Who is it for?

Our chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting and felling up to 380mm course is suitable for anyone who maintains and operates chainsaws for cross-cutting and wants to fell trees up to 380mm (15″). This course is physical, so you must be fit and able to carry out the tasks required of the course.

The course will prepare candidates for the Level 2 City & Guilds/NPTC Awards in Chainsaw Maintenance, Cross-cutting, Felling and Processing Trees up to 380mm. As standard, this is a four day training course plus independent assessment on a fifth day.

Course content

• State and identify the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) required, report on its condition and locate the various standard marks.
• State and identify required safety and health features on a chainsaw.
• Identify faults and defects on a chainsaw and cutting equipment and decide which the operator can remedy and which require a service engineer’s attention.
• Select and identify correct tools to enable maintenance to be carried out and report on their serviceability.
• Carry out correctly all routine maintenance in accordance with the manufacturer manual.
• Prepare the chainsaw for use with the correct fuel/oil mix and chain lubrication.
• Start the chainsaw from both cold and hot in a safe manner.
• Carry out pre-cutting safety tests and state the procedures if the chainsaw fails these tests.
• State the possible hazards/risks when carrying out maintenance or operational tasks.
• Cross-cut timber accurately to required lengths.
• Assess and explain the terms ‘tension’ and ‘compression’ in timber.
• Adopt safe procedures to remove a trapped guide bar.
• Handle and stack timber in a safe manner.
• Organise site safety and state the precautions required.
• Identify the risk assessment and emergency procedures on a work site.
• Assess the trees to be felled for hazards and risks.
• Fell trees that have a diameter of less then the effective cutting length of the guide bar. Guide bar length not to exceed 380mm/15″.
• Assess a leaning tree and the safest method of felling.
• Make accurate cuts in the correct positions.
• Delimb felled trees in a safe and methodical manner.
• Assess a hung-up tree and the safest method of takedown.
• Select and prepare equipment required for safe and effective takedown.
• Take down hung-up trees to a safe and stable position.
• State unsafe practices which must not be adopted.