training joe public in chainsaw use?

[Alinicoll]

[Stephen Blair]

the folk that have sense will have bought a starter bag of tricks with the saw ,trousers,protective wellies,hat gloves.and they usually have a lovely filing kit aswell. these folk are fine, terrified of the saw and only cut things in a vice they have rigged up in their shed.. the other mentals will never be told..the best/worst one i ever saw was rocket scientest, yes he worked for nasa....shorts, sandals, woodturners clear visor and a workmate...he was about 5'2" 7 stone and he had a brand new husky that would make an oregon logger nervous(biggest you can get especially flown in from the states) with a 30 inch bar..i tried to explain to him the dangers and he looked at me as if i had 2 heads. if i were you, i would sell them the wood and let them go, get some flyers off some trainers like arbocop and hand them too them and walk away..some people just feel they know better and cant sense danger, half the time the chains are on backwards anyway

[skyhuck]

Way back when I felled dead Elms and cut them up in shorts and trainers, I was fine.

 

I will sell timber too anyone, what they do with it is their concern.

 

I have had no training, only assessment.

 

IMO, the world has gone training mad.

[tommer9]

So true. Worked for a guy week before last, who brought out a 3 yr old ms180. I was leaving all the wood in lengths and he was going to log it later. I was sort of impressed that it wasnt a ryobi etc, but totally unsurprised when he looked at me blankly when i asked him if he even had a helmet.....then he started the whole sawing thing (using a running saw like a handsaw- you know) and when i asked him if he had sharpened it he just looked confused. I left it at that. He'll never change. Not my problem.

[firewoodman]

i can relate to the above, but some do ask me if can give them a basic training lesson, and yes they are going to go and do it ayway.

 

i would like to weld, but would not use one withoult being shown first, i dont want to a full course, as i only need to do small occasional stuff. but i want to be safe.

 

this is the same as most of my customers (for chainsaws, not welding)

[Stephen Blair]

if you are qualified and insured then go for it, if not i wouldnt mate

[Littletree]

Hi there Giving some friendly advice to someone how to stay safe with there saw is great and could save them from having a nasty accident with it as most people that go to B&Q and buy a saw will not have a clue how to use it or the dangers with no PPE.

 

Charging for giving advice or training is a different ball game as when you take payment for something there is a level of expectation that then comes in if they were to hurt themselves after your training could land you in court with no backing from the recognised governing body's as to the standard of training you had delivered to them .

.

I would imagine that

Recognised chainsaw trainers would be affiliated to say eg LANTRA a governing body they would have to deliver a certain standard of training and be guided by a schedule of what to deliver they would have some type of insurance.

 

If the trainee then went home after the training and had an accident and blamed the trainer for it when it went to court the trainer would have the Governing body's to support them and the trainer can prove that they delivered a certain level of training to a set standard the the lawsuit would fall apart unless the trainee could show that the trainer acted negligently IE giving training that does not comply or is outside of the schedule for the course the trainee is attending

 

Just my humble opinion for what its worth.

Eastwater:001_smile:

[Dean Lofthouse]

On one of my jobs last week the guy (70 odd year old) came back at lunch from B&Q with an electric chainsaw with a 16" bar and asked me to put it together for him.

 

I advised him against chainsaw use but he still went ahead and had a go, first cut through a privet stem he hit the wall and knacked the chain.

 

All I did was enlighten him about the kickback zone. But I do think B&Q should be a little more responsible in their selling. An information pack should be sent out with each chainsaw or indeed any other dangerous peice of equipment. Especailly to a 70 odd year old

 

When I sold tools and equipment I used to spend a little time with each customer running them through the ins and outs and advising them on how best to use, and care for their new purchase

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Whilst I agree that in many instances training "has gone mad", personally imo chainsaws should not even be sold by B&Q etc. I think that without atleast basic lantra or NPTC you shouldn't be able to buy a chainsaw, end of. That would hopefully shut down a big number of bob-a-job gardeners doing tree work too.

[nepia]

giving advice is totally different for charging for the service

 

Precisely. No-one's going to complain about someone who knows saws offering safety advice to someone who doesn't: you're only preventing harm and promoting safe (=less dangerous) use after all.

Taking money for it changes everything as described by Eastwater. There lies the minefield.