Bushfire recovery is a high-risk activity that requires operating under pressure and remaining on site for an extended period of time. With forestry operators, arborists and other service providers supporting the prevention as well as clean-up of bushfires it is important that contractors engaged by local councils or other authorities to perform this work understand the chain of command, possess knowledge of fire-ground communication systems and protocols, and have skills consistent with a national standard. Source: Timberbiz
Operators with the skills to make informed and rapid assessments about tree health and the risks posed by fire affected or fire damaged trees are essential to support both safety and environmental conservation outcomes in bushfire zones.
Skills Impact, a not-for-profit, industry-owned organisation that works across Australia to benchmark learning and skills standards for industry, has released the final draft units of competency for post-bushfire vegetation clearing and clean-up operations, including chainsaw operations, are they are now available for validation and comment.
Based on feedback, units of competency have been developed to address skills in efficiently communicating during post-bushfire vegetation clearing and clean-up operations and assessing the hazard and health of fire-affected or fire-damaged trees. These skills are critical for ensuring the safety of emergency services and land management personnel engaged in bushfire recovery activities.
In addition, four units for chainsaw operations have been revised in response to stakeholder comments that access to several trees per student for skill assessment is no longer practical due to environmental concerns.
The draft documents will be available on the Skills Impact website for validation and feedback from 1 – 15 April 2022 visit https://www.skillsimpact.com.au/
