BOOM Times
UNDER EU rules, the number of pesticides that are allowed to be used in the sports and amenity sectors is falling sharply, as concerns in the European Parliament over health risks to operators and the general public rise. Local authorities are imposing ever
more stringent conditions on contractors charged with the responsibility of applying chemicals to parks, pitches and stadia.
The application equipment itself should also be subject to rigorous health and safety guidelines, not least by the contractors themselves. Complete Weed Control maintains longstanding relationships with some of Britain’s largest local authorities, but know that policing health and safety guidelines and practices is the only way to ensure that such working partnerships persist. “The vast majority of our application equipment is specially built for us to cover all the health and safety aspects,” confirms CWC technical director, Alan Abel, who stresses that several key points need to be covered before operators can begin their work. These are:
• Ease of fitting the chemicals tank to the sprayer
• Layout of switches and the ergonomics of the cab to ensure safe and convenient position for the operator
• The type of spray control unit has to be exactly right for the application
• Attention to reducing the degree of yaw of the spray boom, which can increase to unsafe levels if the boom is too long, and could also result in a number of spray nozzles being broken at either end
“We usually buy John Deere Gator 4x4s, with a cab mounted on them, to reduce the amount of drift during spraying,” Alan explains.
“Putting a good health and safety package in place from the start is paramount,” he adds. “If you do, you are half way there, at a time when local authorities are checking this aspect of the contractor's service ever more closely.” That factor proved decisive when CWC tended for the Vale of Glamorgan contract recently, for which it had worked
for a number of years. Its use of the Weed-It computer-controlled spray system was an important consideration, Alan adds. Infrared sensors detect chlorophyll, so only actuate the sprays to treat foliage when working on pavements and pathways for example. In a year, significantly less liquid is wasted. “I would estimate that nearly a third of
the strength of our winning the contract was due to our sound health and safety practices.” Standards across the sector are set to rise as the National Action Plan, due for publication next year, comes into force, and more spray operators become BASSIS certified.
Fertilisers - Chemicals - Grass Seed - Top Dressings & Aggregates Golf Course Equipment - Sprayers & Spreaders - Sports & Landscaping Equipment Contract Spraying - Technical Advice - Total Weed Control Solutions
Cheshire Depot: 01925 758886
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www.sherriff-amenity.com
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sales@sherriff-amenity.com 13
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