Manage timber harvesting and extraction operations

This standard covers all the activities that may be required to manage timber harvesting and extraction operations.

Activities could include managing some or all of the following:
• developing harvesting and extraction plans
• implementing and monitoring harvesting and extraction plans
• marketing and stock control

You will need to take account of any restrictions affecting the work e.g. designated sites, presence of listed structures, wildlife, non-native invasive or protected species etc.

You are required to avoid or minimise damage or disturbance to the surrounding area including trees, other vegetation, wildlife and habitats, or to any structures, fences, paths, signs, ditches/waterways or drains, and to ensure that other site users are not put at risk by your work.

Anyone working with equipment and machinery must be appropriately trained, competent to carry out the activity being undertaken, and hold current certification, where required, in line with the relevant legislation.

You must conform to all relevant legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance when managing this work.

This standard is for those responsible for the management of timber harvesting and extraction operations.

Core requirements and responsibilities
1. obtain the relevant information to manage harvesting and extraction operations in accordance with organisational procedures
2. check any statutory requirements that might be in place that may prohibit or place conditions on the work to be done and ensure all the required permissions and licences have been obtained
3. confirm an environmental assessment of the site is carried out before starting work and take the findings into consideration
4. maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in accordance with the relevant legislation and codes of practice
5. assess the risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out, including underground and overhead hazards, and produce risk assessments and method statements as required
6. confirm that sufficient control measures are implemented and emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site are established and recorded
7. monitor biosecurity in accordance with the relevant legal requirements, industry guidance and organisational procedures
8. confirm that procedures for the removal and disposal of all waste and arisings are in place, in accordance with legal and organisational requirements, and ensure they are followed
9. coordinate site services and activities and use appropriate methods to maintain effective communication with the workforce and anyone else involved in, or affected by the work, in accordance with industry guidance and organisational procedures
10. confirm that damage or disturbance to the site and surrounding area is minimised while the work is carried out and that the site is left in a safe and tidy condition
11. implement best practice approaches to sustainability that are appropriate for the work being carried out
12. deal effectively with issues that arise within the scope and limitations of your responsibilities and report issues that cannot be resolved, in accordance with organisational procedures
13. complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures

Develop and implement harvesting and extraction plans
1. confirm the volume of timber available
2. develop sales packs in accordance with organisational procedures
3. consider the effect of disease, defects and decay on the timber-harvesting operation and obtain professional advice where you are unsure
4. develop harvesting and extraction plans based on yield estimates from stand data and the requirements of the timber purchaser
5. select the safest harvesting and extraction methods in accordance with the assessed risks and organisational procedures
6. plan the layout of the work site to include access and egress routes, turning areas, service areas for equipment and machinery, fuel and other storage areas, welfare provision for the workforce etc
7. plan how to minimise damage and environmental risk to the site and how to manage water on site
8. determine measures to prevent and control diffuse, and other types of pollution, during harvesting and extraction operations, in accordance with legal requirements and industry guidance, and taking account of site ground conditions and the potential for poor weather
9. confirm that measures are implemented, monitor their effectiveness and adapt the measures in response to changing conditions
10. confirm any underground or overhead services are protected
11. confirm that risk zones can be maintained between workforce and equipment
12. confirm areas are clearly defined, marked and communicated
13. identify and gather the resources required to achieve the outcomes of the harvesting and extraction operations in accordance with plans
14. allocate responsibilities to the workforce for their part in the harvesting and extraction operations
15. confirm that all members of the workforce have the relevant training, skills, competence and certification to carry out the work in accordance with legal requirements
16. when using contractors, confirm that the relevant insurances are in place
17. communicate the relevant safety and work-related information and responsibility to the workforce in accordance with organisational procedures, and monitor that safety procedures are followed
18. confirm that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work to be carried out is worn at all times
19. confirm that the equipment and machinery required for the work is available and fit for purpose
20. manage the safety and security of equipment and machinery on site
21. monitor the harvesting and extraction operations against the plans, in terms of volume, timeframes, quality, cost, and the standard achieved
22. take action to suspend work when weather conditions increase the likelihood of diffuse pollution
23. manage any deviations from the harvesting and extraction plans
24. carry out handover activities on completion of the timber harvesting and extraction operations

