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Originally Posted by newguy18  So is it mandatory to take such classes in the uk?Its optional here if you want to join up with the isa/tcia and take classes.I'll join up with them one day but over all what i've learned is from books and putting those practices into my daily use. |
Mandatory out here as far as i know. I could be wrong, but any reputable company or practitioner has their NPTC tickets and i think they are a legal requirement for insurance purposes at least. I do know you can get in bother for using a mewp without appropriate ticket, and when you do any work on commercial sites, they will often ask to see your qualifications.
to now, I have my CS30 which is chainsaw operation, maintenance and crosscutting, and my CS31 which is fell and process 'small' trees. Small trees by definition are trees up to the length of the guidebar. So i can cut down a 3ft trunk so long as I have a 3ft guidebar but on the course it's limited to 15inch bar and consists of thinning out a stand of pine
CS32 is Medium (up to 2x guidebar length) and CS33 is Large (Over 2x guidebar length including plunging through the centre of the hinge) 34 is processing single windblown tree, 35 is multiple windblown trees, i forget 36 and 37, but 30 and 31 are the prerequisites to all the others.
some people say it's overkill, but is it really? sure it costs a lot, but since its legal and regulated, it keeps the main part of the hacks out of it and tbh, I think EVERYONE should get special training on windblow, as the possibility for catastrophe through reading compression and tension wrong, plus the amount of stored energy in the tree, is very high!
this course alone is costing me over $1000 and my gear probably stands me somewhere to the same figure if not considerably more.
My cs30 and 31 was a combined course and cost the same. my CS39 to allow me to actually be a practicing tree surgeon (i seperate the terms tree surgeon as a practitioner and arborist as someone who is a qualified student of the theory). What I hope to become is what I would call a qualified Climbing Conservation Arborist