FASTCo (The Forestry & Arboricultural Safety & Training Council) , 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH12 7AT.   Tel. 0131 314 6193   Link to FASTCo website.

The UK based Forestry & Arboricultural Safety & Training Council (FASTCo) is responsible for determining competence standards in all sectors and at all levels of forestry. FASTCo's register of approved instructors is a high quality GB wide training provision whose members offer a wide range of courses in forestry and arboricultural skills. FASTCo is recognised by the Health & Safety Executive as an authoritative source of information and guidance on health & safety issues relevant to forestry and arboriculture. It publishes a series of up to date safety guides covering arboriculture and forestry operations.

FASTCo have recently made all their free training guides available for direct viewing on their web site (see footnote). Link to FASTCo website.

Establishment

• Pre-Plant Spraying of Container Grown Seedlings. Safety Guide No 102.  Mar 1995.
• Planting. Safety Guide No 103.  Apr 1996.
• Fencing. Safety Guide No 104.  Mar 1996.
• Hand Held Power Posthole Borer (Rock drill). Safety Guide No 105.   Mar 1996.

Maintenance

• Hand Tool Weeding and Cleaning. Safety Guide No 201.  Sept 1994.
• Application of Pesticide by Hand Held Applicators. Safety Guide No 202.  Mar 1995.
• Clearing Saw. Safety Guide No 203.  Apr 1996.
• Brashing & Pruning with Handsaw. Safety Guide No 206.   Sept 1994.
• Hedge Trimmers. Safety Guide No 215.  Nov 1991.
• Abrasive Wheels. Safety Guide No 216.  Mar 1991.
• Tractor Mounted Weeding Machines. Safety Guide No 220.  Apr 1996.

Chainsaw

• Petrol Driven Chainsaws. Safety Guide No 301.  Feb 1998.
• Basic Felling by Chainsaw. Safety Guide No 302.  Mar 1995.
• Chainsaw Snedding. Safety Guide No 303.  Mar 1995.
• Cross-cutting and Stacking. Safety Guide No 304.  Apr 1996.
• Takedown of hung-up trees. Safety Guide No 305.  Apr 1996.
• Chainsaw clearance of windblow. Safety Guide No 306.  Apr 1996.
• Felling large trees. Safety Guide No 307.  Mar 1996.
• Top-Handled Chain Saws. Safety Guide No 308.  July 1999.
• Hand Winches. Safety Guide No 310.  Sept 1996.

Work Off Ground

• Tree climbing Operations. Safety Guide No 401.  Sept 1999.
• Aerial Tree Rescue. Safety Guide No 402.  Feb 1998.
• Mobile Elevating Work platforms (MEWP) for tree work. Safety Guide No 403.  Sept 1996.

Extraction

• Tractors in Tree Work. Safety Guide No 501.  Sept 1998.
• Extraction by Skidder. Safety Guide No 502.  Sept 1998.
• Extraction by Forwarder. Safety Guide No 503.  Sept 1998.
• Extraction by Cable Crane. Safety Guide No 504.  Sept 1998.
• Uses of Tractors with Winches in Directional Felling and Takedown. Safety Guide No 505.  July 1999.
• Extraction by Horse. Safety Guide No 506.  Sept 1999.

Processing

• Mobile Circular Saw Bench. Safety Guide No 601.  Sept 1996.
• Mobile Peeling Machine. Safety Guide No 602.  Sept 1996.
• Mechanical Harvesting. Safety Guide No 603.  Mar 1998.
• Wood Chippers. Safety Guide No 604.  July 1999.
• Mechanical Roadside Processing. Safety Guide No 605.  Sept 1998.
• Mobile Stump Grinders. Safety Guide No 606.  Sept 1999.

Vehicles

• All Terrain Cycles. Safety Guide No 701.  Mar 1998.
• All Terrain Vehicles. Safety Guide No 702.  Mar 1996.

General Safety

• Noise and hearing conservation. Safety Guide No 801.  Mar 1995.
• Emergency Planning and First Aid. Safety Guide No 802.  Feb 1999.
• Electricity at Work. Forestry & Arboriculture. Safety Booklet No 803.  Mar 1995.
• Electricity at Work. Forestry & Arboriculture. Safety Guide No 804.  Mar 1995.