The first of the scheduled Women's Chainsaw classes was conducted over the two Saturdays 12th and 19th of June, and went off very well. The first class focussed on maintenance, fuels, oils, cleaning and checking the saws, chain tensioning, Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing, teamwork, and starting the saws. The second class included a revision session, and then we went on to starting and moving with the saws, setting up and managing the work space, limbing and cross cutting a fallen tree.The four who completed the course are: Tina Varano, Anna Burgess, Kirran Wilcoxen, and Odette Hunter, and I'd like to extend them my congratulations.
These four will receive a certificate of achievement, although I am not able to grant full accreditation as we are not a Registered Training Organisation.
I'd like to thank the women in the class for their focus, their interest and their keenness to gain the skills associated with chainsaw work. I'd also like to compliment them on their excellent attitude to the safety issues we raised and discussed during the course.
Classes will continue on Saturdays through June and July for those women who originally enrolled, and we will be scheduling further classes later in the year for those who continue to express their interest in the course.
Written by Peter Auty
