Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), also known as White Finger, is a condition affecting nerves and circulation caused by vibration. The effect is cumulative – each exposure can worsen the condition. Harm can be caused by as little as 15 minutes of exposure per day for some hand-held tools.
In an effort to reduce this condition, one Yorkshire based contractor has switched their fleet of petrol-powered hand-held tools to the battery power of Pellenc.
Eco Garden Maintenance (EGM) was set-up by Stuart Brogdan twelve years ago and is a company that is committed to protecting the environment and wildlife habitat as well as enthusiastic about organic products and principles.
When the time came to choosing new hand-held equipment for their landscape maintenance work, it was Stuart himself that extensively researched the market to look at alternatives to the heavy 2-stroke petrol products he had always used.
"I had been suffering from White Finger and back problems for around five years,” explained Stuart. “I was looking for a ‘greener’ alternative to the petrol tools we were using and came across the Pellenc brand on the Landscape Juice website. As I read more reports and looked at all of the facts and figures, I became more and more intrigued and so organized a demonstration.
“I was instantly impressed not only by the weight of all the machines I tried, but also the power that came from them. From that moment, I knew that I needed them – not only because the vibration levels are far lower than the petrol equivalents, which enables me to keep White Finger under control, but because the battery is strapped to my back, the weight of the tools is low enough for me to complete a full day’s work with no aches or pains”. A range of tools consisting of an Excelion brushcutter, Helion hedgecutter, Selion C20 chainsaw, Treelion pruning shears and Airion vacuum blower all powered from a Poly 5 battery was ordered for everyday use by the forward thinking maintenance company.
The low noise coupled with no obtrusive fumes sat well with EGM’s eco-friendly strategy. Built around the tools are their other optional services - the company proudly uses organic fertilizers, composting and soil improvement.
“The low noise of the products has two main advantages. The first is the obvious noise reduction for the operator and the second being the clients where we work. Since we’ve purchased the Pellenc tools we’ve had many comments from clients saying how quiet we are. We’ve also been known to be outside working as early as 6am in the summer months!”
With over 20 years agricultural and horticultural experience, EGM work across North Yorkshire for clients ranging from large residential country properties to care homes and industrial estates and since purchasing the equipment from dealer Lloyd Limited, has become totally committed to the Pellenc brand.
“I certainly wouldn’t go back to using petrol power now. As well as the eco-friendly benefits, the savings made on purchasing fuel and carrying fuel cans around with us on the job mean that a major health and safety issue has immediately been removed.”
The exceptionally low levels of vibration, weight of the products, guarantee of use with no odour, with no starting problems and no filling of a fuel tank means that any of the Pellenc range of products can be used continuously for a whole day without exceeding the legal maximum ELV for Hand-Arm Vibration.
For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk
Comments