MAINTAINING AND REPAIRING HORTICULTURAL GLASSHOUSES SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY

In recent years the horticultural glasshouse sector has undergone tremendous development. The glasshouses are higher, the drainage channels on the roofs are extremely narrow, and the dimensions of the roof glass have increased

considerably. These developments have had a major influence on maintenance and repair work. One characteristic of glass is that it can break, so there is an ongoing need for maintenance and repairs. The work is associated with the risk of cuts, falls from height and physical strain.

Contributory factors to the risks are:

• the large dimensions of the glass (up to 3.5 m² per pane)

• the difficulty of moving on the roof because of the narrow aluminium drainage channels

• the ever-greater column height of the glasshouses (up to seven meters)

• poor accessibility in and around glasshouses.