Managing Projects & Volunteers

Project and Working Party Health & Safety:

How To Work Safely on Fisheries

From both a practical and legal standpoint, ensuring that a club or fishery is compliant with current regulations is vital for the safety of all those involved in maintenance work. Ultimately, it also aids the efficient and successful conclusion of a project. In this presentation, Paul Coulson from the Institute of Fisheries Management, discusses a raft of considerations when planning a project, including health and safety law, risk assessment, machinery and its correct implementation and the suitability of those within your working party.

Construction Management:

Planning & Delivering a Facilities Project

When first considered, the development of new facilities at a fishery may seem a straightforward task, especially if it involves the engagement of specialist contractors who will complete the work to your agreed specifications. But what are a club or fishery’s own responsibilities within that project?

• Do you require council or external authority permission to complete what might appear even the simplest of tasks?
• Are you aware of your responsibilities under the Construction (Design & Management) regulations?
• Did you know that failure to comply with compulsory procedures could result in your scheme being halted, cancelled or even pulled down?

In this presentation, the Angling Trust’s Head of Fisheries, Mark Owen applies his expertise in Environmental Management to discuss the planning and delivery of a facilities project. Every step of planning, managing and delivering a fisheries facilities project is reflected including environmental and industrial risk assessments and the practicalities -and potential pitfalls – of contractor engagement.

To support safe and responsible project delivery we offer a series of guidance documents that may prove useful during the planning and execution of a new project. Click on the link to read or download.

The Angling Trust’s Volunteer Best Practice Guide – This guide covers the key aspects of working with volunteers. It provides advice and signposts further information.

Health & Safety Handbook – People are an organisation’s most important asset. This handbook offers advice including Risk assessment, responsibilities and personal safety.

Health & Safety Guidance Notes – As a supplement to the Health & Safety Handbook, these guidance notes focus on a duty of care towards staff, volunteers, members and customers that any fishery, club or riparian owner should be cognisent of when providing a service for anglers and others.

Detailed Risk Assessment – This risk assessment form offers an example of the type of layout clubs and fisheries might consider using in preparation for an activity It includes examples of information and how it might be recorded. If required, this form can be freely downloaded and used directly.

The guidance documents above reflect advice for consideration and general application. Additionally, in the ‘About Us’ section of the website, a series of policies adopted by the Angling Trust reflecting legal requirements and regulatory compliance may assist clubs and fisheries with further information Click here to view the Policies Section. 

Facilities Project Funding

When considering a development or general maintenance project, clubs, fisheries and any organisations responsible for fishing venues, may wish to consider supported funding. The Environment Agency’s Angling Improvement Fund and Fisheries Improvement Programme are just two ways the EA channels income from Rod licence sales back into angling. These funds are managed by the Angling Trust and cover different areas of project development and funding rounds are generally announced on an annual basis so interested clubs should check back regularly for information on the links below.

Angling Improvement Fund (AIF) – For protection and environmental projects. i.e. Predation, bio-security, invasive non-native species

Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP)- For improvement of facilities for fish and for the benefit of anglers. e.g. aeration, swim building, footpath and car park creation.

For a more comprehensive reflection of each fund, click on the links above. Please note: When a funding round is announced, information relating specifically to that opportunity is made available on the AIF and FIP pages. Interested clubs and fisheries are therefore advised to check back on a regular basis for updates.

Facilities Project Case Study

In each round, the AIF and FIP funds distribute thousands of pounds worth of rod licence income for approved projects undertaken by clubs and fisheries across the country. A case study of the work undertaken by Farnham Angling Society in Surrey and supported by EA funding reflects the process a successful club might undertake for any application to either fund. The Case Study from our blog series ‘Lines On The Water’ is available here.

Further details, including details of the AIF and FIP as outlined above, can be found on our dedicated Funding page.

Specific Areas of Consideration

Spraying

When considering the use of pesticides to clear an area on a fishery, it’s tempting to jump right in and set to work straight away with a sprayer, some weedkiller and a strong dose of good intention. However, there are several points to consider before starting any such task, not least because the health of your water and potentially the lives of your fish could be at stake. 

