Maintain coppice health and productivity

This standard covers the activities required to maintain coppice health and productivity.

Activities include:
• maintaining and improving coppice density
• identifying factors that affect healthy plant growth

When working with equipment and machinery or chemicals 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. 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 that sufficient control measures are implemented and emergency planning and procedures relevant to the site have been established and recorded
5. select and implement 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. confirm 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 the 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 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
11. maintain the safety and security of tools and equipment on site
12. handle, use and store hazardous substances in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
13. maintain hygiene and biosecurity in accordance with the relevant legal requirements, industry guidance and organisational procedures
14. identify areas where stock density can be improved
15. increase coppice density by planting with appropriate tree species of the correct size
16. increase coppice density by “layering”
17. improve site conditions to encourage natural regeneration and increase productivity
18. identify damage caused by browsing animals and other vertebrate pests
19. select and implement a suitable method to control vertebrate pest damage
20. identify the presence of unwanted vegetation
21. select and implement a suitable method to control unwanted vegetation
22. monitor and maintain coppice health
23. remove all waste and surplus materials and deal with them in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
24. 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
25. implement best practice approaches to sustainability that are appropriate for the work being carried out
26. 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
27. 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 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. 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 effective communication with other 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 requirements for handling, using and storing hazardous substances in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and manufacturer’s instructions
10. the importance of hygiene and biosecurity measures and how to apply these
11. the effects of growing conditions on coppice health
12. the optimum coppice density appropriate to tree species, rotation and location
13. the effect of coppice density on productivity
14. the reasons for poor coppice density
15. the range and appropriate methods for improving coppice density, their benefits and appropriate use
16. the main woodland vertebrates that cause damage to coppice and coppice stools
17. how to protect stools from damage by browsing animals
18. the methods of vertebrate pest control, their benefits and appropriate use
19. the main plant species that cause damage to coppice and coppice stools
20. the methods of controlling unwanted vegetation, their benefits and appropriate use
21. the range of conditions that affect the choice of appropriate management methods, including economic, site designations and environmental factors
22. the correct methods of dealing with waste and surplus materials in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures
23. the potential impact of the work on the site and surrounding area and how this can be minimised
24. your and the organisation’s responsibility for protecting the environment and working sustainably
25. the issues that can occur when maintaining coppice health and productivity, the actions to take and the organisational procedures for reporting issues that cannot be resolved
26. the scope and limitations of your competence, responsibilities and accountability
27. the legal and organisational requirements for the completion and storage of documentation

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.

Unwanted vegetation includes: competing, notifiable, hazardous and excessive growth.

Vertebrates may include: deer, grey squirrels, rabbits, hares, voles, feral pigs, grazing livestock, birds

Weeds: wild plants growing where they are not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants