One of the problems, which a lot of groundsmen and greenkeepers have, is that of the transport of goods and equipment around the sportsground or course, as well as delivery of materials.
It is obviously always better to have materials delivered by the supplier as he then has the responsibility, and the only responsibility you then have is while he is delivering and is on your property. You must consider :
- problems of interaction between pedestrians and delivery lorries as they drive in, in the yard and as they drive out.
- problems of taking delivery and security.
However, it is sometimes not possible to have materials delivered and this then falls on the groundsman. There are three basic transport problems I would like to discuss:
Pesticides can be transported in three basic ways
1. if delivered in a van, the van must have a vapour-proof barrier between the driver and the load.
OR
2. the pesticides can be held in a vapour-proof box
OR
3. the pesticides can be transported in a trailer which is secure from tampering
In each case the containers should be kept upright and should not move during transit. There should be enough bunding in each case that if all the contents leaked there would be no leakage outwith the transport storage area.
There are also some materials and equipment which should be carried in case of breakage or spillage:
- a supply of water should be carried
- a first aid kit with eye wash
- copy labels of pesticides being transported
- spare Personal Protective Equipment
- a bag of sand or other absorbent material and a heavy plastic bag in which to put the contaminated material.
There should be an emergency plan which considers whether you carry a mobile telephone and a note of emergency telephone numbers - local Police, Hospital, Doctor and the nearest Poisons Unit.
From this you will appreciate that it is only possible to carry small amounts in a private car and that in order to do this you would require a Transport Box These are available, made of fibreglass, holding up to 20 litres, and costing around £100-120.
In most cases a pickup with a lockable box in the rear is probably ideal.
The maximum petroleum spirit allowed to be carried in a private car is 2 gallons - approx. 10 litres and must be in a container made to carry petrol - not an old oil container cleaned out for the purpose!
By far the best way to transport is with a tractor and trailer or with a pickup
TRANSPORTING PETROLEUM SPIRIT, IN QUANTITIES OF LESS THAN 200 litres.
- Drivers of vehicles transporting dangerous substances shall be adequately trained as to the hazards of the product(s) and action to be taken in an emergency.
- The driver or keeper of the vehicle shall, on demand, supply to Police Constables or Goods Vehicle Examiners details and quantity of product being carried.
- Foodstuffs shall not be transported in the vehicle.
- A 9 kg foam or powder fire extinguisher shall be carried in the driving compartment of the vehicle.
- No smoking shall be permitted in the vehicle
- The vehicle shall not be left unattended whilst carrying petroleum
- Containers used to transport petroleum shall be of approved construction and adequately marked, i.e. Petroleum spirit, highly flammable.
- The driving compartment of the vehicle should be separated from the goods carrying compartment.
- Vehicle to bear warning labels front and rear to comply with B.S. 5378 (Red Diamond bearing black legend "Flammable liquid").
- The goods compartment should provide for the secure transport of petroleum containers.
- The containers shall be removed from the vehicle when being filled or emptied.
It is clear from the above that a PRIVATE CAR MUST NOT BE USED.
Sometimes equipment must be moved around the Sportsground or Course. If carried in a vehicle it is important that it is
- secure
- does not stick out so as be a danger when passing other vehicles or personnel.
- not able to move around
- in case of sudden stop will not cause damage to vehicle or personnel (If strimmers, brushcutters or chainsaws are carried in the back of vans, it is important that blades are shielded with a guard or wrapped in cloth and the sparking plug lead disconnected).
When using ride-on equipment it is tempting to drive along the road. Please remember that if you drive along a public road you are subject to the Road Traffic Laws, the vehicle will have to be licensed (usually as an agricultural vehicle) and your Insurance Company informed.
If the Ride-on mower just crosses a road, a road licence is not required but your Public Liability Insurance Company should be informed. The crossing of the road must be direct - indirect crossing may involve the ride-on mower going along the road for a few yards and thus coming under the Road Traffic Laws.
All the above are 'Transport Problems' which I have seen in the last few weeks. Please read the above, follow the above, or you could be the principal cause of an accident!!!
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