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Field instructor for cable yarding
1150-20 N 1998
(98FS-34)
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Issue: |
How to effectively train forestry crews to ensure a productive, skilled and safety conscious workforce. |
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Agency: |
North West Loggers Association |
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Representative: |
William Sauer |
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Funding: |
$31,911 |
Context: The cable yarding program was part of a series of education initiatives undertaken by the North West Loggers Association’s Training and Development Task Force to ensure that local contracting companies have a skilled, productive and safety conscious workforce. As traditional classroom-style training methods are not usually well received by forestry workers, the cable yarding program tested the use of experienced loggers as field instructors/mentors for inexperienced workers.
Objective: To provide cable yarding training and education to forest harvesting crews in a non-classroom setting. The training was aimed at improving productivity, adaptation of safety values, reducing delivered log cost and improving compliance with applicable regulations.
Design: Experienced loggers were used as Field Instructors (mentors) for the training. A splicing workshop was developed and pilot-tested twice, first using an entry-level logging class and second using working loggers. The field instructors also participated in the field training of the entry-level group. A field instructor worked for eight days with a skyline operation and two to four days with tower and grapple yarder operations. The field instructors provided training and suggestions to improve productivity and safety as well as compiled a written evaluation of the operation.
Setting: Terrace/ Nass forestry area, in British Columbia, Canada.
Subjects: Splicing training was provided to nine entry-level logging participants and five working loggers. One skyline harvesting operation and tower and grapple yarder operation participated in the field instruction.
Main Outcome Measures: No formal evaluation of the education program was conducted. A summary of the different splicing techniques that where mastered during pilot workshops was provided. Summaries of the field instructors’ evaluations of the different harvesting operations were also included.
Results: Acceptance of the training and the desire to learn was demonstrated by participants’ willingness to incorporate mentors’ suggestions and by participants’ continued contact with the mentors. The program confirmed the need for training in cable yarding and also identified the need for skill-specific workshops in the areas of managing a logging setting, tree rigging and hooktender safety.
Conclusion: The use of experienced loggers as field instructors/mentors provides a means of educating crews on specific practical issues while in their working environment. However to be successful, the field instructors must build a relationship with the crews based on trust and respect.
This report is published in two parts, (A) and (B). Part A contains the Field Instructor for Cable Yarding and Part B contains the Splicing Manual.