a suitable range of contexts and have a productivity-based outcome. No single assessment event or report is sufficient to achieve competency in this unit.

Assessment may be conducted in a simulated or real work environment, however determination of competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions.

The mandatory equipment and materials used to gather evidence for assessment include:

equipment:

static and dynamic rope kit

personal protective equipment (PPE)

first aid and emergency kit

traffic management kit

materials:

knot identification form

hazard identification and risk control form

equipment and PPE check form

emergency preparation form

work communications form

Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs in the assessment of arboriculture units of competency.

Assessment must be conducted only by persons who have:

arboriculture vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed

current arboriculture industry skills directly relevant to the unit of competency being assessed

Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Ground-based Rigging applications must include knowledge of:

Alpine butterfly knot

Bowline on the bight

Cows hitch with better half

Clove hitch + two half hitches

Half hitch pre knot

Klemheist friction knot

Marline pre knot

Marline spike hitch

Riggers knot + two half hitches

Running bowline

Sheet bend

Slippery sheet bend

Timber hitch

Zeppelin bend

Above Ground applications must include knowledge of:

Scaffold knot

Double Fishermans Knot/Prusik loop

Girth Hitch

English Prusik Knot

Marlin Spike

Clove Hitch

Double Overhand Stopper Knot

Sheet bend

Slippery Sheet Bend

Bowline Knot

Running Bowline Knot

Aerial Rigging applications must include knowledge of:

Cows hitch

Riggers knot + two half hitches

Clove hitch + two half hitches

Alpine butterfly knot

Half hitch pre knot

Marline pre knot

Marline spike hitch

Zeppelin bend

Running bowline

Bowline on the bight

Rolling hitch

Timber hitch

Sheet bend

Slippery sheet bend

Arboriculture (ARB)