Any Certification Required For Groundsman

[Witterings]

1 hour ago, Paddy1000111 said:

Sounds like the OP is wanting to get out the office and see if this is a career move for him more than a source for wood! 

 

It's a bit of both ... I manage to scavange some wood and throughly enjoy the process of cutting it up and splitting it.

Despite the fact my day job went crazy busy as lockdown started I took on every single outside project imaginable at the house and it made me realise how I enjoy the physial side of doing something outside as opposed to sitting at a desk and it'd also bring me back to working with other humans.

I wouldn't totally give up my "day job" but would ideally do them both part time potentially and picking up some firewood as a by product as a bonus as well. 

[daltontrees]

14 hours ago, Witterings said:

 

It's a bit of both ... I manage to scavange some wood and throughly enjoy the process of cutting it up and splitting it.

Despite the fact my day job went crazy busy as lockdown started I took on every single outside project imaginable at the house and it made me realise how I enjoy the physial side of doing something outside as opposed to sitting at a desk and it'd also bring me back to working with other humans.

I wouldn't totally give up my "day job" but would ideally do them both part time potentially and picking up some firewood as a by product as a bonus as well. 

I'd suggest you do CS30/31 because it will make you much more useful than other branch draggers and you will get more work, especially with more responsible companies. You will also be able to use saws for your firewood. But the important bit is that almost any ticket training introduces you to the same key H&S aspects that turn up in all of them and will give good insight and condition your mind to how the industry is (or should be) organised. And there's a lot to be said for learning to strip a saw down and put it back together. I did it after working in offices for decades, and it makes you feel human again.

You should expect payment too, and there's almost always wood being chucked out that's available for free. But volunteering might get your foot in the door to start with and give you an idea of whether the reality of hard graft in the rain doesn't supplant the nice notion of working outdoors.

[Witterings]

2 hours ago, daltontrees said:

I'd suggest you do CS30/31 because it will make you much more useful than other branch draggers and you will get more work, especially with more responsible companies. You will also be able to use saws for your firewood. But the important bit is that almost any ticket training introduces you to the same key H&S aspects that turn up in all of them and will give good insight and condition your mind to how the industry is (or should be) organised. And there's a lot to be said for learning to strip a saw down and put it back together. I did it after working in offices for decades, and it makes you feel human again.

You should expect payment too, and there's almost always wood being chucked out that's available for free. But volunteering might get your foot in the door to start with and give you an idea of whether the reality of hard graft in the rain doesn't supplant the nice notion of working outdoors.

 

Agree with everything in here ... although I'd possibly go one step further and do the felling small trees as well, I think it's only an extra day and is a lot cheaper to do all at the same time than separately.

 

Must admit the bit that I won't be too keen on is the rain, that said I started doing quite a bit of cycling a few years ago and love the saying .... "There's no such thing as bad weather, just a poor choice in clothing" 😄

 

And the cyclists on the road that think they own it and are complete a55holes .... I'm not one of them! 😂

[Khriss]

That would be a good effort. Easily get yrself a posting with those tickets. Otherwise yr just a bod from the pub after a days money. K

[daltontrees]

32 minutes ago, Witterings said:

Agree with everything in here ... although I'd possibly go one step further and do the felling small trees as well, I think it's only an extra day and is a lot cheaper to do all at the same time than separately.

 

CS31 is (or was) small tree felling.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Might sound daft but I speak from the position of experience of having firmly locked horns (and for the most part - pulled their pants down) with HMRC on the subject of goods in lieu of payment.  It’s a well trodden path and supported by fairly extensive legal precedent. 
 

Worst case scenario - both yourself (in the form of acquiring goods) AND the person / outfit benefitting from your labour ought to be aware of the potential requirements to declare non monetary benefits accrued to HMRC. 
 

Don’t shoot the messenger! Just saying what “should” happen. 😂😂😂

 

Scale / value / profile are all relevant. Keep it low key under the radar probably quite low risk.....

 

Here it comes.......

 

But 😆

 

Imagine the scenario where a person / outfit gets an HMRC investigation. 
 

In the course of investigation it comes to light that a casual labourer is engaged for general ground tasks....  Not inconceivable. 
 

Where are the PAYE files or Labour only invoices?

 

What there ain’t none?

 

Well how are they paid?

 

They take wood. 
 

