Unit Code: FOR401
Unit Title: Forest Utilization & Occupational Health and Safety
This First part of this unit covers; the environmental problems caused by uncontrolled logging, ways of minimizing or controlling such problems, procedures for tree felling, de-limbing using axes or chainsaws and safety procedures.
The unit also focuses on preparing a felled tree or log for bucking, defects trimming, harvesting equipment and functions of equipment such as a Chainsaw, Jinkers, and other logging machines.
The unit further covers: annual logging plan, the content of the code of Logging Practice (COLP) and its use in the Solomon Islands, the Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act (FRTU Act); the National Forest Policy statement for the Solomon Islands with reference to the Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act; Logging license procedures; the Standard Logging Agreement (SLA) and the Code of Logging Practice (COLP); audit assessments of operations of logging companies; the Solomon Islands Log scaling and grading rules.
Other areas of focus include: recognition of the important forest products and their end-users obtained from SI forests (domestic and Industrial); the process of formation during tree growth; ability to label the cross-section of a tree stem; understanding of the main physical properties of wood affecting its utilization with reference to use of SI Timber Booklets and identification of wood property specifications for a given species; the main components and layout of a typical sawmill from log ramp to drying yard; recognition of the types of saws in a mill such as Circular/Brand/Frame; use log volume input and board production figures to calculate mill recovery as a percentage and be able to give instruction for the correct method of seasoning timber in the open air.
The second part of this unit focuses on occupational health and safety policy acts, standards, hazards and instructions in the workplace; it covers forest industries’ workplace procedures, factors that could improve environmental performance procedures with regard to chemical handling and contamination prevention, protecting and maintaining clean and healthy water sources within a forest setup and understand how to read and keep records of environmental health related issues. Occupational Health & Safety hazard rules, regulation and procedures and moreover attending to emergencies are important components of this unit.