Assessor Resource

AHCARB322
Access trees for inspection

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: May 2024


This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to access trees for inspection. It does not describe the skills and knowledge required to access trees to conduct arboricultural work, tree pruning or removal.

The unit applies to individuals who work under broad direction and take responsibility for their own work. They use discretion and judgement in the selection, allocation and use of available resources and for solving problems.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)


Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has used climbing techniques to access at least 2 structurally different trees, including:

confirmed access to site and scope of works

identified workplace health, safety and environmental hazards and completed a job safety analysis (JSA) or safe work method statement (SWMS) for the site and activities

confirmed availability of first aid and rescue personnel, equipment and procedures

conducted pre-operational safety checks, on ropes, harnesses, tools and equipment

selected and used personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety equipment during works

inspected tree and discussed with work team to determine a safe and efficient access route

selected and prepared climbing equipment for accessing tree

ascended, navigated though and descended tree canopy using harness and lanyard and safe anchor points, following safe climbing techniques, including:

moving rope with prusik technique

trunk walking technique

use of foot ascenders

tied, dressed, set and finished the following climbing knots and hitches, including:

alpine butterfly

blake's hitch

scaffold knot

double fisherman's bend/prusik loop

girth hitch

English prusik hitch

marlinspike hitch

munter hitch

clove hitch

double-overhand stopper knot

bowline

running bowline

communicated with work team during operations using agreed communication procedures

maintained safe clearances from power lines

removed all access equipment in a controlled manner on descend from tree

inspected, cleaned, maintained and stored climbing and personal protective equipment according to manufacturer instructions.

An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

assessing and selecting different methods for climbing trees

workplace health, safety, site, environmental and traffic control measures, including:

completing JSAs and SWMS for site-specific risks

purpose of first aid and rescue personnel, equipment and procedures

pre-operational and safety checks, on ropes, harnesses, tools and equipment

PPE used when climbing

inspection, use and maintenance of arborist climbing equipment, including:

ropes and their characteristics

rope type, construction and materials

rope inspection and failure conditions

uses of climbing ropes

triple-locking carabiners

climbing hardware

purpose, function, selection, tying, dressing, setting, checking and finishing of arborist knots used for climbing techniques

safety when climbing trees, including:

safe working limits of ropes and equipment

defects in ropes, tools and equipment

climbing harnesses and lanyards

hazards to avoid when climbing within the tree canopy, including:

safe distances from electrical power lines

tree structural defects

the presence of insects or other animals

deciding on low-risk access routes

environmental impacts of tree access methods, including:

potential impact on tree of various climbing methods

impact on animal habitat or food source

communications strategies used when climbing with a work team, including:

voice

hand

electronic communications

climbing techniques using ropes and harnesses, including:

moving rope with prusik technique

trunk walking

foot ascenders

safe transitions between points of attachment

low-risk anchor points

controlled descent operations

controlled removal of access equipment

procedures for inspecting, cleaning, maintaining and storing climbing equipment.

Assessment of the skills in this unit of competency must take place under the following conditions:

physical conditions:

two trees with different canopy structures as stipulated in the performance evidence

resources, equipment and materials:

standard climbing kit

harness

arborist communications equipment

personal protective equipment

first aid and emergency response equipment

specifications:

workplace and manufacturer instructions for safe operation, cleaning and storage of the equipment specified in the assessment conditions

relationships:

work team.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards. In particular, assessors must have:

arboriculture vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed

current arboriculture industry skills directly relevant to the unit of competency being assessed.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has used climbing techniques to access at least 2 structurally different trees, including:

confirmed access to site and scope of works

identified workplace health, safety and environmental hazards and completed a job safety analysis (JSA) or safe work method statement (SWMS) for the site and activities

confirmed availability of first aid and rescue personnel, equipment and procedures

conducted pre-operational safety checks, on ropes, harnesses, tools and equipment

selected and used personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety equipment during works

inspected tree and discussed with work team to determine a safe and efficient access route

selected and prepared climbing equipment for accessing tree

ascended, navigated though and descended tree canopy using harness and lanyard and safe anchor points, following safe climbing techniques, including:

