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Posted By bs
Hi All,
Do you need a hard hat when cutting grass?
I have just obsereved a couple of workers cutting grass on council property with hard hats on, what are they protecting from?
Is this safety gone silly?
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Maybe they just like wearing them or just forgot to take them off!
Paul
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Posted By MeiP
Did they have visors attached? Maybe they didn't have any other eye protection with them.
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Posted By bs
Seems strange, when you want people to wear PPE your asking the world. Then when they don't need to they do.
Incidently they did have ear protectors but they weren't being used
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Posted By The toecap
Maybe they need them because there is a visor connected to it. Or they are protected from the sun. Or a silly council bod has insisted that they are worn for some range reason. Who knows? The truth is out there.
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Posted By The toecap
Or even a strange reason
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Posted By bs
To be fair I didn't notice any form of face or eye sheild.
Surely when cutting grass thought Toe tecs and ear protection (depending on noise level) is sufficient?
They weren't strimming, just using petrol driven mowers.
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Posted By Philosophical
If they are on a flight path it is probably due to ice falling from planes.
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Posted By bs
Well we do have large birds in the area I did wonder if that was anything to do with it. I've heard of being Sh.. dropped on from a large height but didn't think it would be a bird.
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Posted By bec_batty
This thread has made me laugh :0)
Thanks,
Rebecca
(Sanatio)
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Posted By Descarte
ear protection attached?
Sun protection?
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Posted By bs
yeah the ear protection was attached but not being used, they were like a little set of wings coming out the side of the hat.
As for sunscreen, we live in ayrshire (just south of Glasgow) first sign of the sun and most people strip off and cover the credentials only (if that).
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Posted By DANGER RANGER
They were undercover secret agents (anti terror squad, CID, MI5)
Who else would be so silly as to look like that.
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Posted By Lilian McCartney
It could be that previously the Council tried to get them to wear their hard hats for specific tasks but this didn't work so they made the 'rule' at all times.
I had somehting similar before and tried to persuade the management to let thme off wearing their hard hats when there was near zero/minimal risk of anything falling on their heads but they came up with the above reason.
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Posted By bs
How can we expect individuals to take safety seriously.
If in a managerial role this is the mentaility, how can we expect individuals, who carry out the work to take Health and Safety seriously?
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Posted By Philosophical
Not sure what your point is bs. Sometimes a little light hearted look at the issues around us can be good. I also believe by appearing human we can get those who we want to take health and safety seriously to do so.
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Posted By TBC
I think it's cult thing or they just want to belong.
I shouldn't scorn the idea of using PPE in what seems unusaul situations. Years ago a friend of mine was on a grass cutter (the sit-on type) mowing his lawn. The blades hit a stone, it shot out and ricocheted of another larger stone and hit him in the eye - he is now blind in that eye.
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Posted By Merv Newman
As a respondant to another thread today has mentioned - when strimming grass in areas of public access full body protection is a good idea. They made specific mention of "dog doo doo claymoors"
The mental image is excruciating. Maybe not a hard hat, but at least something to keep it out of your hair. Especially if its a fresh one.
Merv (I won't mention just now what we are having for dinner tonight)
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Posted By bs
Might need to start looking at the COSHH aspect now, and I only wanted to mow the lawn.
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Posted By bs
In respone philosophical, I think at times we just go overkill with H&S and then when we do need to bring suitable controls people are desensitised to the need.
Does that make sense? It does to me.
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Posted By RP
YES...
Most definatly. The risk is that flying debris will bounce back and hit you anywhere.
Recommended PPE is:
Sap resistant leggings
Combination helmet to include an impact resistant visor (perspex) and hear protection.
Gloves
Foot protection
and
If needed a dust mask from effects of log term inhalation of dust and pollen.
Also long sleeves due to the toxins from sap and the risk of a reaction from over exposure (rashes)
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Posted By bs
Excuse my ignorance, are you joking or is that the recognised PPE for working a petrol self driven grass cutter?
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Posted By Merv Newman
I don't think that rp was joking. Council workers around here do wear that level of PPE (actually strimming is not the right word, they use brush cutters with a metal blade, not a limp bit of plastic string)
And the local tool hire shop supply all the gear and make you sign that you will use it.
Now, where's me chain saw ? I've got an ash tree preparing to shed its seeds all over the garden. So it's coming down.
Merv
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Posted By BS
I can appreciate the need for face visor and so on for brush cutters. However surely this isn't needed for grass cutting with mower as it is enclosed with guard to reduce the likelihood of fling debris?
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Posted By RP
Not joking here. As above says Local Authorities have been using this PPE for years. We have had injuries from using brushcutters and insist upon all the PPE being worn (discipline if caught). Forgot to mention that safety footwear should have a good tread for grip.
I have seen brushcutters being used with a trimming line and to get more line out the guard had been moved up the shaft (PUWER). Also operatives failure to walk the intended cutting area to clear debris has lead to MOP getting injured.
What about first aid arrangements:
Consider the actual risks:
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Posted By Jack
Hard hat to cut grass? That's nothing. I was in the bank last week and there were 2 guys in the queue wearing hard hats. And neither were from a Local Authority.
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Posted By Merv Newman
It used to be only sissies who wore hard hats. "I'm a tough guy. Don't need any of that safety stuff". Now they wear them to show that they are tough guys with a hard, dangerous job to do.
And how many keep them, visibly, in the back of the car ?
Merv
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Posted By Carl West
Were they cutting grass near stones??
ie) Hedge trimming near gravel.
Can send little stones flying off in all directions !
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Posted By Renny Thomson
Merv,
I sympathise with you about the Ash tree. Just had a 60' ash felled at home by a "professional". Thought he would be more competent than myself and it avoided the hard work in climbing the tree to the crown. All I've got to do is split the logs to go on the wood burning stove.
BTW Check there's not a Tree Preservation Order in force or you'll have the Cooncil after you!
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Posted By Robert Jackson
Council workers??
In the absense of a shovel, the hard hat is the next best thing for a seat!
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Posted By Stupendous Man
Perhaps it had more to do with what the 'mowers' colleagues were doing in the area rather than the risk posed by mowing itself?
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
BS
I like "Why-dunnits?" on the forum, this has been the best in ages.
Jeff
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