Produce wood fuel products in a woodland or forest

This standard covers the activities required to produce wood fuel products in a woodland or forest for the domestic market.

Activities include the following:
• identifying wood fuel species
• preparing and processing timber
• preparing a wood fuel product, taking into account the moisture content, timber density, and market requirements.

When working with equipment and machinery you must be appropriately trained, and hold current certification where required, in line with the relevant legislation.

Your work must conform to all relevant legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance.

1. obtain the relevant information to carry out the work activities in accordance with organisational procedures
2. maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in accordance with the relevant legislation and codes of practice
3. 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
4. select and implement the safest working methods, making use of mechanical methods where this is safer, in accordance with the assessed risks
5. confirm that relevant training and certification is in place to undertake the work to be carried out and recognise your own competence limitations
6. use appropriate methods to maintain effective communication with other workers and anyone else involved in, or affected by, the work, in accordance with industry guidance and organisational procedures
7. confirm that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work to be carried out is worn at all times
8. select, prepare, use, maintain and store the tools and equipment required safely, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
9. confirm that all equipment has been checked, tested where required, and is fit for purpose in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer's instructions
10. identify the suitable wood fuel species from the woodland or forest to meet the agreed specifications for the wood fuel product
11. cut wood to meet the specifications for the wood fuel product
12. prepare timber and process it to produce the wood fuel product
13. stack wood fuel products safely for seasoning
14. store wood fuel products according to the production method
15. ensure wood fuel products meet the market requirements
16. remove all waste and surplus materials and deal with them in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
17. minimise damage or disturbance to the site and surrounding area while carrying out the work and confirm that the site is left in a safe and tidy condition
18. implement best practice approaches to sustainability that are appropriate for the work being carried out
19. 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
20. complete and store all the relevant documentation in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures

1. how to identify and access information relevant to the required work
2. how to identify hazards and assess risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out
3. the relevant health and safety procedures and Safe Systems of Work (SSoW)
4. 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
5. the legal, industry and organisational requirements for training and certification to undertake the work activities required and the importance of acknowledging your limitations and not undertaking work that is beyond your level of competence
6. the tools, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the work and how to safely, prepare, use, carry out operator maintenance and store these, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements, manufacturer’s instructions, and organisational procedures
7. the legal requirements for checking and testing equipment and why it is important to maintain all equipment to a high standard
8. the different wood fuel markets and the range of products
9. the burning and processing qualities of different woodland or forest tree species
10. the wood burning process
11. the significance of the moisture content on the quality of the wood fuel product
12. how seasonality can affect the moisture content of different species and the production of wood fuel products
13. the storage methods appropriate for different wood fuel products and how storage can affect the moisture content
14. the production methods for different wood fuel products
15. the effect the raw material will have on particle size and ash content
16. the importance of seasoning timber and the level required for different wood fuel products
17. the quality standards appropriate for the wood fuel product
18. the correct methods of dealing with waste and surplus materials in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
19. the potential impact of the work on the site and surrounding area and how this can be minimised
20. your and the organisation’s responsibility for protecting the environment and working sustainably
21. the issues that can occur when producing wood fuel products, the actions to take and organisational procedures for reporting issues that cannot be resolved
22. the legal and organisational requirements for the completion and storage of documentation

Produce the following wood fuel products:
• kindling
• split logs
• wood chip
• faggots

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)
• 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)

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.