Ah, what is the value of the wood?

 

...... and the next thing you know you’re in the Royal Courts of Justice trying to explain to the Tribunal judge the difference in “value” of green Arb arisings as distinct from split, stacked, seasoned, delivered firewood.
 

Just a precautionary tale on a rainy lunchtime whilst watching PMQs 😂😂 
 

That aside, get on and do the CS30/31. You’ll love it and it will make YOU safer and more efficient regardless of how you use the new skills. 
 

It’s a couple hundred squid or so? Treat yourself and call it a holiday / break / personal development whatever 👍🏻

Edited January 13, 2021 by kevinjohnsonmbe

[Paddy1000111]

35 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Might sound daft but I speak from the position of experience of having firmly locked horns (and for the most part - pulled their pants down) with HMRC on the subject of goods in lieu of payment.  It’s a well trodden path and supported by fairly extensive legal precedent. 
 

Worst case scenario - both yourself (in the form of acquiring goods) AND the person / outfit benefitting from your labour ought to be aware of the potential requirements to declare non monetary benefits accrued to HMRC. 
 

Don’t shoot the messenger! Just saying what “should” happen. 😂😂😂

 

Scale / value / profile are all relevant. Keep it low key under the radar probably quite low risk.....

 

Here it comes.......

 

But 😆

 

Imagine the scenario where a person / outfit gets an HMRC investigation. 
 

In the course of investigation it comes to light that a casual labourer is engaged for general ground tasks....  Not inconceivable. 
 

Where are the PAYE files or Labour only invoices?

 

What there ain’t none?

 

Well how are they paid?

 

They take wood. 
 

Ah, what is the value of the wood?

 

...... and the next thing you know you’re in the Royal Courts of Justice trying to explain to the Tribunal judge the difference in “value” of green Arb arisings as distinct from split, stacked, seasoned, delivered firewood.
 

Just a precautionary tale on a rainy lunchtime whilst watching PMQs 😂😂 
 

That aside, get on and do the CS30/31. You’ll love it and it will make YOU safer and more efficient regardless of how you use the new skills. 
 

It’s a couple hundred squid or so? Treat yourself and call it a holiday / break / personal development whatever 👍🏻

I wouldn't worry too much about that in this case as you're effectively taking waste. Next thing we will have HMRC charging the free tip sites on here for free goods. If HMRC asked then you're on work experience to see if you enjoy the industry, you have a proper job as well so I doubt they would even ask. If you were working and being paid in chainsaws and stuff then it would be a different scenario! 😂

[eggsarascal]

6 minutes ago, Paddy1000111 said:

I wouldn't worry too much about that in this case as you're effectively taking waste. Next thing we will have HMRC charging the free tip sites on here for free goods. If HMRC asked then you're on work experience to see if you enjoy the industry, you have a proper job as well so I doubt they would even ask. If you were working and being paid in chainsaws and stuff then it would be a different scenario! 😂

I'm sure you realise if it's waste he will need a waste carries license?, that aside I'd take the word of a member here who's been through the courts involving this matter.

[Paddy1000111]

26 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

I'm sure you realise if it's waste he will need a waste carries license?, that aside I'd take the word of a member here who's been through the courts involving this matter.

We're talking about a guy who wants to do work experience and get out the office and maybe take home some logs... We aren't talking about a guy with a big van/hgv turning up and starting a log company with the free logs he gains 😂

 

He shouldn't need a waste carriers licence as either he is going to be loading it into his car and is not transporting waste for business as if he was everyone who takes some garden waste to the dump needs a lower tier licence. The other scenario is the person transporting it is the company he's working for and they *should* have a lower tier carriers licence for green waste if you want to be anal about it. 

 

I'm not saying that kevins wrong, just that we're talking about a guy doing some work experience and taking home some logs not a company exchanging a service for stocks and shares. You can earn £1000 before having to register as a sole trader, that's a s*** load of logs. 

[Witterings]

22 minutes ago, Paddy1000111 said:

You can earn £1000 before having to register as a sole trader, that's a s*** load of logs. 

 

Especially if they're uncut, unsplit and unseasoned.

 

If you'd done your chipper and up to felling small trees certificates and had your own saw you could use .... what would you get paid per day approx as a subbie in the south?

 

And how much extra if your phone stayed in your pocket all day 😄