WORK EQUIPMENT - 30.09.2019

Overseas certification for chainsaw use

What does the law say?

Chainsaw operators, just like any employee using hazardous equipment, must be trained as outlined in the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998(PUWER) . Regulation 9PUWER requires that training is “adequate” for the purpose of health and safety and must cover the: (1)  methods of using the equipment; (2) risks; and (3) precautions to be taken.

Achieving the standard

The level of training expected of a chainsaw operator depends on the type of chainsaw work they are to undertake, e.g. cutting up trees on the ground, felling or advanced techniques.

Tip 1. If your chainsaw operator is working outside of forestry and only carrying out basic work, it is recommended they attend an “integrated training and assessment course” .

Tip 2. If you take on a competent operator, e.g. someone who has undertaken training and has experience of working elsewhere, including other parts of the world, they may be able to take the assessment without the initial training. The best option is to discuss this with the training organisation.

Note. There are a number of training providers, although LANTRA and City & Guilds Land Based Services (formerly known as NPTC) are probably the most recognisable awarding bodies in land-based industries (see The next step ).

Non-UK training and qualification

If you can prove that the certification your employee has is equivalent to a UK qualification, you may not need to arrange an assessment session with a trainer. However, this area is a minefield, so caution should be exercised.

Note. The National Recognition Information Centre can provide a statement of comparability which costs around £50 and confirms how overseas qualifications compare to the UK system. However, this doesn’t really cut it with chainsaw qualifications. The statement won’t give you the detail you need to find out what was actually covered on the course and therefore we wouldn’t recommend this route.

The European chainsaw certificate is mutually recognised across nine member countries, of which the UK is one, and there are different levels of certification according to the skills covered. If your staff member has this and the topics covered are a match to the job your employee is doing, this will be a great help.

Tip 1. Even if your employee has European chainsaw certification check that it’s in date.

Tip 2. When taking on anyone with a certificate you’ll need to ensure that they’re able to apply your safe systems of work, and are doing so in practice. If you don’t have the knowledge in-house to make these checks, find a chainsaw trainer and have them undertake a practical re-assessment of your employee’s skills. Ironically, this might mean that despite being convinced that your employee is competent you end up arranging re-qualification.

For further information on chainsaw training, visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download (HS 18.02.05).