Re: North Wales Laning Event 1st - 3rd October
Posted: 26 Sep 2010, 17:49
The relevant bit, including chainsaw usage...
Footwear
The main precaution is for everyone to ensure that footwear is first cleaned of all soil, needles and plant debris and then disinfected before entering or leaving a control site. The use of wellington boots will assist with this.
Before entering a Phytophthora control site…
•
Footwear must be clean and free from soil and plant debris. The footwear should be sprayed with Propeller™ and left until it has evaporated.*
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
Footwear must be washed off on a hard standing near the entrance to the wood using a stiff brush and water. It is essential that all traces of soil be removed.
•
The brush for this must be kept on site in a bucket of disinfectant.
After cleaning, footwear must be sprayed with Propeller™ and left until it has evaporated.
Care must be taken to ensure that any water run-off does not enter watercourses.
Broad-spectrum farm disinfectants are not effective against Phytophthora
Phytophthora Control Sites - Operational Precautions
Clothing
Needles and leaves can get stuck in and on clothing.
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
• Needles and debris on clothing must be shaken out or brushed off before leaving the site or getting into a vehicle.
• Check inside footwear, hoods, outer pockets and collars. Remember to check any protective equipment such as helmets, ear-defenders, felling gloves and protective over-trousers.
• Wet clothing MUST be changed before moving between sites. Wet clothing must be bagged and laundered before re-use, or washed down and disinfected. The use of waterproof outer clothing and leggings will help with this precaution.
Tools
Hand tools and motorised tools used on infected sites for cutting and digging may become contaminated, especially if wet.
• If any work (e.g. pruning) is to be carried out on an uninfected tree or shrub on a Phytophthora control site, tools must be disinfected or ‘flamed’ before being used
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
• Chainsaw bars, chains and side covers must be removed and cleaned as thoroughly as possible to remove debris. Where it is appropriate and safe to do so, Propeller™ disinfectant may be applied and left to evaporate.
• Other hand tools and equipment such as tapes, cant hooks, wedges, fuel cans, tools and toolboxes must be cleaned off and surfaces brushed with disinfectant before being moved to another site.
Phytophthora Control Sites - Operational Precautions
Vehicles, lorries and machines
Special care should be taken to ensure that vehicle tyres and lorry beds are free of loose soil and debris before leaving any Phytophthora control site.
Before entering a Phytophthora control site…
•
Consider whether the vehicle needs to enter the site at all. If you can, park off site and walk in.
Share vehicles wherever possible to reduce the number of vehicles that need to enter the site.
When on site, road vehicles should stay on stone roads wherever possible and be parked in areas that are as free of larch needle and debris as possible.
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
Off-road vehicles
• Machines, plant and any road vehicles that have been driven off hard surfaced roads onto an infected site must be cleaned on a hard standing beside a surfaced forest or council road. A pressure washer should be used, preferably one that uses hot water or steam. Care must be taken to ensure that any water run-off does not enter watercourses.
• This cleaning should focus on removing as much mud and needle debris as possible focusing on tyres, wheels, mud flaps, sills, wheel arches, guarded areas and anywhere else where mud and needle debris may have accumulated. Cab floors and pedals should also be checked and cleaned.
• After cleaning, tyres should be disinfected with Propellar™ or other disinfectant approved for use against Phytophthora.
Road Vehicles
Haulage vehicles and other road vehicles that stay on stone surfaced roads may require a sweep down to remove loose debris before leaving the site. This is especially important in wet weather.
The drier and cleaner the road surface is the less the risk of transferring the disease on wheels will be. If surfaced forest roads and loading bays become muddy or covered with bark and debris, they should be scraped off and preferably allowed to dry before continuing use. As a general rule, if mud or debris is adhering in clumps to the sidewalls of road vehicle tyres then the forest road surface requires attention, or must be allowed to dry, before loading continues. Otherwise the wash down procedures applicable to off-road vehicles will need to apply.
Footwear
The main precaution is for everyone to ensure that footwear is first cleaned of all soil, needles and plant debris and then disinfected before entering or leaving a control site. The use of wellington boots will assist with this.
Before entering a Phytophthora control site…
•
Footwear must be clean and free from soil and plant debris. The footwear should be sprayed with Propeller™ and left until it has evaporated.*
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
Footwear must be washed off on a hard standing near the entrance to the wood using a stiff brush and water. It is essential that all traces of soil be removed.
•
The brush for this must be kept on site in a bucket of disinfectant.
After cleaning, footwear must be sprayed with Propeller™ and left until it has evaporated.
Care must be taken to ensure that any water run-off does not enter watercourses.
Broad-spectrum farm disinfectants are not effective against Phytophthora
Phytophthora Control Sites - Operational Precautions
Clothing
Needles and leaves can get stuck in and on clothing.
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
• Needles and debris on clothing must be shaken out or brushed off before leaving the site or getting into a vehicle.
• Check inside footwear, hoods, outer pockets and collars. Remember to check any protective equipment such as helmets, ear-defenders, felling gloves and protective over-trousers.
• Wet clothing MUST be changed before moving between sites. Wet clothing must be bagged and laundered before re-use, or washed down and disinfected. The use of waterproof outer clothing and leggings will help with this precaution.
Tools
Hand tools and motorised tools used on infected sites for cutting and digging may become contaminated, especially if wet.
• If any work (e.g. pruning) is to be carried out on an uninfected tree or shrub on a Phytophthora control site, tools must be disinfected or ‘flamed’ before being used
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
• Chainsaw bars, chains and side covers must be removed and cleaned as thoroughly as possible to remove debris. Where it is appropriate and safe to do so, Propeller™ disinfectant may be applied and left to evaporate.
• Other hand tools and equipment such as tapes, cant hooks, wedges, fuel cans, tools and toolboxes must be cleaned off and surfaces brushed with disinfectant before being moved to another site.
Phytophthora Control Sites - Operational Precautions
Vehicles, lorries and machines
Special care should be taken to ensure that vehicle tyres and lorry beds are free of loose soil and debris before leaving any Phytophthora control site.
Before entering a Phytophthora control site…
•
Consider whether the vehicle needs to enter the site at all. If you can, park off site and walk in.
Share vehicles wherever possible to reduce the number of vehicles that need to enter the site.
When on site, road vehicles should stay on stone roads wherever possible and be parked in areas that are as free of larch needle and debris as possible.
Before leaving a Phytophthora control site…
Off-road vehicles
• Machines, plant and any road vehicles that have been driven off hard surfaced roads onto an infected site must be cleaned on a hard standing beside a surfaced forest or council road. A pressure washer should be used, preferably one that uses hot water or steam. Care must be taken to ensure that any water run-off does not enter watercourses.
• This cleaning should focus on removing as much mud and needle debris as possible focusing on tyres, wheels, mud flaps, sills, wheel arches, guarded areas and anywhere else where mud and needle debris may have accumulated. Cab floors and pedals should also be checked and cleaned.
• After cleaning, tyres should be disinfected with Propellar™ or other disinfectant approved for use against Phytophthora.
Road Vehicles
Haulage vehicles and other road vehicles that stay on stone surfaced roads may require a sweep down to remove loose debris before leaving the site. This is especially important in wet weather.
The drier and cleaner the road surface is the less the risk of transferring the disease on wheels will be. If surfaced forest roads and loading bays become muddy or covered with bark and debris, they should be scraped off and preferably allowed to dry before continuing use. As a general rule, if mud or debris is adhering in clumps to the sidewalls of road vehicle tyres then the forest road surface requires attention, or must be allowed to dry, before loading continues. Otherwise the wash down procedures applicable to off-road vehicles will need to apply.