shortcuts to cs30/31 for experienced user?

[Chris Moss]

Hi everyone

I live in SW scotland and want to start getting qualified so I can take on tree work but I dont really want to spend nearly a grand and six days learning what I can already do! (and thats just for 31/32).

 

I have been sawing for ten years and the last five I have been cutting logs for firewood one morning a week. I probaly fell 20-30 trees a year on top of that. The last year i have started climbing and pruning small limbs. (I used to rock climb so feel quite comfortable in trees). I Have my own PPE, run a jonsered 2171, a smaller jonsered and bought an old ms200t in the autumn.

 

I guess that I am one of the hated 'cowboys' with no tickets and no insurance, however I have been taking things slowly and surely, not taking risks and mostly on land that I help manage. If I have a job I can't do safely I buy someone in, and learn from them. However I want to start getting tickets so I can use my skills properly .

 

Any advice on how to progress without spending loads of time and money sitting on a course not learning very much.?

[Mat]

Well, I suppose that your shortest shortcut would be to download the assessment schedules off the internet. Make sure you understand exactly what they require you to be able to do (or not do), then contact your nearest assessment center and book an assessment.

 

There is no need to 'prove training' prior to assessment (although NPTC for one recommend training before hand).

 

Should you be found 'not yet competent', you will know what you need to brush up on next time.

[Chris Moss]

Thanks Mat thats certainly a route I would be tempted by. I wonder if anyone else on here has done that and whether there are any pitfalls?

[Scott Walker]

Thanks Mat thats certainly a route I would be tempted by. I wonder if anyone else on here has done that and whether there are any pitfalls?

 

I know alot of climbers who need extra tickets like cs40 41 just book the assessment and dont bother with training, I know one lad went and dismantled a tree for an assessor to get his cs39 as he'd been doing it for years anyway.

[bob]

The main problem is do you know the correct ways to do things and what they expect of you.

I have seen plenty of folk think they can just do it with no training.

Do you know anyone that has recently done the training to discuss it with?

[Mat]

Thanks Mat thats certainly a route I would be tempted by. I wonder if anyone else on here has done that and whether there are any pitfalls?

 

The pitfalls are endless.

 

I have known 'experienced users' have the assessment stopped on the grounds of safety, while they were testing the saw prior to even cutting with it.

 

That, unfortunately, is why people do training courses.

[Chris Moss]

Thanks for your replies guys. I worry also that although i know my way around a saw, an assessor will be looking for a particular 'correct' way.

 

It does sound like I could do with a few hours with someone who has done the course recently or even an instructor to go over things first.

 

I will download the assesment schedules and have a read. Do you think there are any changes between the cs30/31 and the new 974/6?

[bob]

http://www.nptc.org.uk/qualificationschemes.aspx?id=3

002004 002005 are the new 30,31 as was

[A Townsend]

If you can familiarise yourself with the qualification guidances, hse publications and the owners manual of a saw you'll be most of the way there. You could try paying for a days training in order to see where you are and go from there? There are as many 'experienced' operators that are very good and capable of passing without training as there are 'experienced' operators that just don't know or are not capable of the required standard. It is wholly dependant on what experience, consolidation and mentoring that person has had.

 

Cheers,

 

Andrew

[Arbocop]

For my money the training is almost more worhtwile than the assessmnet.Any assessment can oly cheak a range of skills not all of them, and a cource will always cover things not on the assessmnet.

 

Having said that I also belive that if u have experiance with out training or training with out experiance you cannot fully apriciate the full range of skills, so do both.

 

The advice about get the sheduel book the test and see how you get on is the best way forward.