Prepare and maintain a safe working site for treework operations
Overview
This standard covers all the activities required to prepare and maintain a safe working site for treework operations.
You could be working to a given specification that defines the methods to be used but you will be expected to determine how to carry out these methods on site.
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 involved in the positioning of warning signs on public highways needs to be supervised by a qualified person under the relevant legislation.
Your work must conform to all relevant legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance.
This standard is for anyone with responsibility for preparing and maintaining a safe working site for treework operations.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- obtain the relevant information to carry out the work activities in accordance with organisational procedures
- confirm an environmental assessment of the site is carried out before starting work and take its findings into consideration
- maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in accordance with the relevant legislation and codes of practice
- assess the risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out, before starting work and throughout the activity, checking and confirming the findings of any existing risk assessments
- prepare and lay out the work site for safe treework operations
- confirm risk zones have been set up and marked, and emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site have been established and recorded
- confirm the provision of first aid in accordance with legal requirements
- confirm sufficient control measures are implemented to maintain safe treework operations
- 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
- use appropriate methods to maintain effective communication with the workforce and confirm that they understand their role and responsibilities in maintaining safe treework operations
- confirm that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work to be carried out is worn at all times
- confirm all equipment has been checked, tested where required, and is fit for purpose in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer's instructions
- implement measures to maintain the safety and security of equipment, machinery and materials on site
- implement hygiene and biosecurity measures in accordance with the relevant legal requirements, industry guidance and organisational procedures
- confirm all hazardous substances are handled, used and stored in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
- confirm all waste and surplus materials are dealt with in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
- implement environmental controls, taking account of the assessment of the environmental impacts and aspects
- implement best practice approaches to sustainability that are appropriate for the work being carried out
- 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
- complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to identify and access information relevant to the required work
- how to identify hazards and assess risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out, and the importance of site-specific risk assessment and control measures that are appropriate for your area of work
- current legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance, organisational policies, procedures and protocols, business and professional ethics relevant to your area of work, and to which you must adhere
- the requirements for the different roles associated with health and safety management of treework operations
- how the species and condition of trees affects operations
- how to prepare and lay out sites and work areas for safe and effective treework operations
- the emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site, risk zone distances and the management of risk zones
- the correct location and positioning of warning signs and access controls, and the legislative requirements and industry codes of practice governing these
- relevant health and safety procedures and Safe Systems of Work (SSoW)
- the key elements of a method statement in relation to safe treework operations
- the legal, industry and organisational requirements for training and certification to undertake the work activities required and why these are important
- why it is important to 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
- the personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the work, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
- the legal requirements for checking and testing equipment and why it is important to maintain all equipment to a high standard
- the importance of hygiene and biosecurity measures and how to apply these
- the requirements for handling, using and storing hazardous substances, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
- the correct methods of dealing with waste and surplus materials in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
- the potential impact of the work on the site and surrounding area and how this can be minimised
- your and the organisation’s responsibility for protecting the environment and working sustainably
- the issues that can occur when preparing and maintaining a safe working site, the actions to take and organisational procedures for reporting issues that cannot be resolved
- the scope and limitations of your competence, responsibilities and accountability
- the legal and organisational requirements for the completion and storage of documentation
Scope/range
Maintain the safety and security on site of:
• tools and equipment
• fuel
• vehicles and machinery
• materials
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Information required to carry out work activities could include:
• drawings
• plans
• schedules
• specifications
• method statements
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• manufacturer’s guidelines
• customer requirements
• quality assurance requirements
• industry standards (e.g. British Standards)
• verbal or written instructions
• industry guidance (e.g. FISA)
Environmental assessment, impacts and aspects – e.g. on bats, badgers, water courses, fauna, flora, or the effect of noise
Lay out the site could include:
• access routes
• fueling area
• erection of goal posts
• risk zones
• escape routes
• drop zones
• product accumulation area
• waste area
• material storage area
• machinery and equipment storage area
• workforce facilities area
• other areas as required
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)
Risk zone – also referred to as Danger zone and Exclusion zone. The Risk zone should be established before commencement of any tree work. Usually, it is the distance equal to twice the height of the tree to be felled, though other factors also need to be taken into consideration.
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.