...
Landscape and horticultural services encompass a wide range of activities, including:
- Landscape design and architecture;
- Soil preparation and grading;
- Irrigation systems;
- Tree, shrub, and lawn planting;
- Hardscape construction including retaining walls, pathways, and patios;
- Lawn care and landscape maintenance; and
- Arborist services including tree trimming and line clearance.
Landscaping and horticulture hazards are addressed in specific OSHA standards for general industry (1910) if the work is considered maintenance activity, and the construction industry (1926) if the work is considered a building activity.
Employees in this industry segment are at risk of injury from a wide variety of potential hazards, including exposure to:
- Chemicals,
- Noise,
- Machinery,
- Lifting,
- Falling,
- Construction, and
- Weather-related hazards.
Environmental concerns
The primary environmental concerns for landscaping involve:
- Use of pesticides,
- Disposal of hazardous waste,
- Community right to know reporting (Tier II), and
- Storm water runoff.
Landscaping work crosses many environmental regulatory programs with a wide range of pesticide issues and topics. Components of those programs cover pesticide worker protection, certification and training, endangered species protection, water quality activities, and pesticide user education programs.
Disposal of leftover pesticides and containers can also fall under hazardous waste rules.
Under the Superfund Amendments Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III, all facilities that must prepare or have available material safety data sheets ( MSDSs) under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard must submit a Tier I or Tier II inventory form. This submission is due annually on March 1. Many of the chemicals used by landscaping companies are covered by this program.
Storm water runoff from construction activities can have a significant impact on water quality. As storm water flows over a construction site, it picks up pollutants like sediment, debris, and chemicals. Polluted storm water runoff can harm or kill fish and other wildlife. Sedimentation can destroy aquatic habitat and high volumes of runoff can cause stream bank erosion.
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water program requires operators of construction sites that result in the disturbance of one acre or larger (including smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development) to obtain authorization to discharge storm water under an NPDES construction storm water permit.
The development and implementation of storm water pollution prevention plans is the focus of NPDES storm water permits for regulated construction activities.