Undertake sectional felling techniques — Lantra Awards End-Point Assessment Agriculture Revision
Sectional felling is a controlled method for dismantling trees from the top down, essential where space restrictions, adjacent structures, or the tree's si
Topic Synopsis
Sectional felling is a controlled method for dismantling trees from the top down, essential where space restrictions, adjacent structures, or the tree's size prevent a single directional fell. Learners will develop competence in work positioning, cutting sequences, and the use of lowering equipment to safely bring down tree sections piece by piece, with rigorous adherence to health and safety protocols.
Key Concepts & Core Principles
- Health and Safety Legislation and Risk Assessment: Understanding and applying relevant health and safety regulations (e.g., HASAWA 1974, PUWER, LOLER) to identify, assess, and mitigate risks in various land-based environments and activities.
- Environmental Protection and Sustainability: Implementing practices that minimise environmental impact, promote biodiversity, manage waste, and conserve natural resources within land-based operations.
- Animal Welfare Principles: Adhering to the 'Five Freedoms' and other welfare standards when handling, caring for, and managing livestock or other animals involved in land-based activities.
- Operational Skills for Land-Based Equipment: Safe and effective use, maintenance, and storage of common tools, machinery, and equipment specific to chosen land-based activities (e.g., hand tools, ATVs, basic tractors, horticultural machinery).
- Communication and Teamwork: Developing effective communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within a team to complete tasks safely and efficiently in a land-based setting.
Exam Tips & Revision Strategies
- During assessment, verbalize your actions clearly: announce each cut to the assessor (e.g., 'I am now making the bore cut to establish the hinge') to demonstrate understanding and intentionality.
- Always re-check your equipment before ascending—inspect ropes, karabiners, and the lowering system—and state this check in your risk assessment commentary to satisfy the examiner's safety criteria.
- If a section becomes hung up, show competency by assessing the situation, communicating with the ground crew, and employing a safe retrieval or re-cutting method rather than forcing the piece down.
Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid
- Misjudging the lean or weight distribution of a limb, leading to the section swinging back or spinning during the cut, which can cause chainsaw kickback or loss of control.
- Cutting through the hinge or leaving an insufficient hinge, resulting in the piece snapping unpredictably rather than pivoting smoothly.
- Neglecting to secure the work lanyard in a position that allows a full range of movement, causing restricted reach or risking a fall if the anchor point is loaded incorrectly.
- Forgetting to clear the drop zone or failing to ensure the ground crew is at a safe distance before starting the cut, creating a hazard from falling debris.
Examiner Marking Points
- Award credit for demonstrating a systematic work plan that includes site risk assessment, identification of escape routes, and effective communication with ground crew before any cuts are made.
- Evidence of maintaining a secure work position using rope and harness, with cutting undertaken at waist height where possible to ensure control and reduce fatigue.
- Accurate execution of the bore cut, step cut, and release cut sequences, with minimal damage to the hinge wood and no uncontrolled movement of the section.
- Proper selection and use of lowering equipment, including correct knot tying (e.g., timber hitch, running bowline) and effective application of friction devices for controlled descent of sections.