Stuart Phillips

You make it sound like there's a conspiracy in play here. BALI, as far as I can see it, are following 'best practice' as set down by the HSE's ICOP for PUWER. They don't run refreshers and make no financial gain from refreshers. Lantra will review and revise products, including training courses and qualifications, at regular intervals to ensure that they continue to be of value to the industry. Rather than trying to 'decide' on what constitutes industry best practice, its more a case of trying to decipher what would be best practice and then shaping the products being offered accordingly. To do that we end up taking to representatives from organisations such as the HSE, Arb Assoc, RFS, FISA, Forestry Commission and to employers. We also speak to training providers and instructors to ensure that what we come up with is deliverable. If, on the other hand, its a case of individuals and companies deciding that they do not need to undertake refresher training of any type, that's up to them. They are always the folk in the best position to know their own needs, and will be the people who have to defend that position in the case of an accident.

A quick update on this one. I have sat through two working group meetings on the topic of refreshers in the last couple of weeks. The first run by BALI with an eye on the requirements for the LISS/CSCS cards, and the second run by us at Lantra, as a part of our normal product review and revision process. Some interesting and useful things came out, not least from the representative of the HSE that attended. There is an expectation that some form of skills refreshing will take place ( in line with the guidance in PUWER and the ACOP). The need for refresher training should be on a 'risk based' basis. The idea of only ever refreshing the 'highest' certificate held doesn't really hold water. Better to look at one or more elements that make up the majority of the work being done (e.g. felling to 380) and then doing something windblow, if identified as an issue, when its needed. The refresher is not a case of repeating the original training course again; for example the instructor might skip chainsaw maintenance altogether as they will know very quickly into running some felling as to whether the learner has maintained their saw or not. The refresher should also add value. That is to say that as well as confirming the learner is still operating safely etc. there needs to be an element of updating. The element of assessment (discussed earlier in this tread) came up, as it gives confidence to the learner, their employer and their client(s) that they are operating appropriately.

Hi Tommy Drop me an email at [email protected] and I will happily send copies across to you. Stuart

Since 2011, when LANTRA SSC wrote the units for the chainsaw and aerial qualifications and then C&G /NPTC and Lantra Awards developed their qualifications based on those units, the qualifications have been completely interchangeable. When it comes to training, Lantra quality assures (and insures) their training instructors. C&G/NPTC have assessors, some of whom offer their own training aimed at the qualifications. As Lantra develops training courses as well as qualifications, the training courses are periodically updated ( we are shortly to release updated aerial training materials to our instructor network) and, whilst they will support the qualifications, they may well include a broader content than the bare minimum required to pass the test. For completeness, Lantra also offers refresher courses for foresters and arborists, so that it is possible to train, qualify and refresh through one system... or you can mix and match. Lantra does still offer the felling to 200mm assessed training course for the "occasional user", that is to say, farmers, fencers etc.

The continuing problem with the whole system is the desire to evidence continued 'competence'. The initial qualification doesn't really do it that well and with many of the refreshers out there , so long as you turn up, you can get a "Fred Flange has attended a refresher course covering..." certificate from the trainer, regardless of how good or otherwise the work is. An evidence based option, like the old blue book, for both the initial assessment and then continued to show that the user is maintaining their proficiency could be a good route.

Okay, I know that the Level 4 is though another awarding body, and the PTI is through Lantra, but... do the Level 4 (then do the PTI afterwards). If you do it through Treelife (as benedmonds) suggested, you'll find it anything but boring and it is being delivered by people who have done the job. You can also do PTI through Treelife (although other providers are available as they say).

It is one of the issues that the AA is looking for movement on (see Paul's comments). Part of the problem being exactly how the quals are phrased. With the Rigging, as far as I recall, there is no stated requirement to use a chainsaw in the qual... although everyone will. It is still being worked on by BALI for the LISS/CSCS cards,. They have a working group coming up on the topic in the near future. No doubt there will be more from me or Paul on the topic after that. Obviously Lantra offer refresher training courses, given that it is something flagged up by the HSE and so a requirement for the likes of CSCS cards, contracts etc, what would you like to see included in the refresher training? A proposal from one large employer has been to run a assessment ( to demonstrate that the user is still working in an appropriate way) and to have further (refresher) training only if they fail.

The standard line if you're not upskilling, is to refresh the highest qual you have, which is often the one you use least often. So doing a windblow refresher will draw on the skills around felling as well. It would include elements of winching etc. , and unless you're working with a brand new saw or chain, the instructor should be able to identify whether your working with a machine that's poorly maintained. Basically all you're after is for the instructor to identify any areas of weakness or where bad habits have crept in, and to help you address them. Otherwise it should be a bit of a reassurance that you're still at the standard, a reminder of any key points around the job, and an update on recent incidents and accidents that you need to be wary of.

