Who needs a chainsaw ticket?
If you’re using a chainsaw at work, you need to be able to demonstrate to WorkCover that you’ve been properly trained and formally assessed. This doesn’t just apply to professional chainsaw operators, it also relates to builders, plumbers, yardmen, gardeners, and anyone else who uses a chainsaw on-the-job for a work-related activity.
That’s why it’s important to undertake a nationally accredited course in chainsaw operation and receive a Statement of Attainment showing the competencies you have been accredited in.
But in addition to this training, many chainsaw operators are also required to show that their skills are being kept up-to-date and that they are regularly demonstrating their ability to work safely and efficiently to a recognised assessor.
The best way to do this is to get an accredited ‘Chainsaw ticket’.
How long does a chainsaw ticket last?
The industry standard for chainsaw ticket currency is three years. This means that every three years, you need to be re-assessed and re-issued with a chainsaw ticket. The concept of a three year duration has developed over time, and was first implemented by state forestry authorities for their operators. Other industry employers followed suit because it was easy for them to show that they were following ‘industry best practice’ by aligning themselves with a government agency’s policy.
Why should an operator have to be re-assessed periodically?
Some people ask: ‘Why should you have to be re-assessed periodically, considering that an assessment of competency is meant to last forever, and there is no expiry date on the original Statement of Attainment’?
The reason is that as the years elapse, there is no way of proving that you still holds ‘current competency’ unless you are formally re-assessed at regular intervals. It is not unusual for people to complete a course and then not use a saw again for a couple of years or more. Even people who do use a saw regularly can sometimes fall into bad habits if they don’t work alongside other safe operators.
There are various people who like to see documentary proof that a person holds ‘current competency’ in chainsaw operation, including WorkCover inspectors, insurance investigators, principal contractors and new employers.
Does Workspace Training issue chainsaw tickets?
Yes we do. All course participants are issued with a Statement of Attainment as well as a chainsaw ticket showing the competencies they have been accredited with. If they choose to renew the chainsaw ticket once it expires, they or their employer simply phone us and organise a re-accreditation session.
Our chainsaw tickets are carried by employees of State Emergency Services, Australian Defence Forces, RAAF, National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Fire and Rescue, tree works companies and many local councils.
For more information on chainsaw tickets, please contact David McElvenny (CEO of Workspace Training) or Ray Stone (chainsaw trainer/assessor, and principal of Chainsaw Accreditation and Safety Training). Contact details are on the Contacts page.