Unit 218 Preparing and transporting plants and resources
The importance of establishing the transport requirements for plants and
other resources.
This is important from several points
a. To ensure that you do not break the law e.g. by transporting pesticides in an
unmarked vehicle
b. To ensure safety of yourself and others
c. To avoid damage to the plants, materials and vehicle used.
How to inspect and prepare plants and resources for transportation.
Plants should be inspected to see if they need water before a long journey it hot
weather. Plants also need to be evaluated to see if they are likely to be damaged by
the wind etc., soft leaved/stemmed plants are much more likely to suffer crushing
damage that trees and shrubs.
Chemicals should be inspected to ensure they are sealed and will not leak during
transport. Also a COSHH sheet that lists the hazards of the chemical and what to do
in an emergency etc. should also be in place before transport begins. It should also
be borne in mind that if materials need to be protected from extreme cold or heat
that may damage them.
Records that may need to be maintained.
A number of records may need to be kept for example
a. COSHH sheets (so you know what to do if a chemical leaks etc.)
b. Stock sheets (so you know what has been delivered to which sites)
c. Emergency procedures sheet
d. Risk assessments
How to handle and transport plants and resources safely and efficiently
General rule- no items should be transported in the driving cab as they could move
and interfere with the control of the vehicle also in an accident they can be thrown
around injuring those in the cab.
The basics of safe lifting
1. Take a good look at the load, does it have sharp edges, blades that can trap
your fingers, loose bits that could fall out/off and hurt your feet etc.
2. If you can, use a machine to move the load (a wheel barrow etc.).
3. Do not lift more than you can manage
4. Do not be afraid to ask for help
5. If in doubt do not even try!
6. Keep the load close to your body (the further you reach the heavier the item
becomes).
7. Always get a good grip
8. Make sure you can see where you walking
9. Make sure you can put it down without trapping your fingers!
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Make sure you are wearing safety gear (steel toe capped boots).
Use to powerful muscles in your legs to lift with
Do not reach up with heavy loads (get a step ladder).
Consider the surface you are walking on (is it icy etc.).
Do not twist your body, try to keep your back straight
Basic lifting
6.
Don’t
jerk
Handling considerations and transporting considerations for growing medium
containers
Care should be taken so containers are not dropped which might crack them making
them useless. Also the size and shape of some containers make them difficult and
heavy to man handle and care should be taken to avoid lifting injuries (strains to back
etc.). Gloves should be worn to give a good grip and avid cuts etc. to skin from sharp
edges to containers.
Containers may be light but large and at risk of been blown out of the back of trailers
etc. To make good use of space they can be filled with plants etc. that are also being
transported which will help stop them moving, they may also need to be strapped
down.
Handling considerations and transporting considerations tools and
equipment
Tools may have sharp points etc. These should always face backwards away from the
cab so in an accident they do not penetrate the cabin and injury those inside. Tools
and equipment should be strapped down to avoid them moving and damaging bags of
fertiliser etc. that might be in the trailer with them.
Heavy equipment may require more than one person to lift down from the trailer or
the use of ramps may be required.
Handling considerations and transporting considerations for supports
Supports may have sharp points etc. These should always face backwards away from
the cab so in an accident they do not penetrate the cabin and injury those inside.
Handling considerations and transporting considerations for watering devices
Hose pipes etc. should be neatly reeled to minimise the space they take up and avoid
them getting tangled up making them hard to get out of the trailer.
Handling considerations and transporting considerations for chemicals
Persons transporting chemical pesticides should be qualified to do so i.e. hold a PA1
certificate. The vehicle should carry warning signs and the chemicals should be
strapped down. PPE will also be required in case they spill as will a spill kit in case of
a large spill (e.g. a container is dropped).
A COSHH sheet must also be available for the chemicals been carried
Examples of warning signs
How to maintain the condition of plants during transportation.
Plants may need protecting from hot conditions (e.g. by watering) or from high wind
speeds encountered during transportation (e.g. by covering with plastic sheets etc.).