As far as I am aware NPTC don't offer refreshers, but Lantra does.... so is it just a "gravy train" for one accrediting body? Most refreshers delivered are not through Lantra (unfortunately), but are done by independent trainers to their own syllabus. They then add that they were delivered by a Lantra instructor or NPTC assessor ( as an indication that they ought to know the standards). They are done because training a requirement in PUWER regulation 9, and Para 124 of the ACOP states; " You will need to provide refresher training when necessary. Skills decline if they are not used regularly. For example, you would want to check if refresher training is needed after a lengthy period of absence from work, or if a worker is moved onto a work process that has changed since they last performed those tasks. Pay particular attention to people who deputise for others infrequently – as they may need more frequent refresher training than those who do the job regularly." The guide of 3 years or 5 years is in the HSE's Chainsaws at Work leaflet (INDG317(rev2), published 01/13 ), which states; "All chainsaw operators should do regular refresher/update training to ensure they work to industry best practice and maintain their levels of competence. The suggested intervals for refresher training are: occasional users – every two to three years, full-time users – every five years. " I wouldn't be keen to argue that there should be mandatory retesting of drivers every few years as, like many other drivers, I am sure that I have adopted some bad habits. However, the best practice for chainsaw operators is to run a refresher. As to the "gravy train", its up to the individual or their employer as to whether they do a Lantra refresher, or one from an independent provider, or in-house training. The law clearly places the responsibility on the employer (including the self employed,) under PUWER reg 9, so it is up to them to work out what their 'defendable position' will be in the case of an accident.

There has been some debate about the ABA certifications, and the European Chainsaw Certificate from The European Forestry and Environmental Skills Council (EFESC), at the Arboricultural and Forestry Advisory Group (AFAG) meetings of the HSE over the last few years. The initial queries where on the mapping of skills against the NOS, which thankfully seems to have been resolved. The nest step was looking at the quality assurance processes. Much of the feedback has come through City and Guilds because, as I understand it, they were the nominated partner for the original European Chainsaw project. As of the last meeting of AFAG (Nov 2017) there wasn't a final 'okay' that the ABA or EFESC met the same standards as those in the UK, but it is only a matter of time. With movement of labour, especially in the forestry sector, there is great interest in getting the proverbial 'thumbs up' on this.

An Encyclopaedia of Plants in Myth, Legend Magic and Lore by Stuart Phillips. It won't teach you much, but its interesting to dip into.

You should find some courses quoted as being 'First Aid - forestry', or 'First Aid +F'. These will cover all the usual stuff in a standard first aid course, but add in the likes of severe trauma, severe crush injuries, hyperthermia and hypothermia etc. These course will tend to be a bit more expensive as it is an additional unit added to the standard course.

If it helps, Lantra will be attending a number of the upcoming resettlement careers fairs across the country, and will be joined by a local training provider (with ELCAS). For the most part these trainers are ex-services themselves. If you are planning to attend one of these events, come along and have a chat.

By rights, only regulated qualifications are 'leveled'. So something like the Level 2 Award in Chainsaw Maintenance, is a national qualification, benchmarked to a standard and regulated by Ofqual. Training courses, including assessed training courses, may be given a nominal level by the Awarding Body, so that people have an idea of the sort of standard of work they can expect. It is usually frowned upon to quote levels on anything other than regulated qualifications, as this can lead to confusion. This is why you won't see the Professional Tree Inspection course ever labeled as 'Level 3', but people will often quote it as being at level 3 to clearly differentiate it from the Basic Tree Survey and Inspections course. The issue may be with the contract brief being written by someone who isn't fully clued up on what they are after.

