Maintain and improve water channel capacity by manually controlling vegetation

This standard covers manually controlling vegetation in order to improve and maintain the capacity of the water channel. You must be able to control bankside, overhanging and aquatic vegetation.

When working with power tools, machinery or the application of chemicals you must be trained and hold current certification, where required, in line with the relevant legislation.

You must carry out your work in a way that takes account of its impact on the environment.

This standard is for employees or volunteers who are maintaining and improving the channel capacity by controlling vegetation. It applies to work carried out on rivers, coasts and waterways.

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1. assess the risks associated with the site and the required activity
2. wear suitable clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE)
3. access the site and carry out maintenance operations in accordance with instructions and specifications
4. select, prepare, use and maintain tools, equipment and the PPE required, keeping these in a clean and serviceable condition throughout the work
5. prepare the work equipment by carrying out pre-use checks and adjustments, in accordance with the relevant legislation, instructions and specifications
6. carry out your work in accordance with the relevant national legislation, local regulations, guidance, codes of practice and the policies of your organisation
7. recognise and manually remove vegetation that impacts the water channel in accordance with instructions and specifications
8. remove vegetation safely and correctly leaving the remaining plants in a state that maintains and conserves the habitat
9. maintain biosecurity throughout your work
10. check that your working methods meet any statutory restrictions on operations due to the status of the site
11. deal with waste and excess materials safely and correctly in accordance with the relevant legislation and requirements of your organisation
12. maintain communication with colleagues and others involved in, or affected by, your work
13. carry out your work in accordance with the relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements, codes of practice and policies of your organisation
14. improve the channel capacity by manual control of vegetation within the required timescales
15. take the required action in the event of an emergency or unforeseen circumstance
16. recognise opportunities to enhance wildlife habitats through modifications to working procedures and report them to the relevant person
17. restore the site to a safe condition which is consistent with the surrounding environment
18. complete records as required by the relevant legislation and your organisation

1. how to identify hazards and assess risks
2. the type of clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) suitable for the activity
3. how to safely and correctly access sites
4. the instructions and specifications on how to carry out your work
5. the damage that would occur if the water channel was not maintained in accordance with instructions and specifications
6. the manual methods of controlling vegetation to maintain and improve water channel capacity
7. other flood mitigation measures associated with channel management
8. the types of tools, equipment, and materials required for the work and how to prepare, use, maintain and store these safely and correctly in accordance with instructions and specifications
9. the relevant legal requirements for the preparation and use of work equipment
10. why it is important to maintain the safety and security of equipment and vehicles when on site
11. how to control different types of vegetation using manual operations
12. when cut vegetation should be removed and the reasons why (e.g. rotten vegetation reduces oxygen levels in fresh water)
13. the circumstances that may impact on your work
14. the action to take in response to emergencies or changing circumstances
15. the types of accidental damage or pollution that may occur during operations and the action that must be taken
16. the importance of maintaining biosecurity when carrying out your work and the methods for achieving this
17. the relevant legislation and organisational requirements for maintenance of the water channel
18. the potential impact of your work on the surrounding area and how to minimise this
19. the relevant legal and organisational requirements for the handling, transport, storage, recycling or disposal of waste and excess materials
20. the importance of maintaining communication with those involved in, or affected by, your work and how this should be done
21. your responsibilities under the relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements, codes of practice and policies of your organisation
22. the opportunities that may arise to enhance wildlife habitats and to whom these should be reported
23. the importance of restoring the site to a safe condition, consistent with the surrounding environment
24. the relevant legal requirements and those of your organisation for the completion and storage of records

Circumstances that may impact the work:

• environmental conditions
• wildlife habitat
• protected status of the site
• presence of non-native invasive species
• presence of protected species
• water flow
• access and recreational use of the water environment

Instructions and specifications:

• drawings/plans
• site maps/aerial image assessment
• schedules
• method statements
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• manufacturers' guidelines
• legal requirements
• good practice guidelines
• customer requirements
• standard of outcome required
• verbal instructions

Methods:

• clearance
• thinning

Vegetation:

• bankside vegetation
• overhanging
• non-native species
• fallen trees
• vegetative debris
• aquatic vegetation
• vegetation which is subject to disposal controls