The unit involves undertaking environmentally effective and sustainable tree salvaging operations in a fire salvage environment

The skills and knowledge required for competent workplace performance are to be used within the scope of the person's job and authority

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Identify environmental care requirements

1.1. Applicable Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), environmental, legislative and organisational requirements relevant to following environmental care practices in completing fire salvage operations are identified and followed

1.2. Work order is reviewed and environmental care requirements are identified and clarified with appropriate personnel

1.3. Existing and potential environmental risks and hazards are identified and reported to relevant personnel

2. Prepare for fire salvage operations

2.1. Schedule for salvaging is reviewed and confirmed with appropriate personnel

2.2. Operational activities are identified

2.3. Preliminary site work is confirmed

2.4. Tree location and stability are assessed for conditions likely to effect safety and merchandising priorities

2.5. Equipment is selected appropriate to work and environmental care requirements in line with workplace procedures

2.6. Equipment is checked for effectiveness in line with manufacturer's specifications

2.7. Planning permits and access permission are confirmed

2.8. Communication with others is established and maintained in line with OHS requirements

3. Perform fire salvage operations in line with environmental care requirements

3.1. Movement and whereabouts of personnel are monitored

3.2. Pre-harvesting environmental care requirements are undertaken

3.3. Designated trees are salvaged in line with salvage plan

3.4. Heads and non-merchantable stems are dispersed or otherwise handled in line with work order

3.5. Logs are hauled to log landings and landscape left in safe condition suitable for regeneration

4. Complete documentation

4.1. Product volumes are tallied and recorded in departing salvage site

4.2. Variations are reported in line with workplace procedures

4.3. Environmental care procedures are recorded and reported in line with workplace procedures

4.4. Breaches or potential breaches of relevant environmental regulations are reported in line with workplace procedures

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

Required skills

Technical skills sufficient to use harvesting plant and equipment; undertake advanced chainsaw harvesting techniques; undertake advanced 4WD operations

Communication skills sufficient to use appropriate communication and interpersonal techniques with colleagues and others

Literacy skills sufficient to accurately record and report workplace information, and maintain documentation; use standard VHF&UHF radios, GPS systems; read topographic maps; effectively assess salvage operation requirements including fire damage

Problem solving skills sufficient to identify problems and faults in plant and equipment; 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 using environmental care procedures to undertake fire salvage operations

Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material, the cleaning of plant, tools and equipment, returning the environment to its original or near to original condition on completion of activity and minimising noise

Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures for using environmental care procedures to undertake fire salvage operations

Environmental risks and hazards

Minimising environmental impact

Using material effectively and efficiently

Principles of ecological sustainability as they pertain to the specific forest type, landscape and fire regime to which the coupe or forest is exposed

Characteristics of trees and timber defects

Assessment of fire damaged trees

Fire salvage operations and strategies

Harvesting and extraction methods

Established communication channels and protocols including notification of authorities

Problem identification and resolution strategies in relation to plant and equipment used in salvage operations

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

Appropriate mathematical procedures for estimation and measurement

Procedures for recording and reporting workplace information

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 use environmental care procedures to undertake fire salvage operations

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 fire salvage operations

following organisational policies and procedures relevant to environmental care requirements

assessing salvage operation requirements including fire damage

preparing for fire salvage operations

performing a fire salvage operation in line with environmental care requirements

recording and reporting all information and data related to the fire salvage operation

using safe work practices

safely using plant and equipment associated with fire salvage operations, including:

harvesting plant and equipment

advanced chainsaw harvesting techniques

advanced 4WD skills

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 comply with 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

Method of assessment

Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI05 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 may be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of key competencies

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

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.

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

use of tools and plant appropriate to a task and used to safe working procedures

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

procedural manuals

continuous improvement processes and standards

OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures

ethical standards

recording and reporting requirements

equipment use, maintenance and storage requirements

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

Work order must include:

instructions for the trimming, felling and despatching of salvaged trees, including merchandising

directions on the treatment of non-merchantable trees and debris for the purpose of environmental care and site rehabilitation

prescriptions for maintenance of soil and water

wet weather restrictions

and may include:

instructions for the environmental monitoring of work and procedures

environmental care requirements relevant to the work

Environmental care requirements may include:

any activities and directives prescribed under legislation or required for standard certification requirements or as a management priority such as:

soil erosion mitigation

track, road, drainage and crossing maintenance

weed management

rehabilitation prescriptions

watercourse protection

flora and fauna management

Appropriate personnel may include:

managers

supervisors

foremen

operational staff

administrative staff

sub contractors

clients

Environmental risks and hazards may include:

spills

leaks

pollution

planned and unplanned emissions

soil compaction

disturbance and erosion

accidents

disposal of waste

damage or disruption to ecosystems

displacement of plant or animals

changes in land use

fire risks and threats

damage to habitats

illegal vegetation clearing

seed collection

firewood gathering

Schedule is to include:

plan

timeline

list of events to take place in conducting fire salvage operations

Operational activities may include:

coupe mapping exercises

site preparation

establishment of stream or water course buffers, filter strips, contours, gullies, crossing and other landscape protection

habitat, plant community, forest type protection

fauna and flora protection

timber dump

snig track

forwarding tracks

temporary and permanent road construction, use or maintenance

fire management

wet weather restrictions

Stability must include:

assessment of a tree to determine:

whether or not it is safe to leave standing

its merchantability

how it should be felled

Equipment may include:

chainsaws

VHF&UHF radios

GPS systems

safety attire

4WD

harvesting plant and equipment

Communication may include:

verbal or 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

radio communication

signals used under fire management conditions

Salvage

is the process of removing from a site, commercially viable trees that have been damaged by fire in such a way that leaves the site in a state of protection against further loss or damage to natural resources and in a state that rehabilitation can occur

Regeneration must include:

return of the area to a revegetated state

protection of all environmental assets

Records and reports may include:

OHS policies and procedures

quality outcomes

hazards

incidents

equipment malfunctions

and may be:

manual

computer based, or another appropriate organisational communication system

Common Technical

This unit contains employability skills