Wood Chipper Training Courses
Our manually fed wood chipper course run on a regular basis. Whether you need a ticket for a tracked, trailed or PTO chipper we can help. Perfect course for grounds maintenance, forestry, utility, conservation workers - anyone in the land based sectors.
Manually Fed Wood Chipper
So, the time has come for you to get your manually fed wood chipper qualification, you could be:
- new to the use of a manually fed wood chipper
- used them in the past
- have the opportunity for a new contract or tender
- need evidence of a certificate to show competence
- an awesome volunteer who wants to help out more on your favourite site
There are many reasons on why you have found your way here and we understand you may have lots of questions. Or you know exactly what you are looking for.
No matter where you are coming from the place to start with using a manually fed wood chipper is here.
Not only is this a great starting place for those who have not used or had the experience of using a manually fed wood chipper. As folk tend to forget that we all have to start somewhere. It is perfect for those experienced users too. As in everything, there is always the potential to learn something new if you are open to the experience.
For those who have been working within the land based sector such as a:
- conservation worker
- volunteer for a local group
- budding arborist
- forester
- farmer
- gamekeeper
- landscaper
- utility worker e.g. rail, highways
Our manually fed wood chipper course allow you plenty of time to learn to maintain and carry out the chipping. Along with discussions about different types of wood chippers.
The place to start. . .
If you have never used any machinery before and want to gain some confidence the wood chipper course is a fantastic place to start and it is one of the good jobs.
When on the job you tend to get into a bit of a zone and totally focus on the job and the real satistaction is that you can see very clearly where you have been. Nothing like thinking back to the huge pile of brash which is now a much smaller chip pile!
The safe use of manually fed wood chipper course is not just about using a machine safely but making sure we protect not only you and others in the area but the environment in which you work.
Many of you are already actively using wood chippers however you may have discovered that as a professional operator you need a certificate of competence to enable you to carry on doing so.
You may have been asked by:
- your quality assurance body
- your employer
- or a new contract opportunity to demonstrate competence through certification
Are you could be new to the job or been doing it for over 40 years and things have changed, if so and you are faced with having to gain your manually fed wood chipper qualification have you been:
- Struggling to find the right fit in terms of training provider?
- Confused by all the names, numbers and acronyms for the land based courses that are available to you?
- Worried you will get it wrong or waste you hard earned money?
- Concerned that it will feel like going back to school?
- Looking to gain a qualification to continue with jobs because legislation has changed?
- Offered a new and exciting contract, but need another ticket/qualification to seal the deal?
Then we can help you!
No matter which sector you are coming from, and the level of experience. We can work with you to understand your training needs, we can tailor a programme and provide courses that will be suitable to you.
We provide award winning training through tailored, flexible, friendly, approachable trainers and assessors.
All courses are run with small groups to ensure you have as much time as needed to learn and experience what is required for the assessments if you chose to take them. Trainers and assessors are experienced, friendly, and approachable.
As with all Lowe Maintenance courses, you get support and advice via email or on the phone if you need it in the future, just because you’ve completed the course doesn’t mean you can’t get in touch if you need more information or guidance.
City and Guilds accreditation
Is the certificate you will gain on successful completion of your manually fed wood chipper assessment.
A one-day course, with the assessment throughout the day.
Group sizes are no more than four candidates to one trainer, so nice small group sizes. To allow for plenty of discussion and questions.
On this wood chipper ticket will be learning about:
- wood chipper maintenance
- how to sharpen blades and options available to you
- the risks involved in using hand wood chippers and how to stay safe
- carry out pre-use checks
- difference between tracked, trailed and PTO chippers
- importance of biosecurity
- industry best practice
- what you need to do in an emergency
- how health and safety legislation will affect you
Although, you will have to bring your own PPE as it is not good practice to share sweaty helmets and gloves. But don’t worry we provide a thorough list of exactly what you need to bring with you so no hiccups on the day.
Candidate portal
On booking your course you will be given access to the candidate portal, where you will find lots of leaflets and documentation to read through, ideally before you attend the course. This helps you with the terminology during the course and gives you a heads-up of what to expect in any discussions and practical sessions. There could even be some videos we need you to watch to help embed your learning in preparation for your assessments.
Assessment
The manually fed wood chipper course is one day, with the assessment ongoing throughout the day, you will be assessed by an independent City and Guilds assessor.
