Support colleagues undertaking aerial treework operations

This standard covers all the activities required to support colleagues undertaking aerial treework operations.

Activities include the following:
• controlling access to working areas
• supporting and assisting colleagues working off-ground
• dealing with arisings

You could be working to a given specification that defines the methods to be used but you will be expected to determine how to carry out these methods on site.

You are required to avoid or minimise damage or disturbance to the surrounding area including trees, other vegetation, wildlife and habitats, or to any structures fences, paths, signs, ditches/waterways or drains, and to ensure that other site users are not put at risk by your work.

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 relevant legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance.

This standard is for groundworkers and other tree workers supporting aerial treework operations.

Core requirements and responsibilities
1. obtain the relevant information to carry out the work activities in accordance with organisational procedures
2. maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in accordance with the relevant legislation and codes of practice
3. 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
4. confirm sufficient control measures are implemented, risk zones have been set up and marked, and emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site have been established and recorded
5. 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
6. check that relevant training and certification is in place to undertake the work to be carried out and recognise your own competence limitations
7. 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
8. confirm that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work to be carried out is worn at all times
9. select, prepare, use, maintain and store the tools and equipment required safely, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
10. confirm all equipment has been checked, tested where required, and is fit for purpose, in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer's instructions
11. maintain the safety and security of tools and equipment on site
12. 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
13. implement best practice approaches to sustainability that are appropriate for the work being carried out
14. 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
Control access to working areas
1. confirm working areas and drop zones are clearly established and marked
2. control access to working areas and drop zones in accordance with risk assessments and site-operating procedures
3. monitor treework operations to provide timely information to climbers of any changes in site hazards and risks, in accordance with site- operating procedures
Support and assist colleagues working off-ground
1. communicate effectively with the aerial tree worker and others throughout the duration of the work, including any members of the public
2. pass and retrieve equipment to and from climbers safely to aid treework operations, in accordance with site-operating procedures
Deal with arisings
1. remove arisings from drop zones safely to support aerial tree workers, in accordance with risk assessments and while minimising environmental damage in accordance with site-operating procedures
2. deal with arisings in accordance with site-operating procedures and environmental requirements

Core requirements and responsibilities
1. how to identify and access information relevant to the required work
2. how to identify hazards and assess the 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 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
5. the legal, industry and organisational requirements for training and certification to undertake the work activities required, and the importance of acknowledging your limitations and not undertaking work that is beyond your level of competence
6. why it is important to maintain communication with aerial tree workers and anyone else involved in, or affected by, the work and the methods of communication that should be used
7. 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, manufacturer’s instructions and organisational procedures
8. the legal requirements for checking and testing equipment and why it is important to maintain all equipment to a high standard
9. the potential impact of the work on the site and surrounding area and how this can be minimised
10. your and the organisation’s responsibility for protecting the environment and working sustainably
11. the issues that can occur when supporting off-ground treework operations, the actions to take and the organisational procedures for reporting issues that cannot be resolved
12. the scope and limitations of your competence, responsibilities and accountability
Control access to working areas
1. the emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site, risk zone distances and the management of drop zones
2. the importance of risk zone management, the correct use of warning signs and barriers to inform and protect others while work is carried out and the procedures for temporary traffic management where required
Support and assist colleagues working off-ground
1. what support is required for colleagues undertaking aerial treework operations, why this is important and who to confirm your work activities with
2. how to identify tree species and families and how the species and condition of trees will affect your work
3. the basic principles of tree habits and how they impact your work
4. how to safely pass and retrieve equipment to and from aerial tree workers
Deal with arisings
1. why it is important to remove arisings from drop zones as soon as it is safe to do so
2. the correct methods of dealing with arisings in accordance with legal and organisational requirements
3. how to select the appropriate method of disposal or onward transport of the arisings from treework operations
4. how to comply with the relevant legislation regarding disposal, transport and storage of the arisings from treework operations

Activities to support aerial tree operations include the following:
• controlling access to working areas
• supporting and assisting colleagues working off-ground
• dealing with arisings

Different methods of dealing with arisings include: burning, stacking, burying, spreading, further processing, re-using as other products

Aerial tree worker/Climber – the person working off the ground, which could include Mobile Elevated Work Platforms or rope and harness

Access equipment includes: Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs), rope access, rope positioning, ladders, scaffolding, cranes, spikes

Drop zone – the designated area into which objects such as tree branches or trunk sections are to be dropped when carrying out aerial tree pruning

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)

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.