Core requirements and responsibilities
1. how to access and interpret information relevant to the harvesting and extraction operations
2. the importance of carrying out an environmental assessment of the site before starting work and the findings that must be considered
3. how to identify tree species in standing and felled timber
4. your responsibilities under the relevant health and safety legislation and codes of practice
5. how to identify hazards and assess risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out, and how to produce risk assessments and method statements for harvesting and extraction operations
6. the relevant health and safety control measures, Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) and emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site
7. the correct use of warning signs and barriers to inform and protect others while the work is carried out
8. current legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance, organisational policies, procedures and protocols, business and professional ethics that are relevant to your area of work, and to which you must adhere
9. the importance of biosecurity measures and how to ensure they are applied
10. the legal requirements and organisational procedures for the removal and disposal of all types of waste
11. how to coordinate site services and activities and maintain effective communication with the workforce and anyone else involved in, or affected by, the work and the methods of communication that should be used
12. the potential impact of the work on the site and surrounding area and how to manage and mitigate the environmental and biodiversity impact of the harvesting and extraction operations
13. your and the organisation’s responsibility for protecting the environment and working sustainably
14. the issues that can occur when managing tree harvesting and extraction, the actions to take and organisational procedures for reporting issues which cannot be resolved
15. the scope and limitations of your competence, responsibilities and accountability
16. the legal and organisational requirements for the completion and storage of documentation

Develop and implement harvesting and extraction plans
1. the legal requirements and statutory permissions for harvesting and extracting timber
2. how to confirm the volume of timber available
3. the importance of checking tree health, the effect of disease, defects and decay on harvesting and extraction operations, and where to obtain professional advice when required
4. the need to liaise with the timber purchaser to agree stock availability and movement
5. the principles of developing timber harvesting and extraction plans and what they should contain
6. the importance of sales packs and how to develop these
7. how the layout of the work site should be planned and what needs to be considered
8. the importance of preventing and controlling diffuse and other types of pollution on site and the measures that can be implemented
9. how to select suitable equipment and machinery for the harvesting and extraction operation and the capabilities and restrictions of different equipment and machinery
10. the legal requirements and organisational procedures for the removal and disposal of all waste and arisings
11. the resources required to implement timber harvesting and extraction plans and how to gather them
12. how to allocate responsibilities to the workforce and what should be considered
13. the importance of checking that all members of the workforce, including those not directly employed, have the relevant training, skills, competence and certification to carry out the work
14. how to ensure that equipment and machinery required for the work is fit for purpose and available where and when required
15. the management methods and techniques for implementing and monitoring timber harvesting and extraction plans to meet requirements and how to manage any deviations
16. the method and techniques for carrying out effective handovers

Diffuse pollution in Treework includes: mud and silt, small amounts of spilt fuel, oil or other contaminants that get released into a natural watercourse.

Information required to carry out work activities could include:
• drawings
• plans
• schedules
• specifications
• method statements
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• manufacturer’s instructions
• customer requirements
• quality assurance requirements
• industry standards (e.g. British Standards, UK Forestry Standard)
• verbal or written instructions
• industry guidance (e.g. FISA)

Organisational procedures refer to procedures set by the organisation you are employed by or the organisation that you are doing the work on behalf of (the client or customer)

Pollution prevention measures can include:
• buffer zones
• barrier ditches
• silt traps
• silt fences
• filter zones
• off-lets
• brash mats
• corduroy roads
• log bridges
• the correct storage of fuel, oil and chemicals
• a designated refueling and maintenance area
• the regular inspection and maintenance of machinery to prevent leaks of oil and hydraulic fluid

Pollution control measures can include:
• barrier booms
• absorbent materials for surface borne pollutants
• high pressure, low volume water sprays

Statutory permissions e.g. public road closures, rail restrictions, powerline shutdowns, goalposts, felling permission, movement orders, licence for infected material etc

Safe System of Work (SSoW) – is a method of work that puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards, which are broken down into four elements: safe person; safe equipment; safe place; and safe practice.

Stand – a contiguous community of trees that have a common set of characteristics.

Workforce could include:
• team members
• temporary workers
• agency staff
• volunteers
• contractors
• any combination of these