Chainsaw Training

FISTA comes to your job site and provides every participant with hands-on experience. Using current technology, tools and cutting techniques, FISTA customizes the training to fit your needs and stays on the cutting edge of new information and equipment. FISTA offers 4 different levels of Chainsaw Safety Training based on your previous experience and skill level - basic, two levels of intermediate and advanced. After attending a basic workshop, we encourage attendees to practice the techniques they have learned for several weeks before attending the Intermediate or Advanced workshops. This allows an individual to be completely comfortable with the equipment and techniques before learning how to deal with more hazardous situations.

Beginning Level

This chainsaw class is for people with little to no chainsaw experience. We will be covering the following areas in chainsaw safety and operation.

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Chainsaw features
• Reactive forces of the chainsaw
• Safe use of the chainsaw
• Introduction to daily maintenance - how to properly maintain your saw and address problems you may accrue with the saw
• The Bore Cut
• Hinge establishment and importance in tree felling
• Open Face Notch
• Evaluation before felling and hazards
• 45 degree exit plan
• Spring pole evaluation and how to handle them
• Limbing and bucking techniques

Each person must come to class prepared to cut wood. This means wearing the proper PPE, which includes chainsaw chaps/pants, hard hat with full visor and/or safety glasses, gloves, protective toe boots (cut resistant if available), and hearing protection, a chainsaw in proper working order, and fuel/bar oil for the chainsaw.

Intermediate Level

This course is intended for participants who have completed the basic chainsaw training. This course involves more hands- on training, reading pressure, more practice on limbing and bucking techniques as well as additional felling practice.

• Refresher on body mechanics and proper body positioning
• Refresher on PPE
• Chainsaw safety feature overview
• Hands-on chainsaw sharpening in the field
• Proficient use of wedges
• Proper tree felling evaluations
• Spring pole demonstration and proper spring pole cutting techniques
• Proficient use of the bore cut
• More field time demonstrations

Each person must come to class prepared to cut wood. This means wearing proper PPE, which includes chainsaw chaps/pants, hard hat with visor and/or safety glasses, gloves, protective toe boots (cut resistant if available) and hearing protection, a chainsaw in proper working order (make sure chainsaw is sharp), and fuel/bar oil for the saw.

NOTE: Students should have completed basic chainsaw training prior to this class

Advanced Level

This course is designed for participants who have completed the basic and intermediate chainsaw courses. Unlike the basic and intermediate courses, this training spends more time in the field applying all the applications we covered in the basic and intermediate courses. Proper evaluation of each person and their sawing techniques.

• Precision felling
• Hands-on application of felling trees of various size
• Dangerous tree and hazardous situation evaluations
• Various pressure cut methods
• Tree processing and bucking techniques
• Dealing with hung trees
• Storm damage trees and proper way to deal with them
• Bore cutting evaluation

Each person must come to class prepared to cut wood. This means wearing proper PPE, including chainsaw chaps/pants, hard hat with visor and/or safety glasses, gloves, protective toe boots (cut resistant highly recommended) and hearing protection, a chainsaw saw in proper working order and fuel/bar oil for the chainsaw

NOTE: Students should have completed basic and intermediate chainsaw training prior to this class