Earning his Spurs - Pitchcare

Certificates of Competence across all
aspects of tree work and other landbased
skills. www.nptc.org.uk
The PPE at Work Regulations 1992
require that personal protective
equipment is supplied and used at work
wherever there are risks to health and
safety that cannot be adequately
controlled in other ways. Employers are
required to provide PPE free of charge to
their staff.
The Regulations also require that PPE:
• is properly assessed before use to
ensure it is suitable
• is maintained and stored properly
• is provided with instructions on how to
use it safely
• is used correctly by employees
The following PPE should be used for
tree work:
• Safety helmet (complying with EN 397)
• Eye protection (mesh visor complying
with EN 1731 or safety glasses to EN
166)
• Hearing protection (complying with
EN 352)
• Gloves. The type of glove will depend
on a risk assessment of the task and
the machine. Consider the need for
protection from cuts from the
chainsaw, thorny material and cold/wet
conditions. Where chainsaw gloves are
required, these should comply with EN
381-7
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• Leg protection incorporating chainclogging
material (complying with EN
381-5)
• Protective boots with good grip and
protective guarding at front vamp and
instep (complying with BS EN 20345)
• Non-snag outer clothing. The use of
high-visibility clothing may also be
appropriate
• Each person should carry a personal
first-aid kit including a large wound
dressing
• Hand-cleaning material such as
waterless skin cleanser or soap, water
and paper towels should be readily
available
HAVS (Hand-arm vibration syndrome)
Hand-arm vibration is vibration
transmitted from work processes into
workers’ hands and arms. It can be
caused by operating hand-held power
tools, such as chainsaws, so is an issue
when carrying out tree work on the golf
course, which is likely to take place over
a concentrated period in the winter.
Regular and frequent exposure to handarm
vibration can lead to permanent
health effects. This is most likely when
contact with a vibrating tool or work
process is a regular part of a person’s
job.
Hand-arm vibration can cause a range
of conditions, collectively known as
hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), as
well as specific diseases such as carpal
tunnel syndrome. Symptoms include
tingling and numbness in the fingers,
loss of sensation, loss of strength in the
hands, the fingers going white
(blanching) and becoming red and
painful on recovery.
Employers are required to assess
vibration risks to workers to check if their
job brings them to the exposure action
value (EAV), a daily amount of vibration
exposure above which employers are
required to take action to control
exposure - for hand-arm vibration the
EAV is a daily exposure of 2.5m/s 2 A(8).
The exposure limit value (ELV) is the
maximum amount of vibration an
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