AMENITY SPRAYER WINNERS
Operators of the Year named
The UK's top amenity sprayer operators have been recognised with the inaugural Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards.
Sponsored by Syngenta and ICL (formerly Everris), the winners of this prestigious competition were announced at the Amenity Forum Conference in Leicester.
The winners and the judges
The Awards have highlighted the exceptional skills and experience of all those involved, to demonstrate best practice for effective results and, above all, safe spray application in amenity situations.
Winners and runners-up of the three categories judged were:
Sports and Amenity Turf using a Boom Sprayer - Winner: Andrew Kerr, West Malling Golf Club, Kent
- Runner-up: James Wright, Leeds University, Yorkshire
Hard and Porous Surfaces using Vehicle Mounted Equipment
- Winner: Adam Bell, JSD R&D, Yorkshire
- Runner up: James Muir K. Imrie Treecare
Hard and Porous Surfaces or Invasive Weed Species using Hand-Held Equipment
- Winner: Daniel Clarke, DTMS Group, Yorkshire
- Runner up: Ian Haworth, S H Goss & Co., Cambridgeshire
Winner of the amenity turf boom sprayer category, Andrew Kerr from West Malling Golf Course in Kent, was praised by the judges for incorporating new technology into his spraying operation to ensure accurate application. The whole course has been GPS mapped, coupled to GPS equipment on the sprayer to ensure only the targeted areas are sprayed, to minimise use and waste.
In the category for hard and porous surface application, winner Adam Bell, of Yorkshire-based JSD R&D Ltd, was commended for his exceptional approach to detail and utilising innovative treatment techniques. Sprayers have been fitted with the capability to adjust the boom to avoid drift, with a flow meter for chemical injection into a clean water line, and sensors for spot weed treatment.
Daniel Clarke, of the DTMS Group and winner of the application using hand held equipment award, was exemplified for the Yorkshire-company's safe dealing with chemical washings and containers, to eliminate risk of spillages, along with excellent chemical store management.
Amenity Forum Chairman, Professor John Moverley, said, "It has been evident that all the entrants have consistently shown outstanding skills and work to very high standards, to achieve the best possible results. The selected finalists have proved worthy winners by demonstrating that best practice can deliver efficient, cost effective and accurate amenity spraying." In addition to the ultimate accolade of Sprayer Operator of the Year in their category, each winner will receive a Go Pro Hero action video camera, along with £250 of training vouchers for further CPD, from sponsors Syngenta and ICL, as well as a year's free membership of the BASIS Amenity Training Register.
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