The following guidance reflects advice which is provided by Angling Trust Fisheries Support Officers during any waterside visit to advise on a potential spraying programme. You can, of course, get in touch with the Officers directly to arrange a visit, and to do so, simply follow this link and scroll down for the appropriate contact details.

In the meantime, the points below are the starting point for any job assessment that may result in a spraying operation. This guidance has been prepared by our Fisheries Support Officers and you can download this information by clicking the pdf document at the bottom of the page.

Initial questions before any work is begun

• Do I really need to apply weed killer?
• Can the weed be removed mechanically or physically?
• Do I have landowner’s consent?

Consent

In England, a consent to spray near water AqHerb 01 licence must be acquired from the Environment Agency. Further details of this requirement including application form and guidance note, are available on the UK Gov website here:

For Border rivers, it is advisable to contact the relevant authorities; Natural Resources Wales (NRW) or Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland. 

The only chemical suitable for spraying on or near water is Glyphosate and it must state for aquatic use on the label.

Adjuvants must also be noted on application and must be suitable for use on or near water

In designated areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) Ramsar consent will be required from Natural England. [Link here] 

Always be aware that any area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) or local nature reserves may require consent from Local Councils as well as landowners. Cross border legislation may apply to some rivers.

Qualifications

Options to acquire training and official qualifications are available and recommended for safe treatment programming. Qualifications include:

• Pa1 – Safe Handling & Application of Pesticides
• Pa6 – Hand Held Applicators On Land
• Pa6aw – Hand Held Applicators On Land And Near Water

Courses are available from many providers and costs may vary. Providers include but are not limited to:

City & Guilds NPTC

Lantra

Additional Qualifications That May Be Required

• Safe operation of Handheld pesticide Stem injection equipment
• Safe operation of Pesticide plug equipment
• Spraying from boat mounted equipment (pa5)
• Spraying from a quad bike (PA2)  This will additionally require:
• Sit astride All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) including loads and trailed equipment – experienced operator 
• City & Guilds NPTC ATV qualification 
• Lantra AVT qualification

Necessary or Recommended Equipment For Spraying

• Water container 
• Measuring jugs
• Backpack
• Handheld applicator
• Backpack applicator
• Long reach wand 

• Always consider safe storage for all chemicals.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Gloves
• Face mask
• Overalls
• Wellington boots

Considerations & Advisory Information.

• Weedkiller is not appropriate for submerged vegetation.
• Consideration should be given to die back and de-oxygenation when applying weedkiller to floating aquatic weeds 
• Thought should be given as to why there is weed growth on water, this may be due to high nutrification. Vegetative buffer strips and marginal growth may help reduce this.
• Take care when planting new stick. What is planted in or near your fishery this may reduce future issues. 
• Always practice good biosecurity during operations. This will reduce the need to control future growth including non-native invasive weed.

Details on bio-security and the Check, Clean Dry programme is available on the Angling Trust website’s Invasive Non-Native Species Page.  

All information supplied here can be discussed in greater detail with the Trust’s Fisheries Support Officers

Working With Chainsaws

As Paul Coulson says in his presentation, ‘How To Work Safely On Fisheries’, buying a chainsaw doesn’t make someone an instant expert! If not used correctly or preparation is haphazard (even non-existent) chainsaws can inflict serious injury – or worse.  It is therefore essential that any club or fishery that requires work incorporating chainsaw use, ensures the potential operator has received adequate training and is a competent user for the type of work necessary.

The Health and Safety Executive website carries some valuable information about chainsaw use. Much of the information reflects information for employers and employees but the general tenor of information relates to work that may be commissioned. This includes:

• Training and certification requirements for contractor employees
• Advice on protective clothing
• Downloadable information on general use

Click this link to find more information on the Health & Safety Executive website about Working With Chainsaws

For clubs and fisheries anticipating regular use of chainsaws as part of larger development or restoration projects, the following links to courses and qualifications may prove helpful.

City & Guilds

Lantra

The video presentation in the Compliance and Qualifications menu at the top of this section, How To Work Safely On Fisheries, contains additional guidance clubs and fisheries may find useful on working with machinery and specifically, with chainsaws. This includes advice on appropriate PPE, preparation and safety that clubs might wish to consider before exercising any project involving machinery.