Association launches slopes code of practice

The Association has now launched a code of practice document to provide members with guidance on how to undertake landscape operations safely on slopes. 

The need for the document was identified using the Association’s own accident statistics as well as those of the Health and Safety Executive, which report landscape operatives suffer a disproportionately high number of serious accidents when completing landscape tasks on slopes.

Research by the Association revealed incidents on slopes commonly involve one of 2 scenarios:

1. operator loses control of ride-on machinery

- machine loses traction or becomes unstable due to gradient
- machine over-turns with operator on-board

2. operator slips or trips whilst using pedestrian or hand-held equipment, resulting in

- operator falling
- operator losing control or struck by equipment

The information within the document is the combined knowledge and experience of established landscape contractors who, over decades, have developed techniques which have allowed them to consistently complete potentially hazardous tasks on slopes without incident.

The document covers operational issues associated with the use of ride-on machinery, such as lawn mowers and tractors, as well as pedestrian or hand-held equipment such as grass trimmers and knapsack spraying devices.

The full version of the document can be downloaded from the ‘help and advice’ section of the Association’s website, here. 

The Association would like to thank members of the National Contractors Forum, the Health and Safety Executive and Angus Lindsay for their support throughout this project.