Tree Felling – A Dangerous Activity That Should Only Be Performed by Qualified People

Tree Felling is a complicated, dangerous activity that should only be carried out by people who have undergone proper training and are familiar with the techniques and equipment involved. A single mistake during a felling operation can lead to damage to property or injury or even death to the worker. Many of the risks that arise from working with a chainsaw come not from the act of cutting the tree, but from improper positioning or the failure to follow established safety standards for work positioning and cutting.

In addition, the varying terrain found in forests and woodlands presents unique challenges that need to be addressed when felling trees. Whether it is to clear sites for development, to create open spaces for grazing or walking tracks, or to manage the density of an existing woodland canopy, felling is a crucial part of timber production and forest management.

There are several different methods of tree felling, with each one aimed at producing the desired results. Conventional felling involves cutting a notch, known as a face cut, on the side of the tree facing the direction in which it should fall, and then making a back cut on the opposite side to control its movement. Directional felling uses an additional directional notch and a wedge to further control the tree’s movement.

Felling is an essential part of forestry and woodland management but must be carried out with the correct procedures to ensure that the work is safe and that no harm comes to others or to the environment. The most common way that people are injured when felling trees is through direct contact with the saw, but it is also possible to be caught under a falling tree or struck by a piece of wood. This is why all tree felling must be conducted under the supervision of a qualified individual who is responsible for providing a job briefing and ensuring that those involved in the operation are aware of the hazards.

A good example of this is the requirement for all chainsaw operators to wear suitable personal protective equipment, including helmets and eye protection. This equipment should be regularly inspected to ensure that it is in good working condition.

In addition to ensuring that workers are properly trained, the person in charge of a tree felling operation must establish a system of record-keeping that includes a job description, a job hazard register, and a training record for all employees who are required to perform work associated with felling. This will help to ensure that all processes are understood and adhered to by all those working on site, and that any on-the-job deviations from the planned process are identified and recorded.

A further important aspect of tree felling is thinning, which is the removal of a certain number of trees to encourage growth and to provide more timber volume. The majority of thinning operations are not considered deforestation, as long as there is sufficient restocking on the land to compensate for the loss of the trees that have been felled. However, there are some exceptions that require an EPS mitigation licence from Natural England.

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