Don’t underestimate the force of these concerns on politicians who
don’t know both sides of the issue, and who rely on "facts"
supplied to them by others, including unconfirmed statements quoted in
the press. And, don’t underestimate the over-exaggeration of
most of these claims.
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EFFICIENCY
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The work of one gardening
crew was reported as a “grueling marathon of motion, noise, fumes
and dust” Blow dirt all over the place: into the street,
the air, the next-door neighbor’s yard. “They rearrange
it rather than remove it” (98.1.10)
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That is the basis of advocacy for blower
regulations and/or bans. It is unhealthy and unpleasant for
everyone, and worse for the worker using the blower.
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Long work hours.
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A valid observation in most cases.
Other blue-collar and white-collar jobs also necessitate long hours,
even working long into the night. And, although the physical
strains may be different, they can also be substantial.
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“Banning leaf blowers
causes a job which is already very physically demanding to become
even more strenuous and/or dangerous.”
(CA State Senate Business and Professions Committee SB1651 Bill Analysis
of April 13, 1998, Comments 1.Purpose)
(CA State Senate Business and Professions Committee SB1651 Bill Analysis
of April 13, 1998, Comments 1.Purpose)
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A manufacturer’s User’s Manual
for gasoline powered leaf blowers warns not to operate their unit
“. . .if you are over tired or sick, if you are taking medication
. . .” [some antihistamines make you more susceptible to hearing
loss] and to operate it “. . .only if you are physically and
mentally well”. Operators should wear OSHA approved eye,
hand, breathing and hearing protection, yet, “. . .heavy
protective clothing can increase operator fatigue which may lead to
heat stroke.”, and one should “. . .equip yourself and any
other person working within the 50 ft. Safety Zone with the required
protective equipment and clothing”.
(Source)
Manufacturers warn that the unit is not to be used within 50 ft. of
children and animals.
Rakes and brooms seem less “demanding” and less “dangerous.”
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Blowers are an “essential”
tool
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Depends on the definition of “essential”.
Easy to use, they provide a sense of strength and control through
their noise, rushing air, and the rapid scattering of leaves and debris.
Like the power of driving a car when you’re a teen-age new driver.
A “preferred” or “favored” tool, perhaps.
Indispensable, no.
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This has also been called
a “tool of convenience” by gardeners at public meetings.
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There is a big difference between “essential”
and “convenient”. Blowers are a tool of choice.
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The work [of blowers] cannot
be done without them
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Sweeping can be done with a broom, raking
with a rake, dust removal with an electric vacuum. Many
blowers can also serve as vacuums, where that use of the machine is
not also banned.
Survey99
and oral testimony shows many yards are cleaned without blowers. (Source)
This work has been done for centuries and still is done in most places
throughout the world without them
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Workers will not be able to
get landscape and hardscape perfectly clean without blowers.
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Landscape and hardscape seldom has to
be perfectly clean. Within minutes of the completion of a clean-up
job, new leaves will fall. "Reasonably clean" would be a
more realistic goal.
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Claimed the work takes 5 times
longer to work without blowers.
See Work Conditions:
Time |
These figures would mean a ten minute
clean-up, for instance, would take about an hour, just for gathering
leaves and debris.
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The use of water to hose down
hardscape is the only alternative to blowers.
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Water as a cleaning force is slower
than any other method. A landscape contractor’s association
states “Using water in this manner is unreasonable in drought-prone
California.” (97.6.3)
The “Five Diamond” Santa Barbara Bed and Breakfast
“Simpson House Inn” uses palm fronds to sweep the driveway,
and any water used to hose walkways becomes part of their irrigation
plan for lawns and bedding plants. See how clean their grounds
look at
http://www.simpsonhouseinn.com.
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| COMPARISONS |
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Like taking snow blowers and
expecting them to shovel snow (98.1.12)
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This is faulty reasoning. There
is no comparison between shoveling snow and gathering leaves, dust
and debris into one or more piles. The actual picking up and
removal of these items is not done by a blower, and, therefore, is
not at issue.
