Cs39 course

[Tom_s]

Hello guys, I’ve soon got my cs39 course coming up. I’m very new to climbing having only passed the cs38 end of last month. I’m looking for any advise/ heads up about this course to give me a head start before I start it as it’s only a 2 days long and probably a lot to take in. Cheers

[Paddy1000111]

I assume this will be NPTC? It's easier than it sounds. It's just a process of demonstrating some different types of cuts and using something to assist you like putting a tape sling around the branch and then making the cut. 

 

You will have to repeat a load of stuff from cs38, health and safety etc. Climb the tree (this isn't a climbing test though). You will be asked to explain the different types of cut:

 

• Step cut
• Sink cut
• Inboard
• Outboard
• Vertical
• Horizontal
• V cut
• Holding cut

You will be asked to demonstrate each of these cuts twice:

 

• Step cut free fall
• step cut hand held
• sink cut free fall
• sink cut hand held
• pruning cut 

I was in the tree for 10 minutes and that was it! 

 

Here's the assessor guidance which is a start to finish guide to what they will ask you and get you to do:

 

Guidance CS39.pdf

Edited January 16, 2021 by Paddy1000111

[JAG63]

Where could it go wrong?

. turning up without current LOLER certification for equipment, assuming you're using your own/employer kit.

 

Assessment: Usually the stupid things, it's not a race:

. forgetting the theory H&S questions, or rather answers to them.

. not achieving a safe and stable work position prior to cutting.

. dropping something on another student/assessor/kit.

. one handed cutting with a chainsaw.

 

Assessors are usually on your side as long as you're safe.

Edited January 16, 2021 by JAG63
misread OP, assumed it was just assessment

[Paddy1000111]

1 hour ago, JAG63 said:

. one handed cutting with a chainsaw.

I still find it weird that one handed cutting is a NPTC approved technique but you fail the test if you do it 😂

[Paddy1000111]

1 hour ago, JAG63 said:

turning up without current LOLER certification for equipment, assuming you're using your own/employer kit.

Remember that chainsaw lanyards need LOLER cert too! 

 

Another good way to fail is not putting your chain brake on when manoeuvring or taking a hand off the saw, forgetting to flip your visor/ear protection down too. 

[Mesterh]

1 hour ago, Paddy1000111 said:

I assume this will be NPTC? It's easier than it sounds. It's just a process of demonstrating some different types of cuts and using something to assist you like putting a tape sling around the branch and then making the cut. 

 

You will have to repeat a load of stuff from cs38, health and safety etc. Climb the tree (this isn't a climbing test though). You will be asked to explain the different types of cut:

 

• Step cut
• Sink cut
• Inboard
• Outboard
• Vertical
• Horizontal
• V cut
• Holding cut

You will be asked to demonstrate each of these cuts twice:

 

• Step cut free fall
• step cut hand held
• sink cut free fall
• sink cut hand held
• pruning cut 

I was in the tree for 10 minutes and that was it! 

 

Here's the assessor guidance which is a start to finish guide to what they will ask you and get you to do:

 

Guidance CS39.pdf 184.08 kB · 5 downloads

If all it takes is 10 minutes to pass a cs39 then it's not what the paper is written on,imo.

 

 

[Paddy1000111]

11 minutes ago, Mesterh said:

If all it takes is 10 minutes to pass a cs39 then it's not what the paper is written on,imo.

 

 

Excluding the questions, rope set up, climbing into the tree etc... I'm on about time spent, saw in hand, doing the cuts which is what the course is really about. You have to make 10 cuts, 2 of each of the 5 types (usually on the same branch) in the tree. You should be able to make 10 basic cuts on the same 6" branch in 10 minutes. If you keep messing the cuts up (You get up to 6 goes) then you could be up there a lot longer, having to re-position etc etc 

 

There's a reason why CS39 is the shortest and by far cheapest of all the courses. You are learning the basics of not killing yourself with a chainsaw in the tree. You aren't really learning proper pruning techniques etc. All CS39 means is that you can use a saw in a tree, that's all. Thinking about it they should have done CS39/CS40 as one module. I feel like having the ability to use a saw in a tree is one thing but knowing what to cut and the pruning techniques is about 80% of the skill 

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Paddy1000111

[JaySmith]

Download the assessment schedule and have a read through that. Remember little details like decent chainsaw lanyard (without tears), ensure chainsaw is in working order little things like chain catcher and safety stickers for example. Make sure your gear has a LOLER ticket. If all the little details are in place then the instructor and then assessor are unlikely to pull your gear apart. Read up on some of the basic H&S and legislation stuff they may ask and learn a bit about target pruning as that used to come up in the schedule.

Familiarise yourself with the cuts required beforehand so you have a bit of an idea before you get there as the actual climbing time under instruction may be relatively short. Have a look on YouTube at some vids. Also buy a few Lyon tape slings that you can put on your harness to help with hand held sections, they are about £8 each and handy for rigging, creating false foot holds etc. Enjoy the course, you are there to be taught and not giving the course so they don’t expect you to know everything at this stage

[JaySmith]

I still find it weird that one handed cutting is a NPTC approved technique but you fail the test if you do it [emoji23]

One handed usage is allowed under certain circumstances. I would have thought that if you did it under one of these occasions and explained what you were doing and why then the assessor would look at this and use their judgement surely?

[Wonky]

9 hours ago, Paddy1000111 said:

I still find it weird that one handed cutting is a NPTC approved technique but you fail the test if you do it 😂

 

31 minutes ago, JaySmith said:

One handed usage is allowed under certain circumstances. I would have thought that if you did it under one of these occasions and explained what you were doing and why then the assessor would look at this and use their judgement surely?

The assessor will not put you in that situation, if he does then an explanation back to him of other ways that would be a better way would show your competency. 
but in my case I was asked in the theory part about using it one handed. The reply was, when you can’t do it anyother way. Ie reaching around a tree because you can’t get a better work position. Iirc.😉