Tool Safety and Manual Handling Procedure

Purpose. Sets the safe methods for using and maintaining floristry knives, secateurs, wire and foam saws, and for lifting and moving buckets, boxes and installations.

1.Tools

Each designer must be issued a floristry knife, secateurs and wire cutters and is responsible for keeping them clean and sharp. Blunt tools cause more injuries than sharp tools. Knives must be carried closed or point down and never left on a bench edge or in a bucket. Foam saws must only be used on the cutting board with the guard in place.

2.Cutting technique

Stems must be cut away from the body with the non-cutting hand behind the blade. Wire must be cut with wire cutters and never with a knife or secateurs. Wired work must be handled with the wire ends turned in and cut-resistant gloves must be worn when handling thorny stems such as roses.

3.Maintenance

Tools must be cleaned with the approved sanitiser at the end of each shift to prevent spreading botrytis between stock. Blades must be sharpened weekly and any damaged tool must be tagged out and recorded in the Equipment and Chemicals Register.

4.Lifting

A full flower bucket weighs up to 18 kilograms. Buckets must be carried by the handles with the load close to the body, and buckets over 15 kilograms must be moved on the trolley or by two people. Boxes must be stacked no higher than shoulder height. Workers must not twist while carrying a load.

• Assess the load before lifting
• Use the trolley for anything heavy or awkward
• Two-person lift over 15 kilograms
• Keep floors dry and clear

5.Bench height and posture

Benches must be set so that work is at elbow height. Anti-fatigue mats must be used at every bench. Designers must vary tasks and take a break of at least ten minutes every two hours during peak production.

6.Installations

Large installations must be built in sections that can be lifted safely and moved on the trolley. Rigging and working at height on event sites must follow the site risk assessment and only workers with current working at heights training may work from ladders or platforms above two metres.