Chipper Course

[tommer9]

That just sums it all up. I would love to know how they are going to pad it out into 2 daysLOL. Like all the training courese- licence to print money, and i have heard that from more than one training provider peeps, before anyone takes offence!:001_smile:

[Stephen Blair]

It's a piss take when you're putting 4 blokes through it!

 

what gets me about the whole training thing is its all done in the perfect environment with the perfect situation. not the real world. accidents happen when you have been busting a gut all day every day to make ends meet, hail rain or snow. training is there to cover the arses of employers, not actually train and educate the candidate imo. i passed my felling in 1995, i was in a good groundsmans job, 10k a year when i was 19, the full package government job. i was put through my felling tickets so i could work in the woods safely. it was a weeks course where we took down sitka in a lovely thinned wood. after i had passed it, i chucked my job and headed off to become a lumberjack in argyl. oh how i laugh now. i turned up in my white bmw 316, head to toe in brand new stihl gear. 2 old vans turned up, 6 guys piled out and just burst out laughing when they saw me, and asked wtf i was doing in the woods if i had a bmw? well you can only imagine how far from my weeks course i was when thrown into work. i couldnt even cut down a pile of regen, after a week of hell and wrecking a few 100foot douglas and nearly killing myself with fatigue and lack of experience i was put onto brashing for 4 weeks, at least i made some money. i chucked it because i hadnt a clue what i was doing and these guys didnt have time to hold my hand. the course led me into thinking i was capable of doing a job i clearly wasnt ready for. even when i first started using chippers a few years later, it took me a few months to get confident using them. not 2hrs in a car park. i had to edit this, i just realised it was a 2 day course and not 2 hrs. lol

Edited July 4, 2009 by Stephen Blair

[Highland Forestry]

That just sums it all up. I would love to know how they are going to pad it out into 2 daysLOL. Like all the training courese- licence to print money, and i have heard that from more than one training provider peeps, before anyone takes offence!:001_smile:

 

For me it was two pointless wasted days which is obviousley two days money up the swaney... luckily we've been quite quiet so it wasnt like we were on a deadline for anything, but the two days is a joke...

 

Honestly, you could do absolutley everything required and answer all the questions, the whole lot of it in under 2hrs...

 

I've actually got pneumonia at the moment, so as you can imagine, doing the assessment with it I wasn't and haven't and still am not in the best of moods!

Bear with a sore head and all that..

 

Where do I go to become an assessor/trainer..... looks an easy job to me.

[Highland Forestry]

what gets me about the whole training thing is its all done in the perfect environment with the perfect situation. not the real world. accidents happen when you have been busting a gut all day every day to make ends meet, hail rain or snow. training is there to cover the arses of employers, not actually train and educate the candidate imo. i passed my felling in 1995, i was in a good groundsmans job, 10k a year when i was 19, the full package government job. i was put through my felling tickets so i could work in the woods safely. it was a weeks course where we took down sitka in a lovely thinned wood. after i had passed it, i chucked my job and headed off to become a lumberjack in argyl. oh how i laugh now. i turned up in my white bmw 316, head to toe in brand new stihl gear. 2 old vans turned up, 6 guys piled out and just burst out laughing when they saw me, and asked wtf i was doing in the woods if i had a bmw? well you can only imagine how far from my weeks course i was when thrown into work. i couldnt even cut down a pile of regen, after a week of hell and wrecking a few 100foot douglas and nearly killing myself with fatigue and lack of experience i was put onto brashing for 4 weeks, at least i made some money. i chucked it because i hadnt a clue what i was doing and these guys didnt have time to hold my hand. the course led me into thinking i was capable of doing a job i clearly wasnt ready for. even when i first started using chippers a few years later, it took me a few months to get confident using them. not 2hrs in a car park. i had to edit this, i just realised it was a 2 day course and not 2 hrs. lol

 

 

Yep, totally agree with all of that Stevie...

I had a good example of somehting similar last week.

I was away, and ill and had a job come in so I sent two of the boys to a job to fell some big sitka for a 360 excavator putting a new road into a wood.... basic easy stuff....

I got a phone call at lunch time from one of the guys to say he had scared the crap out of himself, broken his saw, snapped my timber tape, snapped a high lift wedge and dropped one of the trees in the wrong direction..

 

This guy assured me he was ready for big sitka, and he is reasonably experienced felling smal stuff and is a good worker..... but, having done his courses he thought he was the man.... turns out he's still the boy!

[Highland Forestry]

I'd just like to add for anybody reading my last post....

 

After his phone call I stopped the job before somebody got hurt or any more of my kit got FUBAR'ed!!!

[Stephen Blair]

Yep, totally agree with all of that Stevie...

I had a good example of somehting similar last week.

I was away, and ill and had a job come in so I sent two of the boys to a job to fell some big sitka for a 360 excavator putting a new road into a wood.... basic easy stuff....

I got a phone call at lunch time from one of the guys to say he had scared the crap out of himself, broken his saw, snapped my timber tape, snapped a high lift wedge and dropped one of the trees in the wrong direction..

 

This guy assured me he was ready for big sitka, and he is reasonably experienced felling smal stuff and is a good worker..... but, having done his courses he thought he was the man.... turns out he's still the boy!

 

it isnt even his fault either mat, if someone gives you a cetificate and a pat on the back then you do feel as if you are ready for it.

[Highland Forestry]

it isnt even his fault either mat, if someone gives you a cetificate and a pat on the back then you do feel as if you are ready for it.

 

yep, I know..... been there myself. Probably my fault also for letting them go to the job just on the say-so that they were ready for larger trees.

[tommer9]

it isnt even his fault either mat, if someone gives you a cetificate and a pat on the back then you do feel as if you are ready for it.

 

Not only that mate, but you are actively encouraged in that direction-" go on , you've been taught, whats stopping you" attitude.

[Jamie]

I trust you remembered to let go of the branchy bits when they went in.

 

Jamie

[Stephen Blair]

I trust you remembered to let go of the branchy bits when they went in.

 

Jamie

 

you have to do that:ohmy: