Tree Felling Preparation
Tree felling can be an extremely dangerous job without the correct preparation. Before you begin, it’s important that you plan ahead to know exactly which pieces of equipment the specific job requires as the safety of the tree surgeons, client and surrounding property is paramount.
Inspect The Tree
Prior to any cutting, you should always assess the tree’s condition to evaluate the safest method of felling it. Typically this involves looking for any cracks, loose or dead branches and any visible signs of disease. It is also important to check for any signs of root instability, roots that are in close proximity to a building, river, cliff edge etc.
Clear Tree Limbs
It’s also important to clear any hanging tree limbs up to head height before felling the tree as these are hazardous and could cause an injury if struck by one while the tree is falling.
Decide On The Felling Direction
You should also determine the fall path of the tree before you start cutting. To do this, you should ensure the surrounding area is clear so the tree doesn’t fall onto other trees or objects as it falls, as this can cause unnecessary damage. It’s very common for the tree to naturally be leaning in a certain direction, but this may not always be the best fall path so extra precautions should be taken.
Plan Your Escape Route
Another essential element of tree felling is deciding on your escape route or the “felling retreat route”. It’s important that your escape route is never directly behind the fall direction, just in case the tree kicks back during its fall - this can cause a nasty injury, so best to avoid it!
Tree Felling Process
Only a professional, fully qualified tree surgeon that knows what they're doing should fell a tree because of how dangerous it is, and how easily it can go wrong.
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These are the steps that your tree surgeon should take when tree felling.
Step 1: Sounding The Tree
This is how to establish whether the tree is live or dead wood. This is easily done by knocking against the tree with your felling axe. Hollow sounds are a sign that the wood is dead (or dying), while solid sounds means that it’s live wood. Dead wood is easier to cut, so doing this at different points on the tree is useful to find the easiest point to make the cut.
Step 2: The Horizontal Cut
The first cut should always be the horizontal cut, it is the first of two cuts required to make the notch. The notch guides the direction in which the tree will topple.
Step 3: The Wedge Cut
The wedge cut is the second of the two cuts to finish off the notch - this creates the “wedge” that is removed from the tree. It is important these cuts accurately meet to ensure a good, clean hinge.
Step 4: The Back Cut
The final cut to make in the tree felling process is the back cut. This controls how the tree will fall by determining the thickness of the holding wood.
Step 5: Escape The Falling Tree
Once you have finished the back cut, the tree will begin to topple and fall. As soon as you see the tree starting to fall, use your pre-planned escape route to get clear of the tree.
Equipment Used for Tree Felling
Tools:
Chainsaw, axe, felling wedge and winch are essential tree felling tools to safely fell a tree.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
PPE is crucial to ensure the tree surgeon's safety, especially when using a chainsaw. Protective equipment includes: helmets, visors, hearing protection, jackets, trousers, boots and gloves.
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