Gloucester Vale Conservation Volunteers

Tools & Safety Talk

November 2006 talk Describe and demonstrate the correct use of all the tools that you have with you. Bowsaws Take care to avoid the sharp blade. Wear a glove on the hand that is holding the wood. Carry bowsaws down by your side. Store bowsaws flat on the ground, not hanging in a tree. Start bowsaw cuts with two long slow pulls, guiding with the thumb on top of the blade and the rest of the hand well clear, then remove the guiding hand and continue steadily using the full length of the blade wherever gossible. Use the 'heel' of the to cut on the forward stroke. Use a 'pull-pull' action with the two-person bowsaws. Replace bowsaw blades as soon as they begin to stick in the cut. Carry loppers down by your side with the jaws closed. Do rock the loppers from side to side when cutting. Do not cut anything thicker than your thumb. Billhooks and slashers Take care to avoid the sharp blade. Do not wear gloves when working with a billhook or . Cut away from yourself. Maintain a safe distance between you and anyone else. Check that there is no play or slackness between a billhook blade and its handle. Wear gloves when sharpening these tools, and you must move the sharpening stone away from the edge, not into it. Carry a billhook or slasher down by your side, and ideally in a box. When using a billhook try to keep a tree trunk between you and what you are cutting. When snedding, work up from the butt of the tree towards the top. and forks Take care not to put a or fork through your foot. Take care to keep your back straight when digging' pointing down St0re these tools flat on the ground - with the blade or tines - or leaning against a tree. Do not leave these tools sticking into the ground' the car.ry these tools down by your side, at its point of balance and with snarp end where You can see it. Do not use a spade or fork to lever stones out of the ground' when Try to use your heel or the ball of your foot rather than your tnstep digging. Dc not dig with a , use a sPade. Position yourself to avoid twisting movements' your Keep your back straight. Squat down, then lift the load using leg rnuscles. Claw hammers Do not wear gloves when using a hammer' Hold the end of the handle to maximise the force when hammering' the To remove nails use a wrecking bar in preference to the claw of hammer especially if the nail is large. and Picks extend Ensure the blade ls secure on the handle. The handle should beyond the blade bY at least 3cm. Wear a hardhat and steeltoe-cap boots. Do not wear gloves. Wear safety goggles if working in stony ground' Ensure a safe working distance of at least 5 metres is maintained' Keep your back straight when using these tools' causes Do not use the handle to pack material around fence posts This serious damage to the end of the handle' ground To tighten a loose blade hit the blade end of the handle on the several times. end of To release a blade, hold the blade in your hand and hit the narrow the handle on the ground untilthe blade is worked free' Keep the ground around your feet clear of loose material to avoid kipping Cary- ihe in two separate pieces Pinch bar ;ake care to avoid your feet. wear steer toe-cap boots if possibre. ;8r !h€ weight of the tool do the work. Bend your knees and keep your ;€.:!( straight. ievering ':ileo a large object prace a rog or stone as a furcrum as near as wssrble to the object to be moved. l*ever jump on a pinch bar when using it as a rever. rt is both dangerous ard rt may bend the bar. ,Oarry the pinch bar at your side at the point of balance. ffsll

3c not wear gloves when using a mell. iSniy use a mellto strike wooden materials otherwise the cast head r:ay shatter.

cfreck the head at regurar intervars to ensure it has not come roose. .4n assistant holding the post must wear a hard hat and use a stob twister. Ycu must wear safety goggles if striking freshly treated posts. Try to ensure the top of the post is hit squarely avoiding glancing brows tnat could damage the edges of the post. Ensure you have a firm footing when using this tooland wear steel toe- cap boots. Drival

Wear a hard hat when using this post driver. Keep your back straight and bend the knees. Let the weight of the tool do the work. Use it only on sound regular shaped posts. The easiest and safest use is when treated as a 2-person tool. Take care not to lift the drival too high or it will come off the top of the post. This is especially true when the post is driven lower into tne giouno. Sledgehammers

Do not wear gloves when using a sledgehammer. ',Vear goggles. cneck the head at regular intervals to ensure it has not come loose. Ersr.lre you have a firm footing when using a sredge hammer and wear steeitoe-cap boots. Carry the sledgehammer at your side at the point of balance. Take care not to put a pitchfork through your foot. Take care not to hit anyone behind you with the handle of a pitchfork. Carry a pitchfork down by your side, at its point of balance and with the tines where you can see them. Store a pitchfork flat on the ground - with the tines pointing down - or ieaning against a tree. Do not leave a pitchfork sticking into the ground. Do not burn a pitchfork by leaving it in the fire for too long. Safety

