Rules, authorisation and certificates in the subject

The machine carpentry trade is not a licensed trade in the same way as for example electricity and plumbing where the law requires personal licensing to do the work. But that does not mean the trade has no rules. Part of the education is precisely about getting the certificates and courses that must legally be in place before you can work with specific machines and materials.

§Your journeyman certificate as professional proof

The most important proof is the journeyman's certificate which you get when you have passed the journeyman's exam. It is issued by the trade committee and documents that you are trained and master the trade's standards. The journeyman's certificate is not an authority authorization but in practice the proof employers seek as a sign of skilled quality.

§Mandatory certificates in the program

During the education you should as a rule complete a number of legally required courses linked to the machines and materials a machinery carpenter encounters. They are a condition for being allowed to work with certain things and are therefore a permanent part of the course.

• 01Safe operation of woodworking machines — proof that you can work safely with the trade's stationary machines
• 02Work with epoxy and isocyanates — required to legally work with these health-damaging substances, e.g. in certain adhesives and surface products
• 03First aid — so you can act correctly in accidents on the workplace
• 04Basic fire fighting — handling small fires and use of extinguishing equipment.

§Rules you work under without personal certification

Although the machine woodworker does not need authorisation you work under a long set of rules. Labour law sets out how work must be performed and there are requirements for machine guarding wood dust extraction and how you handle chemical products. You must know the requirements that apply to what you make.

§CE marking and product requirements

Many of the products a machine carpenter is involved in making — for example windows and exterior doors — are subject to requirements for what they must be able to do and how they are documented. This means production is not just about craftsmanship, but also about meeting the standards and documentation that come with building materials. As a skilled worker, you must understand that the finished product must meet requirements, not just look right.

§Keep your evidence even

Some certificates have a validity period or must be updated at intervals – this typically applies to first aid. As a skilled worker it is your own responsibility to keep an eye on your certificates being in order and to have them renewed when necessary. An employer will often help with this, but the responsibility for having your documents in order comes with the trade.