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TECHNICAL AWARDS > Forestry & Arb > Utility Arboriculture
Lantra Awards has developed five training courses covering Utility Arboriculture, to prepare candidates for assessment in the NPTC suite of UA units 1 to 5. These new courses were launched in the autumn of 2006 and are designed to cover all the criteria covered in the NPTC assessments plus additional breadth and depth of knowledge to equip trainees to work in this high-risk industry sector.
As these courses are cross-industry' we have been in consultation with a large number of individuals and organisations, including the Sector Skills Councils both for the environmental and land based sector (Lantra SSC) and Energy and Utility Skills' the SSC for the energy distribution industries. The Electricity Networks Association (ENA) and regional Distribution Network Operators (DNO), as well as the Arboricultural Association's Utility Arboriculture Group (UAG) have all been invited to contribute to our final products, which are designed to address the key roles of contactors carrying out arboricultural works within the proximity of overhead electrical Power Lines.
The structure of courses is as follows:
| Course title & Contents |
Min. Duration |
Max. Trainees |
Instructor(s) |
1. Site safety awareness
- Risk Assessment
- Safety documents
- O/H line clearances
- Site / equipment hazards
- Emergency procedures
- Equipment recognition
- Tree categories and zones
|
2 days |
6 |
1 electrical |
| 1R. Experienced operator
As above |
1 day |
6 |
1 electrical |
2. Site Operations: Use of insulated tools, ground and aerial tree works
- Risk Assessment refresher
- Tree recognition, growth characteristics and hazards
- Equipment selection
- Controlled felling techniques
- Aerial tree work
|
2 days |
6 |
1 Arb,
1 electrical
4 (or 1 joint instructor) |
| 2R. Experienced operator
As above |
1 day |
As above |
|
3. Receive safety documents
- Risk Assessment refresher
- Safety documents and plans
- Issue and receive safety
- documents
- Responsibilities of issuer,holder and work party
- Clear and cancel safety documents
|
1 day |
6 |
1 electrical |
| 3R. Experienced operator
As above |
half day |
6 |
1 electrical |
|
4. Electrical earthing of overhead lines
- Risk Assessment refresher
- Requirements for earthing
- Work limits
- Procedures for earthing
- Access methods for earthing
|
1 day |
6 |
1 electrical |
| 4R. Experienced operator
As above
|
Half day |
6 |
1 electrical |
5. Survey and risk assessment
- Client's requirements
- Risk assessment
- Method statements
- Job instruction
- Electrical planning
- Arboricultural planning
- Tree recognition, growth characteristics and hazards (as in Prune and fell trees')
- Survey documentation
|
3 days |
8 |
1 Arb, 1 electrical |
We are still looking for new instructors and we invite application to deliver these courses from existing Instructors, particularly those who are already approved as assessors for NPTC. This will apply most immediately to courses two and five, for those tree work instructors involved in Utility work, but we also want to hear from electrical instructors who may or may not be existing Lantra Awards Instructors or NPTC Assessors.
Contact Lantra Awards Operations Team on 02476 419703, option 3, or e-mail: awards mailto:operationsteam@lantra-awards.co.uk
For technical information regarding these courses, please contact the Business Development Team: development@lantra-awards.co.uk.