Rubber Infill Causes a Low Level of Concern Says ECHA

/in /by

Helsinki, 28 February 2017: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has evaluated the risk of substances in recycled rubber that is used on artificial sports pitches. Based on the evidence, ECHA has concluded that the concern for players on these pitches, including children and for workers who install and maintain them, is very low. ECHA will update its evaluation as and when new information becomes available.

In June 2016, the European Commission asked ECHA to evaluate the risk to the general population, including children, professional players and workers installing or maintaining the pitches.

A number of hazardous substances are present in recycled rubber granules, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, phthalates, volatile organic hydrocarbons (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic hydrocarbons (SVOCs). Exposure to these substances through skin contact, ingestion and inhalation was considered.

Based on the information available, ECHA concludes that there is, at most, a very low level of concern from exposure to recycled rubber granules:

  • The concern for lifetime cancer risk is very low given the concentrations of PAHs typically measured in European sports grounds.
  • The concern from metals is negligible given that the data indicated that the levels are below the limits allowed in the current toys legislation.
  • No concerns were identified from the concentrations of phthalates, benzothiazole and methyl isobutyl ketone as these are below the concentrations that would lead to health problems.
  • It has been reported that volatile organic compounds emitted from rubber granules in indoor halls might cause irritation to the eyes and skin.

In the studies that ECHA evaluated, which are listed in the report, the concentrations of PAHs in recycled rubber granules were well below the limits set for carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) substances for consumers in REACH.

ECHA has also highlighted several uncertainties in its evaluation. Therefore, ECHA suggests the following action to be taken:

  1. Consider changes to the REACH Regulation to ensure that rubber granules are only supplied with very low concentrations of PAHs and any other relevant hazardous substances.
  2. Owners and operators of existing (outdoor and indoor) fields should measure the concentrations of PAHs and other substances in the rubber granules used in their fields and make this information available to interested parties in an understandable manner.
  3. Producers of rubber granules and their interest organisations should develop guidance to help all manufacturers and importers of (recycled) rubber infill test their material.
  4. European sports and football associations and clubs should work with the relevant producers to ensure that information related to the safety of rubber granules in synthetic turfs is communicated in a manner understandable to the players and the general public.
  5. Owners and operators of existing indoor fields with rubber granule infills should ensure adequate ventilation.

In addition, ECHA recommends that players using the synthetic pitches should take basic hygiene measures after playing on artificial turf containing recycled rubber granules.

ECHA’s evaluation has been sent to the European Commission. The findings are preliminary and will be updated when new information becomes available.

Deere & Company Among Top 50 Most Admired Companies

/in /by

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) has again been included in Fortune Magazine’s ranking of the World’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies.

The Most Admired research reviews a company’s performance on nine criteria, including innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness.

“The Fortune Most Admired ranking is evidence that John Deere’s 60,000 employees around the world remain focused each day on serving our customers and living our core values of integrity, quality, commitment, and innovation,” said Samuel R. Allen, chairman and chief executive officer at Deere.

Fortune reports that more than 1,500 companies are reviewed for the Most Admired list, which the magazine states is the definitive report card on corporate reputations. The top 5 companies on the 2017 World’s Most Admired list are Apple, Amazon, Starbucks, Berkshire Hathaway and Walt Disney.

Deere & Company is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land – those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure.

Countax and Westwood dealers Spring into action

/in /by

Customers purchasing a new Countax C/B or Westwood T/F garden tractor from participating dealers will be offered a free 300 litre Powered Grass Collector (PGC) worth £525 (S.R.P inc VAT).

That’s the offer being made by Countax and Westwood dealers together with Ariens Company. The promotion was developed in conjunction with the Ariens Dealer Advisory Council, and is devised to maximize retail activity for the spring season. A similar promotion was run in 2016 and was a huge success. Versus the same period the previous year, retail activity for participating dealers increased by an average 47%.

The 2016 promotion also saw Ariens Company introduce an innovative marketing tool to help dealers create a direct mail campaign to target customers in their area. Many dealers reported that this tool helped drive new business to their showroom.

Speaking about the benefits of the Powered Grass Collector campaign in 2016, Tim Wall from Hertfordshire Garden Machinery commented: “We had great success with the free PGC campaign in 2016. The online system to choose the demographic for the direct mail campaign was easy to use and it was only a short while after setting it up that we made our first sale. The campaign generated a lot of new business for us and helped towards almost doubling our sales of lawn tractors against the previous year. We received great support from Ariens Company throughout the campaign and look forward to another successful season in 2017.”

To claim their free PGC, customers need only to present a voucher when they purchase a new Countax C/B or Westwood T/F series. The voucher can be claimed from either the Countax or Westwood website.

