Guidance Notes On Line Marking of Football Pitches (The FA England)
GUIDANCE NOTES ON LINE MARKING OF FOOTBALL PITCHES - The FA (England)
Various practices have been used in the past for the application of white lines to football pitches. The objectives of such practices has been to both reduce labour and materials costs whilst endeavouring to keep the lines visible for a greater length of time. Some of these practices have lead to injury and subsequent court action being taken against managers and clubs. You are therefore advised to study the following notes carefully.
A. LEGISLATION The main governing factors for marking out white lines are the same as that for other routine tasks in the workplace. 1. Duty of Care Under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 every employer has a duty of care to ensure the workplace is safe for their employees, contractors, visitors, players, and spectators. 2. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994 (COSHH) Regulations to prevent ill health from exposure to any hazardous substances present in the workplace. 3. Risk Assessment You are required to carry out assessments on all tasks carried out in the workplace in relation to the nature of hazard, worst outcome, person(s) at risk, current precautions, estimated risk and further precautions. If all three of the above are addressed satisfactorily this will automatically govern what to use for white line marking, ensure best practice and, above all, safety. It is the duty of all Managers to ensure that all the regulations are adhered to as they are ultimately responsible in the eyes of the law. If line marking is carried out by contractors then a specification should be drawn up to include all the safeguards outlined in these guidance notes. This could also extend to include specifying a particular product. B. SUITABLE LINE MARKING COMPOUNDS 1. Permanent paints Based on pigmented viscous liquid. These “paints” can be applied either in a diluted form or neat. 2. Powders There are various non-toxic whiting powders available which are based on ground natural calcium carbonate and can be used wet or dry. They are safe to use provided COSHH principles are applied. Under COSHH the user would be required to wear gloves and eye protection and to wash off any contact with the skin as a precautionary measure. Most powders are supplied in a fine form. Hydrated Lime (Calcium hydroxide) should never be used for line marking. It is toxic and can give rise to chemical skin burns and irritations. It can cause serious damage to the eyes and skin on contact in both its dry or wet form. Its use is not recommended under any circumstances. C.
USE OF HERBICIDES TO REINFORCE LINE MARKINGS
Until The Food and Environment Protection Act, 1985 (FEPA) was introduced many groundsmen and club members used various herbicides mixed in with whitening compounds to keep the lines in longer and more visible during the winter playing season. LINE MARKING 583 It is, however, only permissible to use a herbicide which is approved for use on sports turf, and this is likely to be a total herbicide. COSHH and Risk Assessment must be carried out prior to any application. A further governing factor is that the user must have obtained his/ her Certificate of Competence in Use of Pesticides (PAl, PA2A or PA6A). Any herbicide product for line marking must be used within the conditions of approval granted under The Control of Pesticide Regulations, 1986 (COPR), and as outlined on the product label. There should be no risk to players by contact or transfer of the active herbicide to any part of the body. The addition of herbicides to whitening materials is not a recommended practice unless carried out by a competent, certificated person. Creosote is another compound used in the past to mark and reinforce line markings but it is not approved for use on sports turf under COPR. Its use is therefore not recommended under any circumstances. The use of Hydrated Lime, herbicide additives and creosote can result in serious injury to players, which can ultimately lead to actions against both clubs or individuals. Play safe – use only safe and approved compounds that are currently available on the market. Do not use old compounds.
