German forest service certificate

The German Forest Service Certificate (DFSZ) is a certification system for forest entrepreneurs. It is based on the guidelines of the Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and is recognized by forest owners and forest administrations nationwide. It is awarded by the Alko-Cert certification body. The standard provider of the DFSZ is VdAW Beratungs- und Service GmbH. A total of almost 1400 forest entrepreneurs in Germany and neighboring countries are certified by the German Forest Service Certificate.

DFSZ background

In forests that are certified by the two large forest area certification systems, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC), only certified forest entrepreneurs are allowed to work. The German Forest Service Certificate is a recognized certificate for forest entrepreneurs by both FSC and PEFC. The DFSZ standards are based on the specifications of PEFC and FSC in the context of gentle, sustainable forest management. The guidelines of the employers' liability insurance association are also covered.

DFSZ standards and audits

DFSZ-certified companies are demonstrably environmentally and safety-conscious, comply with social standards and, last but not least, have a high quality of work. They are checked annually for compliance with the DFSZ standards by independent auditors. The DFSZ audit is divided into a document, machine and area audit. Important documents that can be viewed include: B. Proof of professional association, public liability and trade tax. It is also checked whether employees are paid the minimum wage stipulated by the collective agreement and whether all employees have valid first-aid training. In the case of large machines, particular care is taken to ensure that they run on bio-hydraulic oil and that they are in good technical condition. In addition, the requirements of the BG must be complied with. In the areas, for example, the auditor pays attention to compliance with the accident prevention regulations (UVV), i.e. work safety and work quality. After the successful initial audit, the forest entrepreneurs receive their DFSZ certificate from the Alko-Cert office, which is valid for five years. The validity of the certificate is regularly confirmed by the annual audits. After a successful audit, the forest entrepreneurs receive a report from the Alko-Cert GmbH office. The machines and certification areas are listed on this.

Certification areas

Forestry entrepreneurs can be certified according to the German Forest Service Certificate in the following areas:

B - Establishment of the stock

Surface preparation
Plant procurement and treatment
planting
Culture protection

H - timber harvest and maintenance

Precipitation and processing
Recession
Debarking

S - other services

Road construction
Value branches
Young stand maintenance

Possible combination certifications

For companies that trade in wood or wood products, Alko-Cert also offers the wood trade chain certifications PEFC-Chain of Custody (CoC) and FSC-Chain of Custody . Essentially, the origin and quantity of the certified wood must be documented. Cost- and time-saving combined certifications from DFSZ with PEFC CoC / FSC CoC are offered, for which only one audit appointment is required.

Others

A neutral certification company annually checks the VdAW as system operator and the participating companies for compliance with the requirements. The German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) regularly controls Alko-Cert GmbH as a certification body according to DIN EN ISO / IEC 17065: 2013.