Arboriculture, Grounds Maintenance, Landscaping and Building
This course is designed for forestry workers, arborists, estate staff, land-based operatives, woodland managers and individuals seeking to develop competence in chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting, felling and processing trees up to 380mm diameter within forestry and arboricultural environments.
Learners will develop the knowledge, practical skills and operational judgement required to safely maintain chainsaws, assess work sites, cross-cut timber, fell trees up to 380mm, process timber and manage associated risks in accordance with recognised industry standards. The programme develops competence through a structured combination of theory, supervised practical activities, workplace-based scenarios and integrated assessment.
Learners will undertake extensive supervised practical activities designed to develop confidence, consistency and competence in chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting, directional felling, snedding, de-limbing and timber processing operations. Repeated practical application and assessment activities allow learners to progressively develop safe working practices and operational decision-making skills within realistic forestry and arboriculture environments.
Successful learners will be able to apply safe and effective chainsaw operating techniques within forestry, arboriculture, woodland management, estate management and countryside management environments. Particular emphasis is placed upon risk assessment, environmental protection, emergency planning, tree assessment, directional felling techniques, timber processing and the protection of operators and third parties.
The course supports the development of occupational competence in an industry where chainsaw-related incidents continue to present significant risks of serious injury and fatality. Robust training, assessment and ongoing competence are therefore essential to maintaining safe systems of work.
Relevant legislation may include, but is not limited to:
1. Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
2. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
3. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
4. Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended by the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022)
5. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (where applicable)
6. Environmental Protection Act 1990 (where applicable)
7. Forestry Industry Safety Accord (FISA) Guidance
8. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
9. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
10. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
11. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
12. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
National Occupational Standards (NOS) may include, but are not limited to:
1. Maintaining chainsaws and cutting systems
2. Carrying out chainsaw operations
3. Felling and processing trees
4. Undertaking ground-based forestry operations
5. Applying health, safety and environmental controls within land-based industries
6. Planning and implementing forestry and arboriculture operations
Unlike regulated qualifications overseen by Ofqual (England), Qualifications Wales or SQA Accreditation (Scotland), this UKRS Course Standard operates as an industry-aligned accredited training standard. UKRS operates as an independent accreditation and course standardisation body for non-regulated industry training standards.
Training providers delivering this standard remain responsible for ensuring that delivery, assessment, instructor competence and quality assurance arrangements remain appropriate, current and aligned with relevant forestry, arboriculture, environmental and health and safety requirements.
Where employers, insurers, clients, landowners or contractual arrangements require independently assessed competence or regulated certification, learners may need to undertake separate assessment through an awarding organisation or recognised industry certification scheme.
Successful completion of this course should not be interpreted as conferring a licence to practise and does not replace any legal, contractual or employer-specific competence requirements
Select a county from the drop down box to find your nearest UKRS accredited training provider delivering this course.
