Introduction
As the season begins to change from winter to spring, this transition to warmer and drier weather marks the ideal time to begin planning gardening and grounds maintenance related tasks. Safety and health needs to be at the forefront of the planning of any work activities.
When planning for outdoor work like gardening and grounds maintenance, there are a number of key safety and health issues that employers need to be aware of, from exposure to harmful substances like pesticides, to contact with overhead powerlines and buried services. Managing site-specific risks for these work activities is not optional. The requirement to risk assess activities, and to protect employees from foreseeable harm is embedded in the primary legislation for health and safety in the UK.
Case Study: Failure to provide a site-specific risk assessment for grounds maintenance work
In 2021, a worker suffered fatally when operating a ride on mower that overturned, ending up in a village pond. It was found by the HSE that the employer had failed to complete a site-specific risk assessment for this activity. A main contributing factor to this incident, was that the essential roll over protection system was not fitted to the mower, contributing to the instability and overturning of the mower when operated on the steep banks by the pond. It was found from the investigation that the essential roll over protection was removed from the machine prior to the work. Roll over protection systems (ROPS), are designed to provide protection to the operator if the machine overturns and are an essential safety component when working on sloped or uneven ground.
This case serves as important reminder of the importance of site-specific safety planning for varied grounds maintenance tasks. Site-specific risk assessments are crucial for this kind of work. It is likely given the nature of the work, that grounds maintenance workers are not working at the same site for each job, creating a broader spectrum of the hazards that can be encountered, and the severity of risk varied.
In this case, the fact that the roll over protection was removed, highlights a key safety culture failing. Safety culture is a shared attitude to safety of everyone employed by an organisation, and this is promoted from the top. Cultivating a culture of taking large safety risks like overriding or removing safety critical components of machinery could be fatal. if an employer habitually encourages or ignores these practices, the repercussions can be severe.
Hazards associated with grounds maintenance work
1. Manual handling: Employees can suffer pains and strains from adopting incorrect lifting and carrying techniques.
2. Machinery: Contact with moving parts, or faulty or overridden safety mechanisms can lead to entanglement or overturning.
3. Hand and power tools: Improper use can cause cuts or lacerations. Faulty equipment can cause electric shock. Tools can also have noise or vibration exposure risks.
4. Overhead power lines and buried services: Inadvertent contact with overhead powerlines or buried services could cause fatal electrocution, severe burns and explosive arcing, even without direct physical contact.
5. UV exposure: Harmful radiation from sun exposure leading to burns, heat stroke or skin cancer.
6. Slips, trips and falls: From poor housekeeping practices, lack of concentration or inappropriate footwear.
7. Hazardous substances: Exposure to harmful substances like weed killer, pesticides, or wood dusts can cause temporary health effects like dizziness, or long-term ill health effects like dermatitis or lung cancer.
8. Working near water: Working near ponds or water courses carries a risk of death or serious injury from drowning, and risk of ill health from bacteria.
Legal Duties
Employers must comply with the following:
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act: This primary piece of health and safety legislation stipulates the employer’s responsibilities for the safety and health of their employees, as well as any other person that could be affected by their work activities.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations: Mandates the requirement for employers to complete suitable and sufficient risk assessments for the activities that their employees complete.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations: Sets specific regulatory requirements for employers to provide work equipment that is fit for the intended use, is safe, and is used safely by competent operators.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations: Requires employers to control hazardous substances used in work activities (like pesticides), or harmful substances generated as a by-product of work activities (like wood dust).
Control Measures
When completing your site-specific risk assessments for gardening and grounds maintenance activities, you can consider the following control measures:
1. Manual handling: Provide lifting aids where heavy loads are to be transported, and ensure your employees have undergone manual handling training.
2. Machinery: Ensure machinery is maintained and perform regular checks on safety devices such and guards, seatbelts, and roll over protection.
3. Hand and power tools: Use the safety information prepared by the manufacturer to know the key safety measures that need to be observed when using tools. Make sure your employees have had training to ensure their competence.
4. Overhead power lines and buried services: Check prior to works beginning whether there is a risk of contact. If so, liaise with the utility provider to isolate supplies if they cannot be avoided.
5. UV exposure: Consider if it is reasonable to move the work to a different time of day to reduce exposure. If work must take place in the sun, ensure your employees have access to drinking water and shaded rest areas to have regular breaks. Also provide your employees with UV resistant clothing and promote the use of sun creams.
6. Slips, trips and falls: Adopt good housekeeping practices and supply appropriate footwear.
7. Hazardous substances: Complete COSHH risk assessments for each substance that you use, using the Safety Data Sheet from the supplier. Ensure safe storage of substances, and that your employees have had hazardous substances awareness training. Supply personal protective equipment where appropriate.
8. Work near water: Working well away from bodies of water where possible. If work must be completed next to watercourses, ensure to use handheld tools instead of ride on mowing equipment. Specify emergency procedures should an operative fall in.
Summary
Spring represents transition. Warmer climates promote the growth of grass, flowers, bushes and weeds that requires essential maintenance. Gardening and grounds maintenance activities present hazards that if overlooked can be fatal.
It is imperative that employers conduct site-specific risk assessments that identify hazards and implement essential control measures to prevent harm. Machinery and tools must be fit for purpose, with all safety devices in good working order.
A final note to remember when planning gardening and grounds maintenance activities, is to make provisions for first aid and welfare facilities where work takes place at different sites.
Blog
Peninsula GroupHR and Health & Safety Experts
Blog
Blog