Message Board - Health & Safety: Triples driven on roads
6 Sep 2010 by Andy Matthews
As we know Health and Safety is a big issue these days especially in our local councils, so I am interested in everyones thoughts on this,
I was coming up to a very busy crossroads in Rotherham today and my lights are on red, as I sit there a council Hayter comes down the hill and turns right, as it's a council triple he's getting the best out of it somewhere between 25 and 30 mph, he's got his high viz vest on and the machine like many councils now has high viz panels all over it, he's also wearing his safety boots, I am sure also that he has his ear defenders somewhere as well, allthough he wasn't wearing them, what always surprises me is that I have never seen any of these operatives wearing any sort of eye or head protection, surely on the open road with no cab or any sort of screen protection, insects and flying stones are exstremely dangerous and thats before they have a collision, I just wondered what other people thought.
7 Sep 2010 by ticky21
25mph out of a ride-on mower of any kind is a bit optimistic.....ive only pulled about 18 mph out of one..as regards to eye protection, there is no rules that say it must be worn, just like we have agric spec road registered quad bikes, and no one wears eye gear...i suppose its just like using a Gator or Mule or Groundhog on a golf course etc etc...more down to operator preference,
Ticky supports British farmers...!!
7 Sep 2010 by lee@standish Last edited 7 Sep 2010
Hello,
Its not very pleasant when a lorry over takes you on the by pass, trying not to get sucked under.
I work for South Ribble borough council.
Luckily i will be slitting the football pitches today in a nice Kubota.
Have a good day
cheers
Edit - i should change my name to Lee@SRBC.
L.K.B
7 Sep 2010 by Andy Matthews
ticky he was down downhill and really shifting, I know you say that theres no rules for eye protection, I was just thinking that it's strange in this Health and Safety obsessed world that councils especially don't have their own rules, it's the debris thrown up by other road uses that could do serious damage.
7 Sep 2010 by chrismitchell
Andy. Let's not encourage them eh. There's enough petty rules out there already.
Chris
You will never see a statue in honour of a committee.
7 Sep 2010 by Andy Matthews
Yeh Chris I know and I am far from a H+S tree hugger but we have lots of daft stuff and then don't see the obvious, but thats H+S for you eh!
7 Sep 2010 by jlawrence
My personal opinion is that anyone driving anything like a mower or quad on the public roads needs to visit a shrink if they do it without wearing eye protection - more sensibly a helmet.
I rarely, if ever, even cut my outfields without wearing eye protection - a bit of grass can hurt like hell and bit of grit could easily blind you.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
7 Sep 2010 by chrismitchell
Mmmmmm John. Then you will let someone hurl a ball strait at you at high velocity which is red against a green background or try and catch it as it is hit at you. How many cricketers, golfers, tennis players wear face protection? Just trying to put it all in perspective that is all.
Chris
You will never see a statue in honour of a committee.
7 Sep 2010 by mario
I recall back in 2001 being at Sussex C.C.C. and one of their staff, whilst cutting the outfield, got a bit of debris in his eye. Probably some dry grass.
By blinking it scratched the cornea of his eye causing him to be off work for over three weeks.
For this reason eye protection is always worn here whilst cutting.
I know no boundaries.
7 Sep 2010 by Steve63
A Hayter triple around our parts won't do those sort of speeds and trying to turn a corner at those sort of speeds will end up with a triple on it's side.
The triples are fitted with seat belts tho not always worn, most operaters here use ear plugs rather than defenders and wouldn't be obvious as he flashed past at 30mph, they are provided with eye protection and if they dont wear them then they can be disciplined.
The helmet issue is an interesting one, not legally required but the street spraying quads do have to wear them!
I used to collect petrol from the local garage on a Mule (Kawasaki not 4 legged) @30mph and I always wore goggles, particularly for when getting overtaken, but that was my common sense, not legislation.
Don't talk to me about Contractors Wonka, I am one myself......
7 Sep 2010 by jlawrence
Chris - I do :). I have various lenses for varying light conditions and if lenses are chosen carefully they can enhance the 'red' of the ball against the green background.
I use the exact same frames when working on the ground, just change the lenses to a more 'generic' type rather than enhancing ones.
I'll admit not all players can afford decent eye protection when fielding - some wear cheapo sunglasses which could cause even more problems if hit.
I got hit, in the lenses, keeping this season all it cost me was a 100 quid set of lenses, absolutely no damage to me what so ever and yes I was wearing a helmet as well. Had I not had the lenses on then I've no doubt I'd have been sporting a nicely bruised eye as a minimum.
Most groundsmen spend a lot more time on the playing surface than the actual players do. We also have a lot more grass being thrown up and around (even with correctly set equipment) than players ever have balls sent their way.
It makes sense to take precautions - glasses also give me something to clip my ipod to :)
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
18 Sep 2010 by Martin Chester
We drive our parkways on the road, as they're now too heavy for vans. No chance of 30mph, or we wouldn't keep getting overtaken and sworn at! I find they tend to look like they're going a lot faster than they are - hills or not.
Being on roads all the time seems to wear the tyres down much, much quicker, but they're on about changing our mowers next year, and had a quick demo of a John Deere 8400. Don't think the ops who used it (I didn't get chance) were too impressed, but if it comes down to which is cheaper to run then we'll get what we're given! Anyone else used one?
I don't like ear defenders as they get in the way under trees, and ear plugs work just as well. You still need to have a bit of hearing available for road awareness. But some sort of eye protection's a must - I wear sunglasses as they're more comfortable. I've had to suffer the consequences of having a bit of grass get in the eye and haven't done a day without protection since. Hi viz is just common sense, though I think our new ones, whichever we get (if we do!) would benefit from lights and mirrors for road use.
18 Sep 2010 by jlawrence
Interestingly, I read something the other day that turf tires were illegal to use on the road.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
18 Sep 2010 by ticky21
JL...technically turfs are...as most of them have NHS stamped on...(not for highway service)...although in the eyes of the law...they have tread on them...the trick to prevent premature wear....is to fitt tyres with a higher ply rating so they are harder wearing...and also just inflate a tad harder....
Ticky supports British farmers...!!
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