Produce charcoal in a woodland

This standard covers the activities required to produce charcoal in a woodland.

Activities include the following:
• identifying suitable wood species to make charcoal
• locating the site for a kiln
• burning and preparing the charcoal for market.

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 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
4. select the safest working methods, in accordance with the assessed risks and organisational procedures, and plan work accordingly
5. confirm the safety of the public and other workers in the vicinity of the work area
6. confirm that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work to be carried out is worn at all times
7. identify and prepare a suitable site in the woodland for the kiln
8. identify the wood species to be burnt to produce charcoal
9. check that the wood is dry enough to be burnt
10. determine the amount of wood to be burnt, to meet the required output of charcoal
11. prepare wood appropriately for the type of burn
12. prepare and ignite the kiln
13. maintain and control the burn to ensure the quality of the charcoal produced
14. allow the kiln to cool sufficiently before removing the charcoal
15. grade and bag the produced charcoal
16. separate out dust and fines
17. 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
18. implement best practice approaches to sustainability that are appropriate for the work being carried out

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
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 target markets for the charcoal
6. the type of ground within a woodland that is best suited to locate a kiln
7. the different types of charcoal kiln and the methods of loading and lighting them
8. the characteristics of wood species and the effects of the species on the quality of the charcoal produced
9. how long wood should be dried prior to burning and how this varies between species
10. how the way wood is stacked has an impact on the drying process
11. the reduction in weight and the volume of cord wood burnt for charcoal
12. the impact of moisture content, species, the value of timber and the burning process
13. the changes that occur throughout the burning process
14. the methods of controlling the burn process
15. the significance of the smoke colour at different stages
16. the other uses for dust and fines
17. how to store a kiln during long periods of non-use
18. the potential impact of the work on the site and surrounding area and how this can be minimised
19. your and the organisation’s responsibility for protecting the environment and working sustainably

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.