City and Guilds 0039-23 Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness: what the handbook says

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The pages used are the City and Guilds NPTC handbook for the award, the NPTC scheme page and the City and Guilds 2026 fees list. The award sits between the ground-based chainsaw certificates and the Level 3 aerial awards. The guide on chainsaw and tree work tickets by country gives the short summary. This page adds the handbook detail.

At a glance

Item	What the official source says
Awarding body	City and Guilds, under the NPTC name
Title	Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness
City and Guilds number	0039-23
Ofqual number	603/7356/8
Guided learning hours	24, with a total qualification time of 26 (handbook version 1.6, May 2025)
Age	16 or over
Grading	Met or not met
Unit	204, Using a chainsaw from a rope and harness
Status in the 2026 list	Open to certification, registration expiry December 31, 2027, certification expiry December 31, 2030

What the handbook says it covers

The handbook says the award is for people who use chainsaws as part of their work in arboriculture, forestry or other industries. Its cover list runs: risk assessment, emergency planning, legislation, industry best practice, environmental considerations, tree condition, tools and equipment, pruning techniques, and pruning from a rope and harness. It names the Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Aerial Tree Pruning as an example of a next step. It is not part of an apprenticeship framework.

Entry requirements

The handbook says candidates must have achieved 0039-20, Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-Cutting, 0039-21, Felling Small Trees up to 380mm, and 0039-22, Climbing Trees and Aerial Rescue, or equivalent versions. The minimum age is 16. The handbooks for 0039-31 and 0039-32 each name 0039-23 as an entry requirement, and so does the utility arboriculture aerial pruning handbook, 0038-33.

Assessment

The handbook describes one assessment type: a one to one practical assessment with oral questioning by an approved City and Guilds NPTC assessor. Grading is met or not met. It says assessments should take no longer than 1.5 to 3 hours. Candidates have to finish within 24 months of the date of initial registration, and registration is valid for two years. The unit text says assessors must hold a current First Aid at Work certificate. It strongly recommends that candidates hold an Emergency First Aid certificate.

What the unit text lists

The unit has one learning outcome with five criteria: risks, hazards, controls, emergency planning and industry guides; tree condition; tools and equipment; pruning techniques; and tree pruning from a rope and harness. It names the Arboricultural Association technical guides 1 and 2 and the tree work recommendations in BS 3998 as industry guides. It defines three site layout areas: a work zone where hazards may be met, a drop zone where material is expected to fall, and an exclusion zone that is the overall operational area.

The protective kit list names a climbing helmet, a personal first aid kit, a knife with a retractable blade or a handsaw, chainsaw safety footwear, non-snag clothing, eye and hearing protection, chainsaw protective clothing and a chainsaw with a lanyard. The cuts it describes are the sink cut, step cut, inboard and outboard finishing cuts, V cut and holding cut, each with the job the handbook gives it. It lists a tape sling and a pull line as aids for removing sections, and a handsaw as a light cutting aid.

For a trapped saw, the handbook lists switching off the engine or applying the chain brake, releasing the saw from the harness where the cut section could take it, attaching the saw to the tree inboard of the cut or to a tool line, and pulling it from the kerf. If a second saw is needed, the handbook gives a minimum distance of 300mm from the trapped saw. It also describes using a top-handled saw one-handed in two cases, out at the end of a limb while the other hand holds the work position, and when two-handed work cannot be done safely. The handbook adds that the saw is then to be kept out of line with the operator and the climbing equipment. The assessed climb checks that the candidate is attached to the tree at all times, that new anchor points are load tested, and that the chain brake is on or the saw is off while the work position is reached and while sections are broken and cast.

Refresher

City and Guilds runs a CPD module for this award, 0041-04, Level 2 CPD Module in Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness, Ofqual number 610/6051/3. The 2026 list shows it open to certification. The handbook for this award gives no expiry period for the certificate. Its two-year figure is the length of a registration to take the assessment.