Elements and Performance Criteria
- Plan and prepare to operate a crawler tractor
- Review production plan, confirm its targets for felling and processing and assess wood flow requirements to ensure efficient machine operation and overall productivity
- Confirm type, size and quantity of stems and/or logs to be moved with crawler tractor to ensure that loads and machine are in line with safe working load requirements and industry standards for operations
- Confirm, identify and report health, safety, environmental and heritage risks of operation, in line with standard operating procedures and site safety and environmental management plans
- Apply risk control measures in line with standard operating procedures, site operational plan, legislative requirements and industry standards to eliminate or minimise risks
- Identify emergency plan procedures to follow in the event of an emergency
- Use production plan to identify location of extraction routes, entry points and directions to the landing for efficient extraction of logs and minimum interference with other forestry operations
- Assess terrain characteristics to establish machine stability
- Carry out pre-operational checks on machine in line with workplace procedures or manufacturers' recommendations to ensure optimal production performance and operational effectiveness
- Operate crawler tractor
- Use industry-accepted warning signs, vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems and procedures to maintain communication and workplace safety during operation
- Select products, stems and/or logs or slash to be moved based on their position, location and size
- Position crawler tractor for stability and safe access to products or slash by adjusting the technique in response to terrain conditions
- Carry out hooking-on and winching techniques or use cabin controls to grapple products or slash avoiding damage to the products in line with the production plan requirements
- Drive the machine to move products or slash to the roadside or landing area to achieve optimum efficiency and minimise breakage and damage to products, standing trees and surrounding environment in line with the production plan requirements
- Unhook and position or construct stacks of stems, logs or slash at the roadside or landing area to avoid product damage, provide stability, restrict height for efficient extraction and facilitate safe access and conduct of other landing and equipment operations in line with worksite layout and production plan requirements
- Recover all merchantable product or slash from site in line with the production plan requirements
- Carry out machine operator maintenance
- Park, shut-down, de-energise and isolate crawler tractor in line with workplace procedures or manufacturers' recommendations
- Clean, check and carry out routine maintenance activities on crawler tractor and equipment to maintain optimum operational performance
- Identify and report machine faults, malfunctions or problems in line with workplace procedures or manufacturers' recommendations
- Clean work area of all debris and waste resulting from crawler tractor operation and dispose of or recycle waste materials in line with site environmental management plan
- Record crawler tractor operations and maintenance activities