Handheld Petrol and Battery Powered Machinery

1) “Please provide an asset list of all current petrol and battery powered handheld machinery used within your inventory with information about the make and model numbers of units and age per machine. I would like to request that this information is focused on brush cutters, blowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, kombi tools, pole pruners, backpack blowers and any other handheld machinery within your assets.

Please see asset lists provided below.

1a) If the council has not purchased any new battery powered handheld outdoor machinery when the need to buy more equipment has arisen (since July 2018), what was the reason to continue purchasing petrol powered handheld machinery?

Where petrol powered handheld machinery has been purchased since July 2018, this is due to familiarity with existing product(s).

We will be looking at battery powered chainsaws, hedge-cutters and blowers when current machines need replacing.

2) The total amount of fuel in litres purchased since 24th July 2018 for use in two-stroke outdoor powered equipment as listed in question 1)

Fuel is purchased in jerry cans for general usage; no record is kept of usage per item.  Information is, therefore, not held.

3) How often are the machines listed in question 1) regularly serviced?

Please refer to tables provided below.

4) How many schools and health trusts facilities are maintained using the equipment listed in question 1) for tasks such as leaf blowing, tree surgery, brush cutting and hedge trimming?

We do not hold this information.  Schools are responsible for their own grounds maintenance. We would recommend you contact them directly for this information.

Devon County Council is not responsible for Health Trust facilities.

5) Do you keep records of usage of machinery for the purpose of hand arm vibration regulations, if so, please can you detail the hours of usage associated with each machine as well as how many people are trained to operate these machines for council related work throughout the year?

Please refer to tables provided below which indicates where records are held.  Staff and long term volunteers undertake Lantra brushcutter training course.  Staff undertake relevant chainsaw course / pole pruner course and 3 yearly refreshers.

6) Does the Local Authority monitor the occupational health risks associated with operator’s exposure to the inhalation of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) emissions from two-stroke machinery?”

We do not monitor the occupational health risks associated with operator’s exposure to the inhalation of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) emissions from two-stroke machinery, therefore we do not hold this information. Usage by Devon County Council (DCC) employees is occasional and limited and therefore prolonged exposure which may cause health risks is not envisaged. Contractors working for DCC and District Councils may have longer usage and exposure and may hold the information.

Estates and Highways:

We currently have no staff working directly within the corporate Estates or Highways Teams, using hand held machinery, as this is all contracted out to third party organisations.

Devon County Council (DCC) Public Rights of Way:

Grand Western Canal

Tree / Gardening Equipment

Power Tools

Stover Park

Materials Laboratory: