You need to know what you are doing with chainsaws

With the snow now melted away, time to get to work on all the fallen trees brought down by the snow.

Now all you guys out there who got chainsaws for Christmas – take heed. At Gibbons Gardening, we have always had a very health respect for tools that can mame or kill you – chainsaws are one of the most dangerous and not very forgiving. Every accident with a chainsaw is a nasty one.

You need to take safety very seriously and always use Personal Protective Equipment (referred to as PPE ). When using any dangerous equipment or entering into dangerous tasks we always do a risk assessment to ensure both our safety and anybody Else’s safety (or property). It not worth taking that short cut – EVER.

If you really want to do it yourself, then get booked on a course. There are many excellent course available locally and they teach you everything you need to know about chainsaw safety, maintenance and cutting safely, all followed up with an exam which is both theory and practical.

PPE is vital. If you are doing loads of cutting, then its worth spending more on the gear, but most importantly the gear must be appropriate for the job and the saws you will be using. Dont buy second hand unless its pretty much brand new – especially a helmet. This really needs to be new as you dont know the history.

One thing we find totally amazing is that anybody over 18  can walk into a garden equipment or country store and buy any chainsaw – even monster ones that should only be used by professionals. There is no legislation, certification, training or minumum PPE requirements – all you need is cash or credit card.

On a serious note, anything to do with tree removal, limb removal or clearance is dangerous and jolly hard work – it’s both physically and mentally draining – so don’t believe its a walk in the park and never attempt it yourself without training.

Its not worth the risk to life, limb or property – call Gibbons Gardening for a quote instead!

Keeping roads and paths cleared - who is responsible?

Has the world gone completely mad? With all this snow, a record fall for over 30 years, Health and safety experts are warning house owners and businesses NOT to clear pathways for fear of being sued.

In a statement from The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health says that is you clear the ice and snow from your path, you are assuming responsibility that you have done it correctly. If somebody them slips and injures themselves, then you are liable. Does this explain why paths and pavements have not been cleared in the towns?

So if we look at this further, if we were involved in an accident on a road due to slipping, are we able to sue the local council for this? Particularly if they have attempted to clear it – this would be an interesting test case? 

So heres how to clear your paths properly:

• Remove all loose snow from the area with a shovel, making sure the snow will not blow back on the path
• Spread a thick layer of salt and grit evenly over the area, making sure you do not miss any parts
• Place warning signs at the start and end of the pathway
• Check slippage regularly but definitely first thing in the morning, lunchtime and evening
• Spread more grit and salt when required
• Remove any new snow falls as they happen

By doing this I am sure you can prove a duty of care and that you have taken it seriously.

Here’s a question, what if you did nothing and somebody slipped and hurt themselves? Are you liable for doing nothing or is it a natural occurence and beyond control?

Hopefully, sense will prevail and the UK Spirit will take care of it. Straight talking Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister summed up our thoughts in a recent interview with the Sunday Telegraph when she said that the idea you could be sued for being helpful was absolutely ludicrous.

If you have any questions or want to put a bad weather plan or policy in place for your home or business, contact us.

It’s that hedge cutting time of year again you should be looking for that end of year trim to clean up and prepare for winter. How many miles of hedge cutting have we done over the years? Answers on a postcard, but believe me its many!

A well cut hedge is visually rewarding but extremely hard work. The frequency that we need to trim your hedge depends on the type of hedge. Fast-growing species such as privet and some conifers, Leyland and Lawson cypress, for example, can receive necessary upright trimming two or three times in the spring / summer in a dense, formal effect.

Most conifers can be pruned in the spring / summer. This is also suitable for slow-growing evergreens such as holly and yew. More vigorous evergreens, such as field benefit from a trim in late spring. Summer Greens species are cut usually twice a year, first in winter while dormant again in midsummer.

All hedges need cutting a least once a year and some more frequently than others.  We all know a well maintained hedge gives definition and boundary to a garden but if left unchecked soon looses the shape and can look unsightly, so a good cut keeps your hedge under control and you will be pleased with your investment.

Many hedge plants will form very large trees or shrubs if they are not cut regularly. As a rule, they will react to the trimming of their vertical growth through the production of side shoots. Sometimes it is necessary to trim branches to bushy sideways growth, although the amount is also necessary vocation. It’s all part of the process of creating a well-formed and effective protection. Gibbons Gardening knows what we are talking about!

At Gibbons Gardening pride ourselves in our professionalism where safety is always a key factor.  We have just recently invested in a new innovation produced by Elephant Trunk to save the stress of arm and shoulder strain so we can cut your hedges all day long!!!

This device actually takes we weight of the cutter, thus allowing the operator to have more control, less fatigue and adds safety as you don’t have to strain against gravity.

Graham trying the Elephant Trunk

Using Risk Assesments is a major benefit

In this job, you have to get involved in all sorts of different things and have to have loads of skills. We are great believers in self development, training and safety (all important when you are constantly using power tools and heavy plant).

One of the most dangerous tools we use regularly is the chainsaw. For us, the use of chainsaws is restricted to those who are fully trained and competent. With increasing Health and Safety legislation and insurance companies looking to not pay out if there is an accident, it is important to get proper training – especially when using tools like chainsaws.

We have always had a very healthy respect for tools that can maim or kill you – chainsaws are not very forgiving and every accident is a nasty one. We always use Personal Protective Equipment (referred to as PPE) but it’s amazing how many people don’t.

When using dangerous equipment or entering into dangerous tasks we always do a risk assessment to ensure both the user’s safety and anybody else’s safety (or property) is not in question. It not worth taking that short cut – EVER!

This all probably sounds a little over kill, but we believe that if we identify and look for the possible issues via a risk assessment, we look at the project with different eyes, and so the risks are removed. Also, in the unlikely event of an accident, everybody is positioned to respond to the event correctly.

It still amazes me the number of so called professional Grounds Maintenance firms who do not follow the same procedures. For the time it takes to do and the benefits it brings to both us and the client, it makes no sense not to do it.

Whilst the cost to the business is high for ongoing training, the benefits to the staff and our clients is well worth it, both in terms of up skilling and personal development and of course staff morale.

Graham Gibbons of Gibbons Ground Maintenance displaying the New Uniform

With the kind of work we do, it is important the businesses we provide service for know who we are when we are on site. There  really is loads of reasons for this, security, health and safety requirements, peace of mind for the business you are working for etc etc – but we think it is important for the image of our company and the image of the companies we work for.

We promote a real team ethos within the staff and pride in what they do – this reflects in the attitude towards the job, the care taken when working and pride in a job well done – this is fundamental to our ongoing success.

We have just upgraded our uniforms to make sure there is no question when we are on site – these range from polo shirts and fleeces to day-glo hi-vis smocks when working in potentially hazardous environments like roadsides or car parks etc.

The guys love the new gear – its easy to keep clean and hard wearing – also gives them a real sense of pride to be part of the Gibbons Ground Maintenance Team.

No mistaking Gibbons Ground Maintenance Staff on your site wearing this