A couple of cowboys

Earlier this afternoon my son and I found ourselves watching a couple of men doing some garden clearance work at a neighbour's property, with a sense of amusement and also disbelief. However, to a person without insider knowledge, they may well have seemed perfectly legit and professional.

Several years ago, my son had done a garden maintenance course, which mainly consisted of garden clearance work. Health and safety was taken seriously and it was the first thing he learnt about. This included wearing appropriate clothing (PPE) like ear defenders, protective gloves, and steel-toe safety work boots. Before my son was allowed to be let loose with the likes of industrial lawn strimmers, hedge trimmers and so on without supervision, he had to prove his competence by demonstrating that he understood how to use them.

The men my son and I had been observing had no ear defenders, were wearing trainers, and only one of them was wearing protective gloves. Although it wasn't obvious to me, my son could tell that they weren't using the equipment properly, and in some instances were using incorrect equipment. My son said that a true professional would be likely to make an initial visit to assess the work that needed to be done and what equipment would be required. Based on what my son had witnessed, his opinion was that no prior assessment had taken place.

If the services offered by professionals includes the removal of garden waste from the premises, the use of canvas bags or plastic garden trugs tends to be favoured. It makes economical sense because they can be emptied and re-used, unlike plastic refuse sacks, which is what these two men used.

I know it's wrong to assume, but it wouldn't surprise me if those black plastic refuse sacks end up being fly-tipped somewhere.