Professional spray tech, Dan Waring, has won the title of Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOOTY).

Dan Waring

Managing all the turf and amenity spraying at the JCB Golf and Country Club in Uttoxeter, he was praised for his meticulous attention to detail and adoption of new technologies to assure accurate application.

Dan’s ASOOTY award presentation was made as part of the BIGGA industry awards at BTME last week, along with the competition’s other finalists, Conrad Cavill of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon and Bryan Ramsey of Complete Weed Control, Scotland South East.

The ASOOTY awards highlight best practice and experience in the role of ensuring accurate application on all amenity surfaces.

Sponsored by ICL and Syngenta and managed by the Amenity Forum, the awards seek to share top tips and advice that will raise the standards of spray application across the amenity industry.

Having worked for six years at JCB Golf, Dan has been the full-time spray tech for the past three seasons. One of the keys to his success has been continuous professional development, including  a year in the US on the Ohio State programme with an intensive focus on application skills. 

Dan said, “I would urge all sprayer operators to undertake as much training as possible, to gain more knowledge on the products being used and the application technology. That will enable people to be more confident in what they are doing, and give the spray tech’s role the credit it deserves.”

One of Dan's top tips he says, would be to lay out all the products required for the following day’s spraying, in the order they will be mixed, before leaving - so they can be methodically checked again and then added to the tank quickly and efficiently. He will also half fill the tank with clean water and pressure test for any visual leaks, before adding any chemical.