Soft Landscaping Japanese Knotweed Control
Japanese knotweed needn’t be feared, provided organisations take time to choose their treatment specialists responsibly. Japanese Knotweed Control’s David Layland explains.
When it comes to the threat of invasive, non-native plants such as Japanese knotweed on commercial build projects or recreational land such as parks, riverbanks or golf courses, the worst mistake developers or local authorities can make is to think ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Just because knotweed isn’t a visible problem the whole year round doesn’t mean it won’t come back to create havoc in the Spring.
But whilst unchecked knotweed growth can be a ‘ticking timebomb’ it is relatively easy to effectively manage in a controlled manner, providing there is early identification and protection of the site, and the work is carried out by a competent and professional treatment specialist.
But therein lies the next major decision. As knotweed contamination has become more widely recognised, one unfortunate consequence has been that everyone suddenly had a view on how it should best be treated. How then do councils or specifiers choose a reputable and reliable specialist when the marketplace is awash with hundreds of so- called industry ‘experts’, including a great many that are untrained, under-qualified and simply not up to the job?
In the competitve construction industry, for example, project completion expediency can easily lead some companies to pay only lip service to certain tasks, particularly something as apparently peripheral as Japanese knotweed treatment. However the ‘tick box’ appointment of a random treatment company without thoroughly researching its credentials and track record could only be storing up much greater problems down the line with serious financial and even legal implications.
Even when practised by seasoned professionals, traditional treatment methods can be costly, time-consuming, not always 100% effective and potentially carry some environmental risks. In the hands of an inexperienced operator, the problem becomes enormous.
The starting point is to thoroughly check a company’s industry accreditations and legislative compliance before appointing them to start the work. There’s many a potential treatment ‘cowboy’ hiding behind a dynamic website or a glossy brochure. The critical consideration for anyone looking for a contractor should be that they are Amenity Assured and BACCS registered which means they have the minimum requirements to work and preferably hold ISO 9001 accreditation from the British Standards Institute (preferably UKAS approved).
The Amenity Assured scheme, first launched four years ago, has been developed by several key trade bodies which have the responsibility to address the concerns of government, local authorities and many other amenity organisations with regards to amenity weed control.
In every facet of life there is variability in the quality of performance and, of course, weed control treatment is no different. However, to try and remove that variation in pesticide operation between different operators, and to ensure a consistent standard of performance with reliability of results, value for money and risk minimisation, it is important that work is carried out by suitably qualified, audited and approved operators, i.e Amenity Assured.
The scheme involves three totally independent and separate audits being carried out annually on each contractor, including an unannounced on-site assessment, a full audit of a contractor’s premises, records and certification and an end-of- season check with clients to ensure treatments have been successfully completed to their satisfaction.
Paul Singleton is Chairman of the Amenity Assured scheme and a consultant to BASIS Registration Ltd which runs it: “Involving a comprehensive annual audit, this scheme is increasingly recognised as a true indicator of a contractor’s viability. Amenity Assured spraying contractors are now approved by well over 200 UK local authorities, and are being specified by Network Rail to treat over 18,000 miles of main line tracks as well as on countless other projects such as utility works and golf courses.”
“Amenity Assured is already endorsed by the Chemical Regulations Directorate (CRD), part of the Health & Safety Executive, as an important element of contactors’ application of professional pesticide. We are already talking to government and very hopeful that the entire Amenity Assured scheme will be built into its overall standards for safe practice going forward.”
Another minimal requirement should be some credible warranty backed insurance cover on all work undertaken. Inadequate insurance cover continues to undermine many treatment programmes with some guarantees at best misleading and at worst not worth the paper they are written on.
Many treatment companies have simply diversified into treating Japanese Knotweed from their traditional landscaping and weed control practices but are still operating with the same standard insurance cover as before. This specialist work does however require a bespoke insurance policy that addresses the very specific risks of knotweed within the commercial sector and avoids any serious liabilities if a treatment programme does go wrong.
www.japaneseknotweedcontrol.com
With knotweed treatment often involving the use of heavy machinery and commercial herbicides, up to date health and safety compliance is also essential. SAFEContractor accreditation, for example, a process which involves the annual assessment of a company’s health and safety arrangements and risk management, can be another good indicator of a professional company.
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To summarise, always check a company has compliance to the very latest technical, environmental and health and safety standards, has a current dated Amenity Assured certificate to show standards have been maintained and, for added assurance, be prepared to ask your treatment specialist for references and testimonials from satisfied customers.
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