Hi all, new to this so apoligies if this has been asked before, is there any safe way of grass cutting between warehouses where there is a steep bank/slope can't get a tractor there (generators in the way) if standing on top of bank and holding strimmer one slip and potentially major issue.

I once saw them cutting the grass around the keep at Windsor Castle using a Flymo on a rope. Seemed to work well.

You seem to have a horizontal part at the top of the bank from your description. Perhaps you could put a running line along the edge of the top building and then the operative use a harness and short lanyard to prevent them going over the edge. It may be worth it as it will be an ongoing problem. I have also seen a Flymo which is light used on a rope, however this will leave the cut grass and will this now create a fire hazard between the two buildings when it dries. However leaving it may also do the same. Perhaps there is one with a grass collection box.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to slab or concrete the bank, could you replace the grass with the plants you get for living roofs on buildings as they only grow so high. You may not stop nature though, so the odd weed may make it in.

Or someone will have to lay down on the bank head upwards with a small scissors, that way they just slide down feet first. The government is creating a min wage job creating scheme they pay for the first 6 months!

Chris

I know I can occasionally be tongue in cheek, but this post is not intended to be. Sheep. Yes you heard right, or goats. In a semi rural area with sufficient space we have used these for maintenance of sloped verges away from roadsides in some of our parks.

Obviously it's not a solution for an industrial park or a busy A road, but in these places our Streetscene team have trialled and subsequently purchased a remote control lawnmower with a wide wheelbase similar to the product here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSBLP5a-MMk

Whilst they may not be solutions appropriate to the slope you had in mind, I hope this helps you start thinking outside the box.

You can get remote controlled lawn mowers, where the operator is out of harms way.

Over cooked - I prefer my sheep still bleating and the cattle still mooing aka "Bleu".

Goat on the other hand should be curried then served with fried plantain, dumplins, rice and peas.

Now I need a trip to the shops.

We had a similar situation on a canal restoration project with a steep bank between trees leadig to a 5 foot drop into the canal.  We took some advice for and arboriculture group as we risk assessed and deviced a safe system of work whereby the strimmer operators wore fall arrest harnesses and were tethered to a restraint line. 

Because they were wearing a fall arrest harness they could not wear the strimmer harness, so we trained the operators to get a safe stance and balanced position before starting their strimmer and to only operate down the slope, with all rope tails safely above them on the slope.  Before they moved to another position the strimmer was turned off and they moved down to their next position.

It is safe and it is working.  If the operator should slip then the strimmer will go in the canal over the 5ft drop and not the operator.

Hope this assists.