April 2025

Maintain your levels of competence and make sure you're working to current industry best practice, with our one-day refresher course in Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness, at Writtle College.

Course Description

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that all chainsaw operators have regular refresher/update training to ensure they work to industry best practice and maintain levels of competence. The suggested intervals for such training are:

• occasional users – every two to three years
• full time users – every five years.

Our one-day course at Writtle College is suitable for both full-time and occasional users. You'll receive a Certificate of Attendance when you complete the course.

Equipment
Equipment is provided for this course but you may prefer to bring your own climbing equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE).

All tree climbing PPE and rigging equipment must comply with LOLER regulations. This means you must be able to produce evidence that your equipment has been thoroughly examined by a 'competent person' (in the last six months for climbing equipment and 12 months for rigging equipment), and also inspected weekly with an accompanying record which can verify this.

Equipment list for aerial rescue:

• approved tree-climbing harness in good condition. CE marked with leg loops
• 2 x climbing ropes - min 12mm, 35-50m long required with manufacturers eye and without any defects
• 6 x self-locking 3 movement Karabiners
• 5 x Prussik loops or split tails or similar
• 1 x adjustable strop for climbing and rescue recommended 5m in length must have a manufacturers eye
• 1 x set of climbing spikes
• 1 x top or rear handled chainsaw.

Personal protective equipment:

• a safety helmet (the HSE Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group (AFAG) recommends a mountaineering-style helmet complying with BS EN 12492)
• eye protection (complying with either BS EN 1731 or BS EN 166)
• hearing protection (complying with BS EN 352)
• suitable gloves appropriate to the task and subject to the operator’s risk assessment
• leg protection* and groin protection (complying with BS EN 381-5). AFAG recommends Type C leg protection for aerial work because of the high all-round chainsaw cut protection. However, where wearing Type C is impractical (eg because of the higher risk of heat stress associated with it), it may be appropriate to use Type A, where justified by risk assessment
• protective boots* with good grip and protective guarding at front vamp and instep (complying with BS EN ISO 20345)
• non-snag outer clothing. The use of high-visibility clothing may also be appropriate
• as a minimum, climbers should carry a personal first-aid kit, incorporating a large wound dressing, barrier gloves, plasters and a whistle
• climbers should carry a knife with either a lockable folding blade or a fixed blade held in a protective sheath
• hand-cleaning materials such as waterless skin cleanser or soap, water and paper towels should be readily available.

If you are using your own equipment, our instructor will check that it is safe to use and complies with industry best practice. It must come with relevant LOLER inspection paperwork.

Arrangements at Writtle College
Free parking is available on campus in Writtle: we'll issue a permit to you and ask that it's clearly displayed in your vehicle. As we'll be working deep in the forest, please bring a packed lunch and any other refreshments.

Meet at our King’s Lodge Centre before following the instructor to the training site.

Your instructor
Steve Woodley is a forester, arborist and green woodworker from Essex with 28 years of industry experience specialising in urban and woodland tree management. Steve has been teaching ground and aerial units at Writtle College since 2004. His professional qualifications include BSC (Hons) Rural Resource Development, Arb Association Tech Cert, NPTC assessor since 2004. Steve is also passionate about hand-crafted timber and keeping the skill of axing alive.

The instructor/student ratio is 1:4.

Along with Steve we use many excellent trainers and assessors, and are confident our training more than meets NPTC City & Guilds standards.