community woodland.

[David oakman]

The local village is getting a community woodland. Do you think everyone should have a chainsaw cert or do you think some lessons from a tree worker will do?

 

Or do we think local people should stick with loppers and hand tools and let the pros do the tricky stuff felling logging ect.

 

I wonder how this sits in the law?

[Andy Collins]

Tricky stuff, involving chainsaws, ticket holders only, the rest get bowsaws billhooks and loppers. You dont need loads of people operating saws anyway, one or two cutting, the rest dragging and burning, stacking etc.

[David oakman]

Yes that is what i think Andy there are two tree workers with tickets the rest can use hand tools be safer that way:001_smile:

[Gnarlyoak]

I've done some voluntary work with the councils local countryside service. No ticket, no chainsaw work, this even goes for their own rangers. Everybody else is given hand tools, gloves and made to sweat.

 

Of course this has more to do with LA insurance/liability issues, but as Andy says you don't want loads of people running around weilding chainsaws, especially if they have no training/experience.

[Ian Leach]

No ticket no chainsaw, as the insurance won't like it. I'm part of a coppice network and the volunteers only use bow saws, secatures and then drag and burn thats all.

 

Hope alls well with you anyway David

[chestnut]

we have a number of volunteers who help out in are little wood - and non of them are permitted to use a chainsaw as non have tickets or enough experience - as said one or two saws on the go in a specific area is more than enough

 

we even have doubts about the ability of some of them using sharp hand tools too - which can be very dangerous if they are not used to using them

 

but there is always plenty of work to do that does not involve saws and blades - like clearing, stacking, burning etc

 

the trick is to organise the volunteers to utilise their abilities and to keep them happy - at the same time as keeping everybody on site safe

 

we always limited the number of people on site - as too many bodies is a recipe for disaster - because you can't keep an eye on them all

[davetaz]

Any one picking up a tool and using it, even as a volunteer is classed as an employee and therefore need to be covered by insurance. Insurance will then prevent anyone without a ticket from using a chainsaw - unless it is on their own private land

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

No tickets, no saw, simples.

 

and NO arguments, ifs, buts whens, or just if, yeah but, no buts!

[Darren187]

we have a number of volunteers who help out in are little wood - and non of them are permitted to use a chainsaw as non have tickets or enough experience - as said one or two saws on the go in a specific area is more than enough

 

we even have doubts about the ability of some of them using sharp hand tools too - which can be very dangerous if they are not used to using them

 

but there is always plenty of work to do that does not involve saws and blades - like clearing, stacking, burning etc

 

the trick is to organise the volunteers to utilise their abilities and to keep them happy - at the same time as keeping everybody on site safe

 

we always limited the number of people on site - as too many bodies is a recipe for disaster - because you can't keep an eye on them all

 

couldn't agree more.

 

I suppose every situation is different in some way though. I coppice on a voluntary basis and prefer to have no more than three people with me whilst I fell.

 

And I have to have my own insurance (£5m PL), separate to the ranger I work with. My consolation is that I get the wood, and its stacked for free!