Chain and skidder operators use chainsaws to cut down trees and remove their branches, after which they use skidders to move the trees from the logging site to the landing area for processing.
As a chainsaw operator, you cut down trees, sawing through the trunk close to the ground. After the tree is felled, you trim off the branches with the chainsaw. You may work with several different sizes of chainsaws, depending on the size of the trees and how complicated the cut is.
If you are a skidder operator, you job involves using a cable or grapple skidder to move the felled and delimbed trees from the logging site to where they are collected for further processing or transportation.
A chainsaw operator usually works as part of a team, felling trees. Before you start your chainsaw, you have to look carefully at the cutting site to ensure that conditions are right for a safe cut. There are many different factors that must be taken into consideration and these can play a big part in the safety of a cutting operation. For example, the weather has to be studied for extremes of wind, heat, cold, wetness or dryness. A strong wind could make a big difference in how and where your tree is going to fall.
You also have to be aware of problem trees. For example, some falling timber may catch in the branches of other trees, threatening to come crashing down on top of you and your co-workers. Other trees are bent over and may suddenly spring up at you when they are being cut.
Using your chainsaw, you try to eliminate as many hazards from the site as possible. You remove snags, hangups and other hazardous trees from the area, and clear away underbrush and other obstructions that may get in the way of the skidder. With co-workers, you then prepare a skid trail and landing in preparation for the cutting and hauling of the logs.
When you have thoroughly prepared your site and are ready to start cutting, you select a starting point for your cut, taking into consideration the wind direction, the natural lean of the tree, the terrain and the direction of the landing. You also ensure that you have a clear escape route away from the falling tree.
After felling the tree, you delimb and top it in preparation for the skidding operation. You may also cut the logs into shorter lengths to make them easier to handle by the skidder.
As a chainsaw operator, you are responsible for the general maintenance of your saw, including cleaning, oiling and sharpening the chain.
As a skidder operator, you must look out for unstable ground conditions that may bog down or hinder the operation of the skidder in some way. You must also be aware of dangerous site conditions. You help prepare the area by using the empty skidder to push down hazardous trees and to break trails through the bush.
You position the skidder at felled, delimbed trees and operate the winch to load the logs. You drive the skidder along the skid trail, dragging the logs and releasing them at the landing. You then use the skidder to pile the logs.
Working in the bush is hard work. You must be physically fit and have good upper body strength to handle a chainsaw all day and be able to move heavy tree limbs. You must also be agile, since you have to climb around fallen trees to delimb them. You may also have to climb trees to cut off the tops.
The bush is a dangerous place when you are cutting trees. Trees aren't always predictable and sometimes don't fall where they are supposed to. Even on the ground, the branches of a tree that you are trimming may spring up at you, or the saw can catch or kick back at you.
A skidder operator must be aware of the terrain and ensure that the machine is operating safely away from other crew members.
Insects also add to the demands of a forest worker. At various times of the year, you are attacked by a whole variety of sucking, chewing and biting bugs, including mosquitoes, black flies and deer flies.
Despite the hardships of the job, it can be satisfying. You work out of doors all day. Much of the time you work on your own or as part of a team, with little supervision. Modern technology has made the job easier and safer. There is a greater emphasis on safety in today's logging industry. Machine operators may now work safely inside air-conditioned cabs.
Advances in technology, however, have also reduced the number of jobs for cutters. New machines now cut, delimb and pile many trees much faster than a crew with chainsaws. Many of the larger lumber companies are phasing out cutters and replacing them with large machines that can be operated by one worker.
If you enjoy working outdoors, this is a good job for you. You must be very alert and safety conscious. Bush work can be dangerous and a lapse in concentration could cause injury or death to you or your fellow workers.
You must be self-motivated and reliable. Much of the time you will be working without supervision. Even so, it is important that you get along with others. You will often find yourself working closely with other crew members as part of a team.