moving rope with prusik technique

trunk walking technique

use of foot ascenders

tied, dressed, set and finished the following climbing knots and hitches, including:

alpine butterfly

blake's hitch

scaffold knot

double fisherman's bend/prusik loop

girth hitch

English prusik hitch

marlinspike hitch

munter hitch

clove hitch

double-overhand stopper knot

bowline

running bowline

communicated with work team during operations using agreed communication procedures

maintained safe clearances from power lines

removed all access equipment in a controlled manner on descend from tree

inspected, cleaned, maintained and stored climbing and personal protective equipment according to manufacturer instructions.

An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

assessing and selecting different methods for climbing trees

workplace health, safety, site, environmental and traffic control measures, including:

completing JSAs and SWMS for site-specific risks

purpose of first aid and rescue personnel, equipment and procedures

pre-operational and safety checks, on ropes, harnesses, tools and equipment

PPE used when climbing

inspection, use and maintenance of arborist climbing equipment, including:

ropes and their characteristics

rope type, construction and materials

rope inspection and failure conditions

uses of climbing ropes

triple-locking carabiners

climbing hardware

purpose, function, selection, tying, dressing, setting, checking and finishing of arborist knots used for climbing techniques

safety when climbing trees, including:

safe working limits of ropes and equipment

defects in ropes, tools and equipment

climbing harnesses and lanyards

hazards to avoid when climbing within the tree canopy, including:

safe distances from electrical power lines

tree structural defects

the presence of insects or other animals

deciding on low-risk access routes

environmental impacts of tree access methods, including:

potential impact on tree of various climbing methods

impact on animal habitat or food source

communications strategies used when climbing with a work team, including:

voice

hand

electronic communications

climbing techniques using ropes and harnesses, including:

moving rope with prusik technique

trunk walking

foot ascenders

safe transitions between points of attachment

low-risk anchor points

controlled descent operations

controlled removal of access equipment

procedures for inspecting, cleaning, maintaining and storing climbing equipment.

Assessment of the skills in this unit of competency must take place under the following conditions:

physical conditions:

two trees with different canopy structures as stipulated in the performance evidence

resources, equipment and materials:

standard climbing kit

harness

arborist communications equipment

personal protective equipment

first aid and emergency response equipment

specifications:

workplace and manufacturer instructions for safe operation, cleaning and storage of the equipment specified in the assessment conditions

relationships:

work team.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards. In particular, assessors must have:

arboriculture vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed

current arboriculture industry skills directly relevant to the unit of competency being assessed.
Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Confirm access to site and scope of works according to workplace procedures 
Undertake a site-specific job safety analysis (JSA), record and implement control measures according to workplace safety procedures 
Confirm availability of first aid and rescue personnel, equipment and procedures 
Conduct pre-operational preparations and safety checks, on ropes, harnesses, tools and climbing equipment 
Select, check and use personal protective equipment 
Inspect tree to determine efficient low-risk access route and climbing method through discussion with work team 
Select and prepare climbing equipment according to manufacturer instructions, workplace health and safety regulations and industry standards 
Configure climbing equipment components to form functional tree climbing system appropriate to the access method selected 
Tie, dress, set and finish climbing knots and hitches according to climbing system 
Conduct pre-climb checks of configured systems to ensure compatibility, safety and function according to selected climbing system, industry standards and manufacturer instructions 
Select and install suitable anchor points according to access method selected 
Use climbing equipment to ascend tree to suitable work positions within crown using safe access route 
Undertake transitions between attachment points safely to reach suitable work positions 
Communicate with work team during operations according to work site and environmental conditions using methods agreed with work team 
Maintain awareness and clearances to avoid power lines according to workplace safety procedures 
Descend tree using climbing equipment in a controlled manner 
Remove all climbing equipment safely in a controlled manner according to manufacturer instructions 
Inspect, clean, maintain and store climbing and safety equipment according to manufacturer instructions 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

AHCARB322 - Access trees for inspection
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

AHCARB322 - Access trees for inspection

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: