Understand why not just how

Chainsaw Training – Why do my staff need to do it?

Chainsaws are dangerous. Every year in Australia many people are killed or seriously injured. Chainsaws have also become significantly cheaper over the years meaning more and more people have access to them. But often people will neglect to do chainsaw training because it is too expensive. Employers also have an obligation under the Work Health and Safety Act to ensure that they provide training in any task that they might need to do in the course of their employment. Chainsaw training is great way to understand the best way to safely use a chainsaw.

What Chainsaw Training is available

Chainsaw Training has been around for decades in Australia. The first courses were primarily delivered by forestry to ensure that employees were operating safely. Since the mid 1990s employers more broadly have looked to train their staff in chainsaws. There are 4 main levels of training:

  1. Trim and Cut Felled Trees (FWPCOT2239) or operate and maintain chainsaws – for a basic minimum on how to safely operate a chainsaw to cut timber that has fallen. This is the minimum that work safety organisations like WorkCover will expect to see.
  2. Fall trees Manually (Basic) (FWPCOT2236) an introduction to how to fall trees safely with a chainsaw. Typically this is for small trees less than 30cm in diameter and 20 metres tall.
  3. Fall Trees Manually (Intermediate) (FWPFGM3212) – this is the default standard for arborists and many in the industry. It provides the skills necessary to fall a tree in excess of 40cm in diameter and trees above 20 metres tall. This is sometimes called a level 2 chainsaw course.
  4. Fall Trees Manually Advanced (FWPFGM3213) – the highest level of training in Australia. This course provides the skills to fall any tree that can safely be fallen. Typically this is the course completed by Problem Tree Fellers for the National Parks where they might need to fall fire damaged or fire affected trees.

For a list of the chainsaw courses Lemke Timber Training provides take a look at www.lemketimbertraining.com.au/courses

Why do I need to do a chainsaw course?

Chainsaws are dangerous. Every year in Australia many people are killed or seriously injured. Chainsaws have also gotten significantly cheaper over the years meaning more and more people have access to them. People who have done the course often remark how little they actually understood about trees and chainsaws.

Employers have an obligation under the Work Health and Safety Act to ensure that they provide training in any task that they might need to do in the course of their employment. You do not have to do a nationally recognised course (except if an Act specifically says so eg. First Aid Training) but if you do your own internal training or do non-accredited training then in the event of an incident you need to evidence how your training is appropriate, it can and will be audited. By utilising nationally accredited training by an RTO you pass on the need to evidence your training is appropriate. Work Health and Safety regulators will issue you with fines and other penalties if you do not train your staff.

Further, many companies or government agencies will require subcontractors or companies providing services to ensure that all their employees have accredited chainsaw training in place. It will be a requirement of the contract and you will need to provide evidence.

What will my staff or I learn?

Our training provides more than just a legal tickbox though. Students will learn how to safely maintain and operate their saw. They will be more efficient and they will be more professional in the way they operate. Our methodology is that students need to understand why they are doing something the way we tell them as we feel they learn the most this way. Take a look at our individual courses if you would like to know more about what is taught in each unit.

How Often do you run courses?

if you just have one or two staff needing to be trained we run courses monthly and sometime more regularly depending on demand.

Most of our clients have more than a couple of people to be trained and generally we will organise a specific course for groups of 4 or more to meet your needs. We are happy to run the theory at your premises and can even travel if needed. If you have a larger group that needs training get in touch.

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