Tree Faller's Manual: Techniques for Standard and Complex Tree-Felling Operations

By ForestWorks

The Tree Faller’s Manual is an essential handbook for forest operators and others who need to fell trees manually using a hand-held chainsaw. This manual builds on the information provided by the Chainsaw Operator’s Manual.

Tree felling is a high risk activity. Many fatalities and serious injuries have occurred as a result of being struck by falling trees, dislodged tree limbs or other dangers in the area. Most of these accidents are caused by using unsafe felling techniques and not following safe work procedures. This manual will guide the faller to safer work techniques.

The manual is based on the national competency standards for the forest and forest products industry where tree-felling is covered using three categories: basic, intermediate and advanced. Basic tree felling applies to trees that are relatively small, with a single stem and no defects. Intermediate tree felling covers trees with single or multiple stems, limited defects, and lean and weight distribution that can be adapted to felling direction. Advanced tree felling applies to larger and more complex trees and includes trees deemed to be more hazardous.

Workplace safety, risk assessment and site preparation are included along with the theory, techniques and tools for each of the tree-felling categories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
• Release date: Jan 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9780643102286

Book preview

TREE

FALLER’S MANUAL

TECHNIQUES FOR STANDARD AND COMPLEX TREE-FELLING OPERATIONS

© ForestWorks 2011

All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Contact CSIRO PUBLISHING for all permission requests.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Tree faller’s manual : techniques for standard and complex tree-felling operations/by ForestWorks.

9780643101548 (pbk.)

9780643101746 (epdf)

9780643102286 (epub)

Tree felling.

Tree felling – Standards.

Trees, Care of – Standards.

ForestWorks.

363.119634

Published by

CSIRO PUBLISHING

150 Oxford Street (PO Box 1139)

Collingwood VIC 3066

Australia

Telephone: [phone]

Local call: 1300 788 000 (Australia only)

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Web site: www.publish.csiro.au

Illustrations by David McElvenny and Kath Ware, Workspace Training, NSW

Front cover photo courtesy David McElvenny

Photo on page 15 courtesy ForestWorks

Photo on page 53 courtesy Greg Howard

Set in 11/14 Adobe Gill Sans

Cover and text design by James Kelly

Typeset by Desktop Concepts Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Printed in Australia by Ligare

CSIRO PUBLISHING publishes and distributes scientific, technical and health science books, magazines and journals from Australia to a worldwide audience and conducts these activities autonomously from the research activities of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of, and should not be attributed to, the publisher or CSIRO.

Acknowledgements

This book is based on the Chainsaw Operator’s Manual: The Safe Use of Chainsaws 6th Edition 2005

Technical advisors for this edition:

Andy Cusack

Logging Investigation & Training Association, SA

Bill Towie

Forest Products Commission, WA

Greg Howard

Timber Training Tasmania

Ross Connolly

TAFE NSW – Training and Education Support, Industry Skills Unit – Orange

Trevor Wait

East Gippsland TAFE – Timber Training Co-ordinator – Forestech

Assistance from:

Peter Chaffin – Training for Trees, Qld

Goetz Graf – Tree Management Aust Ltd, Qld

Karl Liffman – Timber Training Creswick, Vic

Barry McGregor – NSW Forest Products Association

Ian McLeod – McLeod Training, Qld

Steve Smith – Steve Smith Chainsaw Training, Qld

Ray Stone – Chainsaw Accreditation Safety Training, NSW

Original print edition:

The book has been printed on paper certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Chain of Custody (PEFC). PEFC is committed to sustainable forest management through third party forest certification of responsibly managed forests.

DISCLAIMER

While care has been taken in the preparation of this manual, ForestWorks and the original developer do not warrant that any licensing or registration requirements specified here are either complete or up-to-date for your State or Territory. ForestWorks and the original developer do not accept any liability for any damage or loss (including indirect and consequential loss) incurred by any person as a result of relying on the information contained in this manual.

ForestWorks does not accept any liability to any person for the information or advice (or the use of such information or advice) which is provided in this material or incorporated into it by reference. The information is provided on the basis that all persons accessing this material undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its content. No liability is accepted for any information or services which may appear in any other format. No responsibility is taken for any information or services which may appear on any linked websites.

Contents

1.   Introduction

Compliance with licensing

Tree-felling categories

2.   National competency standards

3.   Professional attitude

4.   Workplace safety

Risk assessment for tree fallers

Equipment, competence of faller and environment

Personal protective equipment

Your equipment

Other equipment

Competence of faller

The current and predicted weather conditions

The tree and its environment

Safe working distance

Escape route

Felling technique

Before starting the chainsaw – final check!

Safety warning signs used for felling operations

Hazardous trees

Typical examples of tree hazards