Hard hats Your hard hat must fit snugly, and do not wear anything under it. lnjgry to passers-by Cordon off the work area using hazard tape. Place 'no entry' signs and post lookouts on paths if necessary. Erect signs warning of hazards on approaches to site. Ensure good working practice as outlined in the BTCV booklet Handtools - a guide for safe use and care. Repetitive movements Everyone should take regular rest breaks and vary any repetitive actions. Biohazards Wash hands before eating, drinking or smoking. Washing facilities or wipes must be provided. Advise volunteers to have a Tetanus inoculation. Cover any broken skin before work. Promptly wash and cover any cuts received with waterproof plasters. Avoid contact with ditch or pond water. Advise volunteers of Weil's disease and its symptoms. Ct'ieck for and remove ticks as soon as possible. Advise volunteers of Lyrne disease and its symptoms. Treated Timber *c not burn any treated timber. vcri must always wear gloves when handling treated timber Avoid treating timber in situ. rf this must be done then foflow fuil contror of Substances Hazardous to Health pro."Jur".. Handling of tools and materials Train everyone in safe lifting, carrying and moving techniques. Ptan in advance the lifting of heavy or awkward items. tr:'ovrde carrying aids, e.g. . Carry heavy items between 2 people. ;-rrntt the number of tools one person carries. Slips, trips and falls lcspect site and clear or mark inherent trip hazards Keep tools and materials stored safely and tidily. ii the site is vacated before construction is comprete ensure the hazard 'no entry'signs remain X,?LO in ptace. Leave the site., tiOV r. Dc not leave hores dug and not refired. cover or prace a post in them, Hard hats You must wear a hard hat when felling trees over 2m high. Ycur hard hat must fit snugry, you and must not wear anything under it. Contact with overhead power lines Do not undertake feiling work within 2 tree rengths of overhead rines without consultation with the electricity "o*prny. ln the event that a tree does touch an erectricity cabre, do not touch it and call the electricity company immediatety. Falling trees and flying wood Cease work in high winds. Cordon off area using hazard tape. Prece 'no entry,signs and post lookouts on any paths. rrf: good working i. practice as ouflined in the BTCV handbooks ,tcodiands and Handtools. trees "{'rnE-up shourd be deart with in accordance with good practice ATCV handbooks. in Lsxruts must be at least 2 tree lengths away. k*'r"rr:um safe working distance from any other person is the equivalent of T*:{€ tne height of the tree being worked on. -re€s containing deadwood in crown to be cordoned off using hazard tape * necessary. ciarir all of danger from deadwood in the canopy loosened by falling trees. Cerrying timber ir::WS to manageable size. lo,arge amounts of lifting and carrying are to be done, carry out detailed ft&alir.:al Handling assessment. P"ar extractron routes to minimise carrying. tr,'ev"ce carrying aids, e.g. wheelbarrow. Fta*dling wire products cary rolts of wire on a stake or pinch bar, with one person hording each efid Wear leather gloves. Tare care when handling stock netting as it can unravel at high speed with eruLrgh force to knock you over. Frn:iy anchor free ends of wire and netting. (eeo your fingers out of stock netting mesh and rolls of wire. Kickback

E,:lsure good working practice as ouflined in the BTCV handbooks irdoodiands and Hand tools - a guide to safe use and care. Flan and keep crear escape routes for anyone invorved in feiling. Thorns ground ciear before kneeling, or use protective kneelers or mat. Leather protective gloves to be worn when handling thorny material. Prctectlve goggles, BS EN 166, must be worn when there is a risk that froms may go in eyes. fiernove any blackthorn thorns immediately. !+r%rn cf the dangers of infection from blackthorn thorns. &rrning embers and flying debris people to wear hats, or caps, and rong sreeves when working near #r*iE ,cng E-s-:e hair is tied back and loose clothing is tucked in. cordon off and inform -$ffisr,nbers must be left, place warning signs' *rs" Sarnp down with water if possible' fire' *ffi, nrsdters should work up-wind of the job' ffiew Sle fire as small as possible to do the amounts to Sdy sdd rrraterialto the existing fire in small manageable ureirreeet" is no risk of sudden flaring' sdt.mgeefiaibeforeaddingittofiretoexcludedangerousitemssuchas #',@ and treated wood. ir ffitwith hand tools i: ,r. iii ai &iH!dbolsusedtoprepareortendthefiremustbecarefullystoredina & when not in use' Lli &sr. sbvious location ir: fbrurnble liquids .{effivehiclesandanyflammableliquidorgasinanyformofcontainerat W 3Om from the fire' t&rer use a flammable liquid to light a fire' 3mofie 8o not allow work in significant smoke' people are working and down S;lte Sre fire as far as is practical from where rnnd from working PartY. i":.. '*1, Smoke obscuring other hazards $' or occupied buildings' .{:, Do not set fires near roads &' lf very sfiong/gusty wind postpone fire' '1i.. r.. obscured area' Use hazard signs to exclude people from

t. Spread of fire Donotlightfiresdirectlyoverpeatsoil.Wherepossibletrytoensureyou hrn on a non-organic surface' Ds not light fires in very dry or drought conditions' the site' ,"',,,' $1ssrB fires are safe before leaving :i,l,-€mre orre person is attending the fire at alltimes' or means of fighting fire is available, e.g. fire beaters ir,ii-iii:fr-:,r:i:]ii::r&m*tadquate

ii ro*ks under trees. lBrrvnabb obiects from the area.

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