Dealing with Windblown Trees

Who is this course for?

This training-only course is for people who are required to deal with individual windblown trees in open areas, have attended the basic chainsaw courses in this series, or their equivalent, and have the appropriate certification units CS30, CS31 and CS32. It is designed to prepare candidates for NPTC CS34.

People involved in:

• Tree surgery
• Highways agency
• Landscape gardeners
• Local authorities
• Farmers
• Estate workers.

All learners must have prior chainsaw operating experience and be certified in chainsaw maintenance, basic and advanced felling techniques.

Course objectives

• State the regulations and safety requirements related to the use of chainsaws.
• Assess lying windblown and broken timber and make decisions on appropriate action.
• Cut windblown trees using appropriate techniques.
• Operate a winch to control movement of root plates.

NB: This course covers individual windblown trees and does not include techniques for dealing with multiple windblown in dense coniferous plantations which present very significant hazards and require specialist skills and knowledge.

Duration/ format

• 1 day

Course content

• Site safety
• Severing the root plate
• Severing a static root plate where the tree will fall
• Severing a root plate where the root plate will fall back into the root plate hole
• Securing a root plate where the weight balance is away from the root plate hole
• Unacceptable procedures
• Dismantling crown of the tree, cross-cutting and stacking timber
• Clear the site of all debris and notify all relevant authorities, check and clean equipment