Extract timber and wood products by horse

This standard is about using horses to extract timber and wood products.

Horses are used where sites are difficult to access and where heavy machinery would be disruptive and damaging.

When working with equipment and machinery you must be appropriately trained, and hold current certification where required, in line with the relevant legislation.

Your work must conform to all the relevant legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance.

1. obtain the relevant information to carry out the work activities in accordance with organisational procedures
2. check any statutory requirements that might be in place that may prohibit or place conditions on the work to be carried out and confirm all required permissions and licences have been obtained
3. maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in accordance with the relevant legislation and codes of practice
4. assess the risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out, before starting work and throughout the activity, checking and confirming the findings of any existing risk assessments
5. confirm that sufficient control measures are implemented and emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site have been established and recorded
6. confirm, prepare and maintain access and egress routes for extraction work
7. select the safest working methods, making use of mechanical methods where this is safer, in accordance with the assessed risks and organisational procedures, and plan work accordingly
8. confirm that relevant training and certification is in place for the equipment being used and recognise your own competence limitations
9. use appropriate methods to maintain effective communication with other workers and anyone else involved in, or affected by, the work, in accordance with industry guidance and organisational procedures
10. confirm that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work to be carried out is worn at all times
11. select, prepare, use, maintain and store the tools and equipment required safely, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
12. confirm that all equipment has been checked, tested where required, and is fit for purpose in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer's instructions
13. confirm that the welfare of the horse or horses is regularly checked
14. maintain the safety and security of the horse(s) and equipment on site
15. prepare the horse(s) for timber work, giving due regard to horse welfare
16. select, check, prepare and fit a suitable harness for the work being carried out
17. handle the horse(s) to maintain control and check horse welfare throughout operations
18. use the appropriate equipment to load and secure timber or wood products safely for extraction by horse
19. extract timber and wood products by horse safely and effectively using the agreed extraction routes
20. unload, grade and separate timber and wood products, in accordance with product specifications
21. accumulate timber and wood products in the agreed area to facilitate uplift and onward dispatch
22. minimise damage or disturbance to the site and surrounding area while carrying out the work and confirm that the site is left in a safe and tidy condition
23. deal effectively with issues that arise within the scope and limitations of your responsibilities and report issues that cannot be resolved, in accordance with organisational procedures
24. complete and store all the relevant documentation in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures

1. how to identify and access information relevant to the required work
2. how to identify hazards and assess risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out and the importance of site-specific risk assessment and control measures that are appropriate for your area of work
3. the relevant health and safety procedures and Safe Systems of Work (SSoW)
4. the emergency planning, procedures and risk zones relevant to the site, particularly where felling is still taking place
5. how to select suitable routes to extract timber and wood products by horse
6. current legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance, organisational policies, procedures and protocols, business and professional ethics that are relevant to your area of work and to which you must adhere
7. the legal, industry and organisational requirements for training and certification when carrying out this work
8. why it is important to maintain effective communication with other workers and anyone else involved in, or affected by, the work and the methods of communication that should be used
9. the tools, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the work and how to safely, prepare, use, carry out operator maintenance and store these, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
10. the legal requirements for checking and testing equipment and why it is important to maintain all equipment to a high standard
11. the implications of terrain, ground conditions, season, weather and type of timber or wood products on the use of horses for extraction work
12. the procedures involved in preparing horses for extraction work
13. the different types of horse harness and what they are used for
14. how to select, check, prepare and fit different types of horse harness
15. how to handle horses safely, and with consideration for their welfare
16. how to provide for and maintain, horse welfare including the provision of rest, food and water
17. the capabilities of the horse(s) used, in relation to fitness, temperament, experience, size, weight and the type of extraction equipment used
18. the capabilities and limitations of the horse(s) used, including slope limitations and the maximum safe working load
19. how to interpret product specifications and sort produce into categories during loading
20. how to load and attach timber and wood products safely and securely for extraction
21. the effect of unbalanced loads on extraction
22. the methods of grading, stacking and handling products
23. the potential impact of your work on the site and surrounding area and how this can be minimised
24. the issues that can occur when extracting timber and wood products by horse, the actions to take and the organisational procedures for reporting issues which cannot be resolved
25. the scope and limitations of your competence, responsibilities and accountability
26. the legal and organisational requirements for the completion and storage of documentation

Equipment could include: canthooks, log rollers, grapple hooks, timber tongs, choker chains, skidding cones, snatch blocks, swivel hooks, logging/timber/pole arches, harness, swingle trees, forwarders

Harness types – Scandinavian, trace, plough, cart

Information required to carry out work activities could include:
• drawings
• plans
• schedules
• specifications
• method statements
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• manufacturer’s instructions
• customer requirements
• quality assurance requirements
• industry standards (e.g. British Standards)
• verbal or written instructions
• industry guidance (e.g. FISA)

Organisational procedures refer to procedures set by the organisation you are employed by or the organisation that you are doing the work on behalf of (the client or customer)

Risk zone – also referred to as Danger zone and Exclusion zone. The Risk zone should be established before commencement of any tree work.

Safe System of Work (SSoW) – is a method of work that puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards, which are broken down into four elements: safe person; safe equipment; safe place; and safe practice.