A Powered Grass Collector lets you collect grass clippings fully, with no risk of clogging – even when cutting wet grass. The integrated roller on the PGC also creates a neat striped finish. Come the autumn, the collector can work as a quick and efficient leaf collector and is invaluable for clearing up after scarifying.

The promotion begins on the 1st March and will run until 31st May 2017.

Healthy pitch at Selhurst Park

/in /by

Bruce Elliot, Head of Grounds and Estates at Crystal Palace FC, has reported excellent results after using ICL’s Greenmaster Pro-Lite micro granular fertilizers as part of a balanced nutritional programme at Selhurst Park.

“Throughout my career I have always used the Greenmaster Pro-Lite range because I know exactly what I will get from it,” says Bruce. “It has been the mainstay of any fertilizer programme I have ever had.”

Bruce is a well-respected figurehead within the world of football groundsmanship. After starting his career in turf management by working as a greenkeeper at a nearby golf club, Bruce got his first taste of football groundsmanship by working at non-league side Crawley Town FC. In 2001 an opportunity arose to join the ground staff at Fulham FC, which then led to roles with Tottenham Hotspur FC, Millwall FC and Reading FC. In the summer of 2015 Bruce accepted the position of Head of Grounds and Estates at Crystal Palace, and it wasn’t long before he introduced ICL products into his turf maintenance programme.
“Like many groundsmen; we will use Sportsmaster Pre-Seeder 8-12-8, and then within a week we start on a programme of Greenmaster Pro-Lite We’ll then continue to use that throughout the playing season, changing the formulations as the season goes on.”

Greenmaster Pro-Lite is an integral feature in many maintenance programmes. The micro-granule formulation allows consistent distribution, even at low rates of application, and the inclusion of zeolite improves performance and longevity. This technology produces highly ‘fluid’, virtually dust-free, fertilizers that spread evenly and smoothly, resulting in a consistent and predictable grass growth and colour response.

After trying various application rates at different timings, Bruce believes he has now found the ideal formula for Selhurst Park.

“I use Sierrablen Plus Stress Control 15-0-28 as a base feed every 8 weeks and then feed on top with the Greenmaster Pro-Lite NK 12-0-12 on a weekly basis from spring through to late summer. In the winter we change to Greenmaster Pro-Lite Double K 7-0-14 – just to lower the nitrogen and increase the potassium rates.

“We have tried Greenmaster Pro-Lite at various spacings – whether fortnightly or monthly – but we have found that applying it on a weekly basis at a slightly lower rate gives us better results. We apply it at 20g per square metre and this little and often approach is now paying dividends.

“We always know what we are going to get from it – we get a healthy plant, we get good growth, good colour, good vigour, and that combined with other products from the ICL range gives us a healthy pitch that will carry us through the whole season.”

In ensuring that the pitch stays in line with Bruce’s high expectations, he works alongside Nick Martin – ICL Technical Area Sales Manager for the South West & London – who is always available for advice according to Bruce.

“I work in conjunction with Nick, who has fantastic technical knowledge and provides me with excellent support. Together we’ve looked at different ways in feeding the pitch and we have now come up with an approach which is working for us. The results simply speak for themselves.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk

GreenMech QuadChip 160 Helps Raise £6K

/in /by

A Christmas tree ‘chipping’ scheme raised over £6K for a worthy cause, helped by a GreenMech QuadChip 160. Dorothy House, a charity providing care and support to people with life-limiting illnesses, recently teamed up with horticultural students from Wiltshire College in a Christmas Tree Recycling Scheme. In return for a donation, 131 trees were picked up by volunteers and delivered to the college in Lackham near Chippenham, where students studying land-based courses made light work of chipping the trees with a GreenMech QuadChip 160 woodchipper.

Bill Johnston, wood chipping specialist from local GreenMech dealer T H White, brought the QuadChip 160 to the campus to aid with the processing and recycling of the collected trees. Commenting on the day, Bill said, “I thoroughly enjoyed demonstrating the safe use of the chipper and providing the students with information and hands-on experience so that they were able to recycle the trees. The students all enjoyed the opportunity to use the chipper, giving them the chance to enhance their skills and increase their employability.” The chippings produced were then used on the rhododendrons and azaleas around the college grounds.

The GreenMech QuadChip160 is a 160mm chipper that features a full 360o turntable allowing definitive infeed chute positioning for convenient and safe loading at the kerb-side or in restricted spaces. Powered by a 34hp Kubota turbo-charged diesel engine, this workhorse offers exceptional crushing of difficult branches and woody brash, provided by twin vertical feed rollers and a large 160mm x 230mm letterbox opening.

The scheme has successfully raised a total of £6,041 for Dorothy House.