Hi Oli The Ofqual General Conditions of Recognition require that, for a UK regulated qualification, the awarding organisation includes in the title, the awarding body's name and the level of the qualification, and the size of the qualification. Hence, in the Lantra Awards Level 3 Award in Aerial Tree Rigging. Lantra Awards is the awarding body, it is a level 3, and an Award ( typically upto 120 hours of study - a Certificate is 130 - 360 hours and a Diploma 370 hours+). So a quick Google search will throw up things like the: City & Guilds Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Forestry and Arboriculture ABC Level 4 Diploma in Arboriculture A search on TQUK diploma in Arboriculture will bring up lots of other TQUK qualifications, such as TQUK Level 2 Emergency First Aid at Work TQUK Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Business Administration TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training But strangely, no TQUK Level ?? in Arboriculture. A visit to the Ofqual register (https://register.ofqual.gov.uk/) will show that TQUK don't do one. Be aware that although a training company that offers Lantra courses and qualifications, and will show our logo on their website, that doesn't stop them offering training or qualifications from other bodies, or indeed training that they have dreamed up for themselves. Some awarding bodies (including Lantra and C&G) will accredit and certificate training courses for training providers, however we are not allowed to refer to these as qualifications, and the structure of Level and Size of course ( as in Level 5 Diploma ) must not be used. So you see, the statement that "This Diploma in Arboriculture is endorsed by TQUK " is, at best misleading as this is still not a 'Qualification'. Good, bad or indifferent though the content might be, the problem may come if you ever need to depend on having a 'qualification' to get a job etc. Next, cut a section of the text e.g. "private specialist contracting businesses, self-employment, local and state government ", and, with the inverted commas on place, put that in a Google search. It will throw up The Careers guide.com "http://www.thecareersguide.com/Course-Land_Based_Industries-General_Horticulture-Qualification_CERTIFICATE_IN_ARBORICULTURE__VHT090-104" who run the course in Australia, where it originates. If the content from Aus is being used, be aware that the soils in the UK, amongst other things, are a bit different to those down under. I hope that clarify the situation Stuart

The ABC Level 4 Diploma is a UK based, regulated qualification. In other words it is quality assured by ABC and ABC are checked by Ofqual. And, even though its through another awarding body, I have to admit that its very good. Its also taught by arborists. The other course you found is not. That is to say, Not UK based ( the company offering it is, but read the blub on their Arb diploma - that's the one with the pic of a fruit tree - the clue is in the line "self-employment, local and state government positions". Not many 'states' in the UK. I think I once worked out that this course originates in Australia). Its NOT regulated. In other words, as far as the UK system is concerned, its not a qualification. Then look at the qualifications and experience of the tutors on the course, they are not arborists. Your choice, but I know where I'd put my hard earned pennies.

The current modular Lantra chainsaw refresher model seems to work well, and will be the style we will adopt for this. It should mean that its possible to cover off the elements needed without duplications, and certificates will show which elements have been covered. But, inevitably with UA we will be in the hands of what the DNOs are happy with.

These will be going live in the summer. (We to have a standardising day for assessors done first). If your current UA units are due for recertification, its worth going down that route as they will still hold currency for three years, as now, and the key at the moment is to be able to get on site and work. When it comes to your next recert, you'll be able to look through the assessment schedule, make sure you're happy with the content, and take the appropriate qualification. As these are regulated qual, like the chainsaw quals, it will then be a case of period refreshers rather than a full recertification.

Reading through the content of the judgement should be enough to give anyone a moment for reflection before they run out and volunteer to undertake tree inspections. If nothing else, to check the professional indemnity cover in their insurance. It also highlights for me that inspection can be far from straightforward. It is also worth a look at the report of the Bracknell Forest Incident of 2014, whereby a tree had been inspected two prior to it failing, sadly resulting in a fatality. (https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Warren-2014-0330.pdf)

Plan is that they will ultimately replace the current UAs. There will be a good 'run in' time though, as there will be folk with UA units who won't be due for recerts until 2020 if, like you, they have completed them this year. If you crack on with the existing units, you can get up and working, then pick these up when you are due for recertification in the future.

When I had an allotment at Mereway, I had set up an agreement with a number of local arborists so that they could drop chip at the allotment site. (The allotment holders used it for paths and as an addition to compost heaps). A call to the council allotments officer would get you the phone numbers for the secretaries of the various allotments around the town.

NPTC are, indeed, also revising their offering. You'll be pleased to know that, in the usual spirit of cooperation, we sat down with NPTC (and UAG) to share the details of the qualification development so that we can maintain a single standard in the sector.

Anyone needing more details can drop me an email to [email protected] and I will happily send an outline with the usual wheres and whys out to you.

We've been working with the Utility Arb Group on a suite of qualifications for the sector, and plan to have them launched this summer. If you would like to know more, and are coming to the Arb Show, come and have a chat to us on stand T19. All being well I will also be stealing a few minutes in front of the audiences at some of the utility demos, thanks to AUS ltd.

The weather forecast is for light to moderate rain on Friday, and dry Saturday, temperatures feeling about the 13degree level. If you are coming to the show, pack a waterproof, just to be on the safe side. I will be around and about at the show. Lantra can be found at T19 if you want to talk training, or just say 'Hello".