Technical
“Without a doubt, mowing steep slopes in today’s health and safety conscious environment has driven both employers and mower
Ransomes Spider Mini on a 40° motorway embankment
technology appeals on all levels. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester has recently purchased a fleet of eight HR300s with the TST system installed. Paul Eccles, Operations Supervisor, commented, “There’s a nationwide issue for local authorities when it comes to mowing banks, and this system takes away the guesswork. You know exactly the inclination of the slope you’re mowing because it tells you on the screen. Some operators will take risks because they may have previously cut certain banks with different machines, but this provides a uniform system for all of our operators.” “Like many councils, we’ve
experienced some serious cutbacks; we previously operated 16 machines of various types, but have reduced this to just eight with this new fleet. These will be doing as many road miles as mowing miles, so it was important that we sourced robust and safe equipment that provided a comfortable and secure working environment for the operators. This tilt system is an excellent addition to help mitigate risk and provide a safe working platform for our staff.” Finally, for more specialist slope mowing problems, even more sophisticated technology can be used in the shape of a radio controlled mower. Adhering to operating guidance, using such a machine, reduces the risk to the operator still further, and is especially appropriate for slopes in excess of 30°. The operator is not sitting on the machine, or even touching it, which also eliminates any hand arm vibration concerns that can be an issue with hand held products such as brushcutters. The Ransomes Spider series is somewhat unique in this sector, as the drive wheels steer the machine without turning the main chassis. This technique has the advantage of not altering the machine’s centre of gravity when turning, which
aids stability. Initially, we believed that the Spider would be good in applications such as motorway slopes and riverbanks, but it’s become a niche mower in various other applications. Golf clubs with seriously undulating terrain are using it more and more to maintain steep fairways and areas of rough. It is also being used on MOD contracts to mow around munitions bunkers, where operators would be in potential danger, and in petro-chemical plants to maintain non- sloping areas deemed hazardous to staff. Cannon Horticulture are specialists in multi-site grounds maintenance with MOD contracts at RAF bases across Lincolnshire. The steep sides of munitions and fuel storage bunkers have, traditionally, been a problem due to the health and safety aspects of operators standing awkwardly on steep banks and using strimmers to mow the grass. Marc Pykett, Cannon’s Operations Manager said, “The prime reasons for purchasing the Spider were health and safety, HAV and noise issues relating to our operators. Strimming these steep banks is a major H&S issue; it’s relatively dangerous, labour intensive and time consuming, but the Spider alleviates all of these issues at a stroke. The quality of cut is very good and, with four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, traction is excellent and turf damage minimal.” In a different application, a Spider mower is maintaining the ocean side slopes on the fairways at Old Head Golf Links, the golf resort situated on the Old Head of Kinsale peninsular in the south west of Ireland. Neil Deasy, the course superintendent at Old Head, says there were three main reasons why the club chose the Spider for this application. “Productivity, playability and health and safety were the prime drivers behind the purchase of the Spider,” he said. “The 2nd fairway is a typical example of what we have to
manufacturers to use
technology to find solution”
Ransomes Spider at Old Head Golf Links
contend with in terms of slopes. The semi-rough areas to the sides of the fairway are 40 degrees plus in some places, with rescue areas below for wayward drives. This sloping semi-rough used to take two of the team a day and a half to trim with strimmers; with the Spider it takes just 1½ hours!” Without a doubt, mowing steep slopes in today’s health and safety conscious environment has driven both employers and mower manufacturers to use technology to find solutions. Although a challenge, it’s something that we, and other manufacturers, are tackling head on. Come to think of it, it’s something we’ve been doing collectively, since the mower was invented.
APRIL/MAY 2012 PC 117
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