Basic training - operation of a hand-held chainsaw (other activity + timber harvesting)

This course combines both activities. The graduate receives a licence card for operating a chainsaw in timber harvesting and a licence card for other activity, that is for work outside the forest. It pays off wherever a worker prunes greenery or clears storm damage on a road in summer and goes into the stand in winter.

We go through the construction of the saw and its safety features, sharpening and maintaining the chain, kickback and how to avoid it, cutting techniques in stressed timber, cross cutting and shortening, work on a ladder and near electrical lines. From the logging part we add assessing the tree before felling, choosing the direction of fall and the escape route, the notch, the back cut and the hinge, working with a wedge and a felling lever, dealing with a hung up tree, delimbing and cross cutting, salvage harvesting and work with windthrow. To that, personal protective equipment, first aid for a saw injury and securing the work site.

The course ends with a written test and a practical examination. We issue the licence cards under Section 16(1)(a) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.

The course is open to a person from 18 years of age who has completed compulsory basic schooling and holds a medical report on fitness for work that is not older than six months.

The licence cards have to be kept valid. The familiarisation is repeated at least once every three years under Section 7(5) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll., and updating professional training every five years under Section 16(8). The combined refresher training serves to renew both licence cards at once.

If you need only one of the activities, separate courses are available for timber harvesting and for other activity.

We train under Slovak regulations, which derive from Directive 2009/104/EC on the use of work equipment, valid throughout the European Union. In our experience the licence cards are commonly recognised in the other member states.