Parks And Forestry Staff Takes Part In Chipper Training

From The Town of Needham: Four Parks and Forestry staff from Needham recently completed a one-day chipper safety & operations training and qualifications course held at the Reading Town Hall in Reading, MA. The Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA), Needham’s property and liability insurance provider, offered the trainings free of charge as a membership benefit. The one-day chipper safety & operations training and qualification course is designed to train workers to understand how to safely and properly operate wood, brush, and whole tree chippers, and the very important role they play in overall job site safety and accident prevention. In this training there was a strong focus on risk management, and safe and ergonomic work practices were demonstrated and practiced in this course.

"The Needham DPW appreciates the opportunity to provide employees who operate this dangerous but necessary equipment the best possible training and instruction,” says Richard P. Merson, director of the Department of Public Works in Needham. “Many times this equipment is being operated under severe conditions during extreme weather events and good training is imperative to the safety of our employees." The training was led by Ed Carpenter, lead trainer and president of North American Training Solutions, Inc., (NATS). NATS provides high quality skill training and education in disciplines required of Arboriculture, Utility, Forestry, Military, Municipal and others at risk and high angle professions. NATS trainers have performed professional arboricultural training services to Tree Care Companies, Municipal, Governmental, Utility, Military, Colleges and other related industries for more than 20 years.

The training was broken up into six categories: Integrated Risk Management & Emergency Readiness, Communications, Ergonomics and Accident Preventative Work Practices, Types of Chippers, Chipper Operations and Creating a Safe Working Area. Each participant was given a competency test at the end of the course to earn a Qualification Certificate as a competent Chipper Operator. Upon completion of this and other MIIA risk-and loss-prevention programs, all participating municipalities are able to receive insurance premium credits through the MIIA Rewards Programs, which helps to reduce local property and casualty insurance costs. About MIIA The Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA) is the non-profit insurance arm of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. As a member-based organization, MIIA’s only focus is to provide excellent service and quality risk management solutions to Massachusetts’ municipalities and related public entities. Municipal insurance its only business, MIIA insures nearly 400 cities, towns, and other public entities in Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.emiia.org and www.mma.org.

Image Via Pixabay Clickr