Machinery and Equipment

Legislation:

• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations
• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
• Control of Noise at Work Regulations
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
• Oil Storage Regulations
• Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations

Work equipment is considered any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation used at work. At a golf course common maintenance or ground crew equipment would include the following: tractors, work vehicles; (ATV’s, buggies and work trucks) self propelled machinery; (mowers), pedestrian controlled machinery; (mowers and turf maintenance machinery), hand held machinery; (line trimmers, chain saws), hand tools, workshop equipment and fixed equipment. Lifting equipment includes tractor loaders, fork lifts, excavators, work platforms and other various pieces of workshop equipment such as hydraulic jacks, axle stands and engine cranes.

Injuries caused by machinery:

The most fatal and serious accidents that occur on golf courses are related to the use of machinery. With each individual type of equipment there are different types of hazards that may affect operators or other staff and golfers within the same area. The table below lists the types of hazards that can occur while using specific equipment.

Type of Machine/Operation	Relevant Hazards
•tractors •self propelled machinery (mowers, ATV’s, Work Vehicles) •pedestrian controlled machiner	Loss of Control, overturning on slopes, into bunkers or ditches Exposure to noise Exposure to Vibration (whole body and hand/arm)
•attaching machinery to tractors and work vehicles • loading machinery onto trailers and vehicles • struck by tractors, self propelled machinery and work vehicles • trapped when operating pedestrian controlled machiner	Crushed by machinery
• any hand held and pedestrian controlled machinery, for example; chainsaws, trimmers, hedge cutters, mowers, turf maintenance machinery, metal and stone grinding and cutting equipment	Slips, trips and falls Exposure to noise Exposure to Vibration (hand/arm
• chains, belts, power take off (PTO) shaft	Entanglement in moving machinery part
•mower blade	Cuts from blades and sharp object
•hydraulic systems, cooling system	Contact with fluids under pressure
•rotary mowers, trimmer	Ejected objects (stones, golf balls, fir cones

Preventative Measures:

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• Safe and suitable equipment
• Equipment must be ‘CE’ marked and fit for purpose. Machines may require roll over protection and seat belts to be fitted and used.
• Maintenance of machinery and equipment
• Regular maintenance of machinery is standard and specified by the manufacturer. The goal is to ensure the safety of the operator and other who may be affected. It also helps to protect and prolong the life of the equipment. A checklist is a great way to ensure that all maintenance procedures are completed and operators check to the equipment before use.
• Marking controls
• All operators need to be trained and be aware of all the functions of controls on the machine. Looking through the manual of the machine is a great way to understand and learn all the controls in order to operate the equipment correctly.
• Safety systems
• Tools take can minimize the risk of operators getting in contact with moving parts of the machine such as safety switches, dead man’s handles and throttle locks. Operators should always check that these safety systems are working correctly before they use the machine and should refrain from using this equipment if the safety precautionary tools are not working.
• The following preventative measures listed above should be implemented within every golf course. Properly training staff on equipment used to perform their duties will minimize the risks involved while using these tools. Educating staff on equipment and other hazards throughout the workplace will create a safe environment that everyone can enjoy.
• By: Jordan Muenz