The turf and grounds maintenance season is underway again in Canada now
that spring has arrived in earnest. A freak late April blizzard hit
Calgary, perhaps forcing landscape contractors there to put their
mowers aside and haul out the plow blades once again.
For the rest of the country, however, it’s seemingly seasonal business as usual.
A fairly new company based in London, Ont. has provided an important service for not only landscape contractors and municipalities, but for golf courses as well to begin their operations on the right foot now that another season is in swing. LandscapeSafety.com provides online video training for new employees as well as experienced ones looking for upgrading.
The training demonstrates how younger employees can safely operate light and heavy equipment in order to avoid a devil-may-care approach to their work. The added benefit is that they will have an immediate familiarity with the pieces of equipment they have studied and will be more productive on the job, thereby boosting the company’s bottom line.
Those who don’t undergo such training are apt to be more apprehensive with a particular piece of equipment, perhaps not fully knowing all the ins and outs of its operation, and therefore won’t be quite as productive.
This particular training method is right up the alley of the YouTube generation. It allows workers to undergo the training at their own leisure in the comfort of their own home in front of their computer. A high-speed Internet connection is really the only prerequisite.
The video presentations include a series of interactive quizzes followed by an online exam.
Turn to page 10 to learn more about the training system.
The British Columbia government’s public consultation process regarding usage of cosmetic pesticide products is over, and a summary of the various comments has been released.
We have taken a selection of those comments to share with our readers, beginning on page 15.
Both sides of the argument are presented, including some rather learned commentary which will give government officials something to chew on in their deliberations.
Anyone wishing to digest the full report can do so online by visiting http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/ipmp/regs/cosmetic-pesticides/consultation.htm.
Additionally, we feature in this issue a commentary from John Holland, communications director for the Integrated Environmental Plant Management Association of Western Canada, who looks at why the precautionary principle dictates that pesticides not be prohibited.
It’s an interesting read, beginning on page 18. His presentation includes comments from several high-ranking and persuasive individuals.
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