STRI waste seminars
Counting the Cost of Energy, Waste and Water - a series of seminars by the STRI’s Ecology and Environment Unit
THE STRI’s Ecology and Environment Unit will be holding a number of seminars, entitled Counting the Cost of Energy, Waste and Water - Streamlining Golf Course Operations, throughout the UK during November 2008.
The aim of these seminars will be to complement the issues raised in the associated “Greenkeeping” article in this issue of Pitchcare magazine. Details will be provided on Environmental Legislation pertaining to waste and water and best practice measures will be identified and discussed regarding all operations carried out at the golf club.
The processes and benefits of environmental auditing will be covered in detail and ideas that will instantly reduce your carbon footprint will be discussed. Discussion groups will be held and time will be set aside for a question and answer session on all aspects of waste, water and energy on the golf course.
Details concerning dates and locations will be provided shortly. These will be found on the STRI Website -
www.stri.co.uk. To assist us in determining locations for the seminars please express your interest by contacting Richard Stuttard at STRI on 01274 518903 or email:
richard.stuttard@
stri.co.uk
Breaches of health and safety legislation causes loss of fingers
Medway Council fined £75,000 after golf course mower severs employee's fingers
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers they must maintain machinery, and carry out risk assessments and training, after a man had two fingers partially severed by a large grass mower.
Medway Council was fined £75,000 with £6,761 costs, after pleading guilty to three breaches of health and safety legislation, at Maidstone Crown Court.
On 15 September 2006, Mr Donald Brown, a greenkeeper who worked at Deangate Ridge Golf and Sports Complex, was trying to mend a tractor-drawn mower. He was turning the tractor cylinder while his colleague was sitting in the tractor cab.
As a precaution, the cylinder should not rotate when raised, because a safety switch cuts the power. Mr Brown asked his colleague to turn on the tractor, but the safety cut-out switch did not operate, and the cylinder started rotating, resulting in the partial amputation of the last two fingers of Mr Brown’s right hand.
The HSE investigation showed that the seven- cylinder mower had no routine maintenance schedule, which would have made sure that critical safety features were operational.
However, a protective shield was missing,
and the safety guard underneath was damaged to such an extent as to render it useless.
None of the greenkeeping staff had received any training on the safe use and maintenance of the machinery and there were no training records or risk assessments in existence for the use of the mower.
David Fussell, HSE Inspector said: “The council was aware of the danger of unguarded machinery and had been advised in the clearest terms by consultants. Their failure to act on this advice was a major contributory factor towards this incident.”
“It is further clear that there was a systemic failure to train staff and to provide maintenance of the machinery. There were no risk assessments for the mower, which regretfully is proven by Mr Brown’s case, and ultimately affected the safety of the employees.”
Medway Council was prosecuted under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Reg 11 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), and Reg 3(1) (a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
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