Power Pole Pruners

Who is this course for?

Any person employed in arboriculture, forestry, horticulture, landscaping and grounds maintenance who is, or will be, required to operate powered pole pruners.  Inexperienced learners may require longer than the stated guide times to fully utilise the information supplied.

People professionally involved in:

• forestry
• arboriculture
• agriculture
• horticulture
• woodland Industries
• local authorities
• conservation
• construction
• land-based industries.

Learners must be physically fit and able to carry out the tasks required of the course programme.

Course objectives

• Identify the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) required.
• Report on its condition and locate standard marks.
• Identify health and safety features required on a pruning saw.
• Identify faults and defects on a pruning saw and equipment and decide which the operator can remedy and which require a service engineer's attention.
• Carry out routine operator maintenance in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction book and/or the course workbook.
• Prepare the pruning saw for use with the correct fuel/oil mix and saw chain lubrication.
• Start the pruning saw for use with the correct fuel/oil mix and saw chain lubrication.
• Carry out pre-cutting safety tests and state the procedures if the pruner fails these tests.
• State the possible hazards/risks when carrying out maintenance or operation tasks.
• Assess and explain the terms 'tension' and 'compression' in timber.
• Adopt safe procedures to remove a trapped guide bar.
• Use correct pruning methods.
• Clear the pruned branches in a safe manner.
• Organise site safety and state the procedures required.

Duration/ format

• Any convenient time of the year.
• One day per machine type for novices (CLMC56X).
• One day for experienced operators (evidence of experience required) (CLMC56R).

Course content

• Personal protective equipment
• Safety and health features of a pruning saw
• Maintenance of pruning saw
• Fuelling and starting a pruning saw and
  performing pre-cutting checks
• Adjusting the engine
• Pruning
• Clearing the site and pruning saw checks