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UNFAIR
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“It’s a shame because
gardening should be an art, pruning and taking your time. It’s
come to people making a lot of noise and dust and you’re gone.
It’s not a job to be proud of anymore.” -- A Gardener.
(98.1.10)
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This gardener says he has not raised
his prices in years. We urge him to become the kind of gardener
he obviously would prefer to be, and to get business advice from a
gardeners’ association, or the Small
Business Administration on how to manage his finances and his
customers. They provide Spanish versions of some information.
Again, the City of Los Angeles also has a small
business assistance program.
It would seem appropriate that the gardening equipment retailers,
distributors, manufacturers, and industry groups make business training
or information easily available. They might be encouraged to
do so if enough gardeners showed that they would take advantage of
it. They could do this through their gardeners’ associations.
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Electric blowers…can
be hazardous to operators. Swimming pools, spas, garden ponds,
and moisture from landscape irrigation make for a potential electric
shock problem.” A landscape contractors’ association
position paper
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Electric blowers can be hazardous to
all residents of California, as well as to the blower operators who
create and/or distribute unsafe pollutants. But not because
of shock. The Uniform Electric Code requires outdoor plugs to
be gfi (Ground Fault Intercept) protected.-- see The
Shocking Truth.
As more powerful electric models are made available, their air velocity
noise may become a problem.
Technology is available and upcoming for use of rechargeable batteries.
Whether discarded batteries could become an ecological problem in
the future has not been investigated by ZAP, and so is not addressed
here.
If you have specific information about this subject (pro or con),
please contact us at info@zapla.org
to let us know how we can get in touch with you. We have a policy
not to open email attachments. Or send the information via “snail-mail”
to:
ZAP
P.O. Box 3441
Santa Monica, CA 90408-3441.
Thanks.
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THEN AGAIN....
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“A lot of these guys
misuse them [blowers] – at full throttle when they don’t
need to, which causes a lot of dust and noise. . .I get annoyed.”
-- a gardener. (96.5.1)
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Yes. A LOT of them misuse blowers.
Despite years of published comments like this 1996 quote, and despite
years of manufacturers trying to educate blower users to be more courteous,
incidents still occur where full-throttle use blows debris right into
neighboring homes through open windows and doors.
This writer was struck by airborne debris in May 2001 when opening
the side yard door a crack to ask the gardener on the other side of
a six foot brick wall to lower the throttle of his blower. He
was young, and unaware of the turmoil he had caused inside the kitchen
until it was mentioned.
Yes, we could have just closed the kitchen window, and turned on the
air conditioner. But now there is a ban on the blower he was
using. Had it been my own house, and my neighbor’s property,
I would have instructed him to stop using it, and reported the next
violation.
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When illness strikes gardeners
– 90% of whom lack health insurance, may simply get a massage
or visit a doctor in Tijuana when they get a day off. Meanwhile,
the illness may get worse. (99.9.1)
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All the more reason gardener’s
associations to provide group insurance at a reasonable cost, or help
workers get their own “group” coverage.
A good reason for them to provide education about the importance of
wearing of safety gear, and to teach work habits that cut down the
amount of noise and fugitive dust workers must cope with.
California State Disability Insurance and/or Workers’ Compensation
information can be gained by phoning the Employment Development Department
at 800 952-5253.
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“It does bother me.
I have a thing with dust and fumes”
-- a gardener. (98.1.10)
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Ban advocates also “have a thing
with dust and fumes”.
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“It’s the type of
industry where you have to live with the pain because you can’t
afford to go to the hospital or take a lot of time off.”
Gardener’s association activist. (99.9.1)
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Even more reason that polluting machine,
that affects gardeners first, is banned. Even more reason for gardener's
associations to assist with health care coverage. |
