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Managing Grass Cutting: A Case Study
Introduction
The cutting of grass and the use of machinery associated with these tasks is inherently dangerous. Hazards such as slippery grass, steep slopes, noise, vibration as well as machinery designed to cut, all make for a work environment which is going to be challenging to manage.
Historically grounds and park keepers have used a combination of experience, luck, and historic working practices to know what can and cannot be used to cut areas of grassland. Operatives have used pedestrian and ride-on mowers, strimmers and shears to manage and maintain green spaces with no real regard to the design specifications or manufacturers recommendations. It was common to see standard pedestrian mowers or even ride-on mowers being used on steep grass banks and slopes. Over time, equipment and technology has improved along with the skills and training of employees to allow machinery to indicate to the operator the angle on which they are operating. These changes allow for early detection and can potentially prevent an accident.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that there were 23 fatal injuries to workers in the 2023-2024 period within Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, making it the second most dangerous industry in the country. In recent years, throughout the UK, there have been multiple deaths and major injuries to operatives who have been operating on grass banks. The accident investigations conducted by the HSE repeatedly state that in most of the cases operatives were using ride-on mowers and pedestrian mowers on banks and inclines exceeding the manufacturers recommended maximum working angles for the equipment.
Local Authorities are always looking for innovative ways to reduce the risks to employees and members of the public and maintain grassland areas at the same time.
This case study will demonstrate one option which has been adopted by a Local Authority to manage grassed areas within a city and the surrounding areas.
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For more advice on how we can help lower the cost of your risk, please email contact@rmpartners.co.uk
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