We may be stating the obvious and it is sad that we have to be saying this as it appears it is not common practice.
When attending a course with us, you must follow any instructions that are given when using any equipment and carrying out tasks, for the safety of all involved.
For further details please see our terms and conditions for courses.
You will require:
- Reading glasses (if applicable)
- Gloves – leather or anti vibration
- Helmet with ear defenders and mesh visor (in date)
- Safety glasses
- Coveralls
- Safety footwear
- Silky or other pruning saw
- Appropriate outdoor clothing
- Dinner and drinks
Do you need a refresher? HSE advises that you complete a refresher every 5 years, although some insurance companies state it every 3 years. We can help. Refresher courses tend to run when the wood chipper course is running. You just don’t re-sit the City and Guilds exam at the end of the day – unless you want to!
Equally, if you have a group of people we can put a date together just for you.
Safe Use of Manually Fed Wood Chipper – one-day refresher £150 +VAT = £180 per person
You will receive a Lowe Maintenance Certificate of Completion, valid for 3 years.
Testimonials
- Register Your Interest
If you have a group of 4 needing training - Cost - £290
Training - £100 +£20 VAT
Assessment - £170 no VAT - Certification - City and Guilds
- Training - One day
- Assessment - integrated
Other courses of interest to you
- Chainsaw, Felling and Forestry
- Tree Climbing and Rigging
- Landbased Machinery
- Pesticides
- Livestock
- Pest Control
- Refreshers
- Online Courses
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You have probably noticed that there are even more courses than you thought possible.
It seems like there could be one for walking over lumpy ground soon!
With this in mind please feel free to give us a shout and ask for help in figuring out which ones will be right for you.
As a result you may discover you do not need to do as many courses as you first thought!
FAQ
Why do I need a wood chipper qualification?
Under PUWER regulations anyone using machinery within their work must have received adequate training whether it be formal or informal and must meet the requirements of their insurance company.
Wood chippers can be a dangerous piece of equipment if used incorrectly.
We’ve all seen the photos on internet of people pushing brash in with thier legs!!
What do you mean by integrated?
Integrated training and assessment means that both the training and assessment are completed in the same day.
The assessment part is made clear at the time as not to be mistaken for training.
A great way to save you time and money through attending for only one day rather than two.
Can you come to our work place to do the wood chipper course?
Yes, provided you have plenty of brash and somewhere we can get out of the weather to do the maintenance.
We have used a tarp strung between a few trees before; after all, your not going to be using it indoors on the job are you!
Chipper ticket, really?
So you can learn about a wood chippers basic maintenance and maybe save you some costs in the future.
Along with that anything goes wrong to direct emergency services as to what comes off on the machine, so amputation is a very last resort.
There have been occasions where people have lost arms or legs due to untrained staff using the machine, you don’t want this to be you, do you?
Is there the minimum working distance?
Anyone working in and around the area whilst the chipper is in use should be wearing ear defenders – remember the hopper is like one big grammaphone!
The safety pictorial labels on the machines may have more details from the manufacturer.
If the sticker is missing – replace it!
Can I put wood chip straight onto the garden?
No, it is not good practice. As the chip rots it takes nitrogen out of the ground to help the decomposition process. The removal of this nitrogen puts the plants, trees and flowers under stress and can potentially kill them.
It is best to leave the chip for at least 6 months (turning regularly) before using it as a mulch. The chip, if clean, is very good as a base in chicken pens, mine used to love it!
Which type of wood chipper is the course for?
The course is for self-feed chippers. So that is a chipper that has feed rollers and safety system to match.
Should I be wearing PPE?
When using a wood chipper:
- helmet with metal mesh visor
- safety glasses
- ear defenders
- non-snag clothing, ideally coveralls
- gloves
- safety footwear
- personal first aid kit
Do I need a helmet?
It is easier to use a helmet you can use eye protection and good ear defenders but sometimes logs flail or the chipper spits bits back out of the hopper, which could get quite painful.
Depending on the length of the wood you are chipping sometimes long lengths can flail about in the infeed chute.
It is best practice therefore to use a helmet.
Which type of ear protection can I use?
You can use ear defenders but if they are not rated for the chipper you could buy a helmet with chipper specification protection.
You can also wear earplugs under your ear defenders as an extra level of protection.
Ideally category 3 ear defenders are recommended.
