Insuring Grounds Care Equipment

Making sure grounds care equipment and its use is insured is an important element of good grounds management. There are several significant reasons why equipment needs to be insured, including: • Compliance with laws: If equipment is used in public spaces or roads then there can be a legal requirement to have insurance for the equipment used in those locations. • Covering liabilities: If there is an accident or injury caused through the use of equipment, then this helps protect owners from financial liabilities and legal claims. • Protect against theft, damage or breakdown: Equipment can be very expensive to purchase and repair, so insuring against potential losses to aid repair or replacement of equipment is needed to ensure the production of a sports pitch can continue with minimal delay. • Maintain commitments, especially contractual: If there is a contractual requirement to provide a service then ensuring equipment is readily available will contribute to delivering the service. This is another reason for insuring against theft, damage or breakdown. • Provide medium to longer term stability for an organisation: Protecting investments in equipment helps to aid planning and supports the stability of an organisation. Identifying an appropriate insurance company or broker helps to provide the necessary piece of mind. Examples of providers that volunteer clubs have indicated in social media that they have used during the early 2020s, include: • A-Plan. • Aviva. • Blue Fin. • Countryside Motor Insurance. • Insure4Sport. • Mann Broadbent. • Markel. • NFU Mutual. • Rowett Insurance Broking Ltd. • Towergate. • Trust Insurance.

  Integrated Pest Management: Benefits

Benefits gained from implementing an IPM programme are often conditional on correct application of the system and other interrelated factors such as sward condition and turf management practices aimed at the sustainable management of a turfgrass surface. Contributory benefits can be stated as: • A reduction in the impact and damage from undesirable organisms (e.g. insects, diseases, weed infestation). • It requires a well-considered and justified approach, which can be explained and demonstrated to others via documentation. • A demonstration of pro-active management. &bu

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  Integrated Turf Management (ITM)

The use of a range of hierarchical control methods for two purposes. One purpose is to reduce the need for chemical control of undesirable organisms (e.g. weeds, pests, diseases), but primarily the aim is to create optimum grass development conditions, with reduced stress on grass growth. It has a very similar meaning as Integrated Pest Management, but with the added aspect, or focus, of also reducing plant stress; this change of emphasis is significant. This term also helps to specifically focus the applied context to turfgrass surfaces.

  Irrigation Precipitation Rate

The speed and quantity of irrigation water, typically measured as litres or mm, that is applied for a specified period of time, with a typical unit of time being one second, minute or one hour. For example, a value of 1.5 litres per second could be given as a precipitation rate. The area over which the irrigation is being applied is usually calculated to provide a value for how much water has been applied over the entire area, often being stated as mm per hour.

  Irrigation Precipitation Rate, Calculating

Knowing the total amount of water which can be, or is, applied to an area is important so as to maintain plant health and sward durability. It is important to know the rate at which water infiltrates and percolates through a soil to avoid surface water arising from the application of irrigation water. In addition, for irrigation design, the maximum amount of water required by a plant should be determined to ensure that adequate quantities of water can be supplied at peak plant requirements. The precipitation rate of an installed irrigation system, or sprinkler, can be determined, in prac

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  Irrigation System, Fault Finding / Trouble Shooting

There are many things that can prevent an irrigation system from functioning efficiently and effectively. However, good maintenance practices will reduce the likelihood of system failures and faults arising, as well as reducing wasted water and reducing unnecessary and unplanned costs. Being able to identify problems and locate faults quickly helps to more readily get the irrigation system back to functioning properly and optimally. Examples of faults and possible solutions include: 1. Leaking sprinkler. Check the seals and washers and ensure all fixings are tightened correctly. Clean and

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  Irrigation: Application Regularity and Timings

When to irrigate and how often can vary significantly depending on a number of factors, including: • The current weather conditions: Hot and dry conditions will typically require a more frequent application of irrigation. • The time of year: Summer time will typically see demand for higher amounts of water being needed, and potentially at more frequent intervals. • Soil texture: This will influence the amount which can be applied at any one time, with very sandy soils requiring more frequent applications than those of a loamier nature. • Stage of seed germination and se

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  Joint Use

Sports and leisure facilities which are typically publicly owned and used exclusively by schools during term time and school hours, and other users outside of these times. The aim is to maximise total usage and diversity of use of the facilities.

  Kanban Method

This approach to time management aims to improve daily efficiency and clarity of purpose through the use of a visual planning board.

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  Labour

People, staffing or worker input required for a task. Groundskeeping is a very labour-intensive occupation, which has significantly benefited from improvements in equipment and machinery design helping to reduce the stress imposed on operators carrying out physical tasks as well as improving efficiency and productivity of tasks carried out. Automation is helping to reduce the labour requirements of some tasks in some situations, for example line marking or mowing through autonomous robot machines. This also allow labour to be redeployed to other tasks, which is especially pertinent considering

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