Application
The unit involves planning and implementing non-commercial thinning operations in a variety of work settings, including: forest environments farms agriculture nurseries local councils The skills and knowledge required for competent workplace performance are to be used within the scope of the person's job and authority |
Prerequisites
Not Applicable
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Plan thinning operations | 1.1. Applicable occupational health and safety (OHS), environmental, legislative and organisational requirements relevant to planning and implementing non-commercial thinning operations are identified and followed 1.2. Site environmental protection measures are identified and adhered to in line with relevant legislation and regulations 1.3. Thinning operation parameters and method of operation are identified and checked with appropriate personnel 1.4. Relevant plans, legislation and regulations are reviewed and assessed to identify impact on thinning operations 1.5. Sample area is identified and trees are measured in line with organisational procedures 1.6. Level of overwood treatment is recommended, accounting for habitat or seed tree considerations in line with organisational procedures 1.7. Necessary approvals are sought and obtained in line with organisational procedures |
2. Implement thinning operations | 2.1. Thinning operations are implemented in line with plans, budget, OHS, environmental and legislative requirements 2.2. Communication with others is established and maintained in line with plans and OHS requirements 2.3. Required resources, equipment and authorisations are coordinated and obtained in line with organisational and legislative requirements 2.4. Schedule for operations is organised with appropriate personnel in line with organisational requirements 2.5. Trees are marked for treatment in line with plan and organisational procedures 2.6. Documentation requirements are identified and completed in line with OHS requirements |
3. Monitor thinning operations | 3.1. Monitoring points are identified and adhered to in line with organisational procedures 3.2. Operation is checked to ensure compliance with environmental, OHS, organisational and legislative requirements 3.3. Communication with coordinating personnel is maintained in line with OHS requirements 3.4. Operations are amended as required to ensure specifications, quality and performance targets are met |
4. Review thinning operations | 4.1. Operation is reviewed against inventory program and organisational and environmental requirements 4.2. Information and data are analysed to determine effectiveness of thinning operations and improvements to future operations 4.3. Recommendations for future operations are prepared, based on assessment of information collected 4.4. Operation processes are recorded and reported to the appropriate personnel |
Required Skills
This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit. |
Required skills |
Technical skills sufficient to analyse qualitative and quantitative information and data; handle retained stems without causing damage; protect stand from subsequent wind damage; collate and assess information against specified criteria; undertake treatments for overwood trees; recognise common diseases, pests and nutritional deficiencies Communication skills sufficient to use appropriate consultative, communication and interpersonal techniques with colleagues and others Literacy skills sufficient to prepare a range of reports, documentation and submissions where precise meaning is required; assess and extract critical information from sources, such as legislation and forest biology; record and report workplace information; maintain documentation Numeracy skills sufficient to measure, estimate and calculate time required to complete a task Problem solving skills sufficient to review and identify work requirements; identify problems and equipment faults; 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 planning and implementing non-commercial thinning operations Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material, the safe use and storage of chemicals, and the minimisation of noise and environmental impact Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures for planning and implementing non-commercial thinning operations Environmental risks and hazards Using energy effectively and efficiently Using material effectively and efficiently Available products for thinning operations Available thinning methods Environmental imperatives for forest area Hazards associated with treatments Pests, diseases, tree form and nutritional defects Possible causes of damage to the stand Relevant biology and stand dynamics for the species Stand parameters for forest type Treatments available for overwood trees Weed species and herbicide interactions Established communication channels and protocols Problem identification and resolution strategies, and common fault finding techniques Types of tools and equipment, and procedures for their safe use and maintenance Appropriate mathematical procedures for estimating and measuring, including calculating time to complete tasks Procedures for recording and reporting workplace information |
Evidence Required
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 plan, implement and review non-commercial thinning 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 planning and implementing non-commercial thinning operations following organisational policies and procedures relevant to planning and implementing non-commercial thinning operations planning non-commercial thinning operations in consultation with management to obtain inputs, and ensure efficient and safe processes and timelines safely conducting a non-commercial thinning operation in line with documented plan and budget, including marking trees for appropriate treatment reviewing operations and using findings to document improvements to future operations preparing and presenting a detailed report, including costs, processes and assessment of the operation |
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 |
Method of assessment | 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 |
Range Statement
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 |
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, maintenance and storage requirements environmental management requirements (waste minimisation and disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines) |
Thinning operations | may be designed to: maintain the health of the stand improve productivity and long-term sustainability provide for end product mix requirements manage notifiable weeds and may impact: organisation's public relations |
Environmental protection measures may relate to: | ground growth canopy general forest lean wind speed and direction fallen trees density of trees ground slope soil and water protection ground hazards and obstacles contingencies for modifying operations during wet or other adverse weather conditions hygiene of the area relevant commonwealth, state or territory, and local legislation and regulations, including issues related to notification of neighbours |
Parameters | may affect treatment recommendations and include: forest type size and geography of treatment area equipment and personnel available budget available local environmental conditions age and size of trees and stand parameters, including DBH distribution, basal area, crown health, tree size, species and tree bark characteristics |
Method | may be in line with: sampling undertaken forest type species stand history organisational requirements or procedures |
Appropriate personnel may include: | supervisors management colleagues clients relevant groups contractors |
Relevant plans may include: | tending plans harvesting plans organisational marketing and strategic plans plans or regulations relating to chemical use and environmental requirements |
Measured may include: | girth height number spread |
Overwood treatment may be: | expressed as a number of trees per hectare removed and may include: felling poisoning sapringing ringbarking |
Approvals | may be required by: environmental bodies local, state or territory, and federal government bodies and agencies long-term budget processes |
Communicationmay include: | verbal and non-verbal language constructive feedback active listening questioning to clarify and confirm understanding use of positive, confident and cooperative language use of language and concepts appropriate to individual social and cultural differences control of tone of voice |
Resources may include: | time people materials chemicals |
Equipment may include: | geographic information systems aerial photography hand tools mechanical equipment, such as chainsaw and harvesting equipment |
Authorisations may include: | permits approvals licences relating to neighbouring sites or properties hours of operation use and application of chemicals the environment |
Documentation requirements: | may be required where chemical agents are used for treatment and may include changes to: prescriptions supplementary notifications and approvals reports amendments to maps and plans |
Monitoring points: | may be time-based and frequency-based and may include: stream monitoring mechanical damage to trees |
Checked may include: | following OHS, organisational, legislative and environmental regulations, procedures, practices and precautions adherence to site environmental imperatives specifications, quality and performance targets documentation completed and submitted as required |
Information | may be: written printed verbal electronic visually displayed may include: aerial photographs history of forest visual observation local regulations and by-laws |
Records and reports may include: | difficulties or issues faced during planning and implementing the program forest assessments recommendations for future work results costs data analysis and may be: manual a computer-based system other appropriate organisational communication system |
Sectors
Not Applicable
Competency Field
Forest Growing and Management |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor