Newlands Training supplies a range of basic and intermediate chainsaw courses supporting a wide variety of occupations, the full list can be found on newlandstraining.com.

For more advanced needs, Newlands Training offer an Operate Chain Saw from Rope and Harness course, which allows operatives to use chainsaws in trees, undertaking various activities from simple pruning to crown reduction and sectional felling. Please note this course requires climbing skills as a pre-requisite. NPTC provide the necessary range of qualifications and Newlands Training offer experienced course instructors who teach this programme on a regular basis all year round.

In addition or as an alternative Newlands Training also offer a NPTC certificate (unit 47) Safe Use of a Chainsaw from a Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP). This allows competent chainsaw users to access higher levels using a MEWP, the course is ideal for pruning limbs and removing vertical stem sections without the need for a climbing qualification. Please be aware some pre-requisite are required for this course, for more information please contact Newlands Training on 01305 848454.

Lesley Simpson, Managing Director of Newlands Training has said ‘So many jobs within the arboricultural industry require people to work with dangerous machinery. Our chainsaw courses teach people to respect safety procedures, their equipment and eliminate some of the risk involved with this type of work’. She added ‘Our LANTRA Awards and NPTC courses support the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and are designed to give students the ability to operate machinery with competence and confidence’.

To enable Newlands Training to supply the highest quality teaching to each of their trainees, and adhere to the awarding bodies’ guidelines, courses are kept to a minimum of three participants per run. The courses can also vary in length depending on the experience of the participants.

Lesley Simpson, Managing Director of Newlands Training said ‘Fork Lift Truck accidents are usually very costly in wasted time, damage to property, heavy fines by the HSE and lastly, and most importantly, loss of life. We aim to provide comprehensive training to protect not just your business, but your workers too’. She added ‘We don’t compromise our training standards despite the economic climate and hopefully neither should you. How much would it cost you to have an accident or incident in terms of lost time/money/staff?’

Courses available range from one day refresher courses for previously trained and certified operators, two day courses for experienced operators with no previous certification or three day courses for those with little or no experience looking for certification.

Certificates of Competence will help towards the responsibilities required from businesses under Health & Safety at Work Act in this high risk area of business.

Alongside offering nationally recognised qualification, Newlands Training also offer reach trucks and sideloaders on your own site.

A course in Basic Tree Inspection will teach each user how to recognise hazardous trees, determine the level of risk and also decide on the correct course of action. The course will also equip participants with the ability to state the legal and safety implications of hazardous trees, collect and maintain relevant information, and also recognise their own limitations.

Those wishing to take a more in-depth course may require the Professional Tree Inspection course, which will teach applicants the correct methodology, legal framework and the ability to recognise a range of diseases and disorders. For a comprehensive list of the skills learnt please visit the Newlands Training website.  To take part in the Professional Tree Inspection Course, participants will require an existing knowledge of trees and preferably already hold a level 3 qualification. If you would like to take part but are unsure if you have the suitable qualifications please contact Newlands Training.

Lesley Simpson of Newlands Training said, “We are so pleased to be in a position to offer additional courses, especially as we are one of a few providers that offer both Basic Tree Inspection courses and Professional Tree Inspection courses.” She added, “both of these courses offer the participants the chance to develop their knowledge and prepare themselves for a career within the arboricultural industry”.

Professional Tree Inspection and Basic Tree Inspection courses are just a few of the Lantra Awards and NPTC Certifications courses available from Newlands Training.

The first stage of the course will cover the PA1 Safe Handling of Chemicals; this will make each participant of the course aware of the dangers of working with chemicals and the correct method of application. This section of the course is classroom based, covering the theory, risks and understanding of the various pesticides used in the workplace.

The second part of the course is field based, which will cover a variety of disciplines. Whilst out in the field, participants have the option to master various techniques such as PA6a Hand held Application (knapsack sprayers), PA2a Tractor Mounted Spraying, PA4 Granular Application and handling slug pellets.

The final step of the course is a NPTC evaluation, assessing each of the elements learnt within the course. Newlands Training will arrange these evaluations for each of their participants, and upon passing will award the NPTC Certificate of Competence relating to the modules taken.

Lesley Simpson, Managing Director of Newlands Training has said ‘We are delighted to be offering such a comprehensive course for such a vital industry. Working with chemicals can be dangerous so the correct training is essential to protect both the worker and the public’. She added ‘We aim to fully prepare our participant for a career in the industry so we have courses to cover everything from hand held application to tractor mounted application’.

Pesticide spraying courses from Newlands Training run throughout the year, in order to discuss your specific requirements and book a place please contact Newlands Training on 01305 848454.

Those who wish to achieve this certification will need a good knowledge of trees and ideally already hold a level 3 qualification. Anyone who is wishing to take part in the course but is unsure whether their current level of skill is suitable should contact a member of the Newlands Training team for advice.

Lesley Simpson of Newlands training says, “Anyone wishing to undertake an initial tree survey from the ground and report their findings to a supervisor or arboriculturalist for further action is welcome to join our Lantra Awards certificated Basic Tree Inspection Course on 3rd February 2011. Because this forms the first steps in tree inspection there are no pre-requisite qualifications required for this course”.

Newlands Training also offers a full range of Lantra Awards chainsaw qualifications and NPTC Certificates of Competence. Workers with current skills and up to date certifications in place are compliant with health and safety and insurance guidelines and are ready to work in the world of trees.

Managing Director Lesley Simpson urges all forestry and arboricultural workers to be sure of the following:

• Is your equipment in good condition? Such as well-maintained chainsaws or good condition ropes and harness.

• Does your protective clothing (PPE) reach the correct specification for the work you do?

• Are you using all of the recommended PPE for your work? Do you have a current LOLER Certificate – 6 monthly checks for climbing and 12 monthly checks for rigging?

When working with dangerous equipment and within hazardous environments, expert training is called for to ensure the health and safety of workers and others around. If your certification, PPE or equipment does not meet the standards required by the HSE, you not only risk serious injury to yourself and others, it could also affect your personal insurance.

Lesley Simpson adds, “Maintaining your certification levels is of the upmost importance when you are working within this industry, if not just for yourself but for people around you as well. Taking an additional or a refresher course can make sure you are aware of developments within the industry, allowing you to carry out your job safely and correctly. A refresher course can also ensure you are competent with new and existing machinery and techniques, allowing you to provide the best service possible”.

Newlands Training can provide tailored courses to refresh or upgrade certifications, enabling workers to adhere to necessary requirements.

EuCAN is an exciting conservation project set up by West Dorset educational charity, The Kingcombe Trust, to enable people from the UK to contribute to wildlife conservation across Europe. The body is funded by the Leonardo da Vinci section of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme and is dedicated to encouraging engagement in conservation projects across Europe.

The organisation has established partnerships with wildlife and orchard conservation organisations in five countries of the EU; France, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Belgium. This enables groups from the UK to travel by train, mini bus or boat (this is a no-fly operation) to work with these partners to carry out practical management tasks or species monitoring.

‘Our aim with the programme is to have a productive exchange of ideas, expertise, and resources with the accompanying social, cultural and political benefits at the community level. Not only is this project helping all partners to share the challenge of environmental management, it also gives our participants a much better understanding of nature conservation on a European scale and training in the use of power tools and hand tools,’ said Nigel Spring, EuCAN Project Coordinator.

The first two weekends of training for the 2010 project took place at the Kingcombe Centre last month and since then one group has visited La Brenne in central France for a fortnight’s placement.
‘We were delighted to deliver the chain saw course and brush cutting training for such a worthwhile project,’ said Lesley Simpson, managing director of Newlands Training. ‘Chainsaw and brush cutter training are some of our most popular courses and the trained volunteers will be able to use their new found skills in land based work when they return to the UK.’

Those interested in joining the EuCAN programme must comply with the following criteria:
•    A resident in the UK – fit and prepared to do practical work for 9 days in the 14 day trip and 3-4 days cultural and ecological training
•    Enjoy living and working in a team of likeminded people in beautiful places
•    Want to contribute to the conservation effort of our EU partners
•    Want to learn about the history, culture, languages and ecology of other nations
•    Are over 18, not in full time education, but are in employment, retired or out of work

To find out more about Newlands Training and the courses on offer in Dorset and Devon please contact us.

For press enquiries please contact: Lisa Worthington, Tandem Marketing – e 01305 756584 or 07957 542878.

The ‘Small Business Fire Training Course’ is designed for small business owners with no facility for in house fire training and those with employers and employees who require ongoing fire training to conform to the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 RR(FS)0. The RR(FS)0 has replaced a host of fire safety legislation and now clearly identifies that it is the responsibility of every business owner to carry out a risk assessment and remove or reduce as much as possible any risks to people in the building from fire.

’We have received a number of requests for this course with more businesses realising that it’s their responsibility to address fire safety in the workplace, and we want to be able to service all training requirements, ’ commented Lesley Simpson, managing director, Newlands Training. Lasting 3 hours and designed for a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 people the ‘Small Business Fire Training Course’ costs £60 + vat per delegate.

Another addition to the portfolio of Newlands’ Training Courses is the ‘Certificate of Arboriculture’, again as a result of a string of enquiries. The course is designed for those people working in Arboriculture, in both the public and private sectors, to complement their training and experience. A spring board for those wanting to take the Professional Diploma in Arboriculture of The Royal Forestry Society (RFS) the course covers planting, chainsaw training, felling small trees and brushwood as compulsory elements. This year long course, taught one day a week from June 2010 has 10 places available and will cost £1,000.

For more information about the ‘Small Business Fire Course’ and the ‘Professional Diploma in Arboriculture visit the Newlands Training website www.newlandstraining.com or contact Lesley Simpson on 01305 848454

Editor’s Notes

1.    For more information please contact Lisa Worthington 01305 756584 or 07957 542878

The most significant amendment to the chainsaw suite requirements for achievement is that trainees can undergo the new unit 50 module for damaged tree techniques without the previous pre requisite of unit 32. Trainees for the new course will only require unit 30 (maintenance) and unit 31 (cross cutting and felling small trees) in order to take this new module.

‘This is excellent news for arboriculture training budgets,’ commented Lesley Simpson, managing director of Newlands. ‘Not only is it going to save companies nearly £500 but it will also mean less time actually training for workers as unit 32 module is a three day course.’

Other amendments to chainsaw training include; merging unit 32 and unit 33 that previously tackled medium and large tree felling respectively into one new unit 32 designed for trees over 380mm. The new Unit 33 is for specialist tree felling.

‘These changes will make a significant difference to how damaged trees are dealt with and will also offer a swift route to a new and incredibly useful qualification,’ added Lesley.

For more information on the revision to chainsaw training visit the website or contact Newlands Training direct on 01305 848454.
If you want to know more about becoming a tree surgeon or would like more details regarding any of the chain saw classes in Devon and Dorset please contact:

Lesley Simpson
Tel: 01305 848454
Mob: 07976 531649
Email: lesleysimpson@farmline.com