Plants should be tightly packed to avoid them moving in transport which might
seriously damage the leaves and stems.
Shrink wrapped plants ready for transportation
Safety procedures to follow when transporting hazardous substances.
Careful consideration should be taken with regard to
a. Dealing with fire (fire extinguisher etc.)
b. Spillage (PPE and spill kit etc.)
c. Fumes (never carry chemicals in the cabin)
d. Movement of containers (always ensure they are strapped down)
Items of equipment which may be necessary when preparing and
transporting plants and resources.
This could include
Cack trucks
Wheel barrows
Straps
Ropes
Sheeting
Hydraulic lifting trolleys
Hydraulic lift trolley
sack truck
Transport strap
Methods of maintaining the above equipment ready for use.
Examples of this might include pumping up tyres on sack trucks, checking oil on
hydraulic pumps, checking straps for wear and tear and rolling up neatly after use to
avoid damage.
Current health and safety legislation and code of practice which applies to
this area of work
The Health and Safety at Work Act
(HASAWA)
The is probably the most important legislation it is quite complex but has the
following main aims
To protect workers and other people on the work site.
1. Employers must
a. Take steps to ensure safety of their work force
(It is for the above reason that risk assessment is required. Risk assessment requires
that the employer assesses the risks of all work place operations and then takes steps
to remove or reduce those risks).
b. Take steps to ensure safety of visitors, customers and the public who enter the
work place
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Employees (you) must
Take reasonable steps to protect themselves at work
Take reasonable steps to protect others at work (work mates, public etc.)
Not interfere with any equipment provided for their safety
Co-operate with management to help ensure H/S is maintained.
Noise at work regulations 1989
These regulations are aimed at protecting the hearing of workers.
They place a responsibility on employers to provide free ear hearing protection is
noise reaches a set level.
85dB
Employees can request free hearing protection
90dB
Employees must wear hearing protection
140dB
Employees must not be exposed to this level of noise, as no protection
will work
As a rough guide a strimmer is approx. 108 dB.
Manual Handling Regulations 1992
These regulations are aimed at preventing injuries caused by lifting, moving heavy of
awkward objects.
Employers must
a. Assess the risks of such lifting, moving operations
b. If possible eliminate the operation (i.e. by using a forklift etc.).
c. If required train staff in the safe lifting and handling of objects.
Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).
Set of regulations that require employers ensure all tools and equipment used at work
(from a hammer to a mower) are
a.
b.
c.
d.
Suitable for intended use
Safe for use
Maintained correctly
Carry appropriate warning labels
FEPA
The use of chemicals is covered by many items of legislation but perhaps the most
important is “The Food and Environmental Protection Act” this covers such
details as
a. Training before using chemicals
b. Protecting the public from chemicals be requiring areas sprayed are identified with
signs
c. Forbidding the pollution of the environment with chemicals
d. Etc.
COSHH
Harm from chemicals and substances used in preparing ground – “The control of
substances hazardous to health” requires that all substances used at work must be
assessed for any risks they might present to the workers using them. Harmful
substances might include weed killers, dust, fertilisers, oil, diesel fuel, etc. The results
of these “COSHH risk assessments” should be made known to the worker and if the
material must be used and no safer material is available then if required protective
clothing must be supplied free of charge.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require an employer to:


Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling lifting, pushing, pulling etc., as far as
reasonably practicable
Assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that cannot be avoided
Reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling as far as reasonably
practicable.
For more information - http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/manualhandling.htm
Employees (that’s you) have their own responsibilities and must follow any systems of work that
have been laid down to avoid potential injury; make proper use of equipment provided for their
safety and co-operate with their employer on health and safety matters.
The most common injuries are spinal damage (i.e. slipped disks etc., these can be severe and
cause long term disability) and ruptures. A rupture is a tear in the muscle wall (often in the groin
area) that often requires painful surgery to put right.