As summer landscaping season kicks into high gear, it’s important for facility managers to make sure their grounds maintenance practices aren’t running afoul either of occupant and visitor satisfaction, or the law.
Several new leaf blower bans have gone into effect this spring all across the country. Pasadena, California, for instance, has banned gas-powered leaf blowers and limited use of electric leaf blowers between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm on weekdays. A similar ordinance went to affect April 1 in Evanston, Illinois. The ordinance also bans gas-powered leaf blowers and sets hours of 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays for use of electric leaf blowers. In Marblehead, Massachusetts, some residents tried to overturn a leaf blower ban passed last year, but the measure to repeal the ban failed. Instead, further mechanisms were passed to make sure the leaf blower ban is enforced.
The reasons for leaf blower bans are myriad, including avoiding pollution from burning gas, avoid noise pollution as leaf blowers are loud and disruptive, and annoyance of occupants who may catch stray particles in their eyes as they pass by grounds workers.
Even if a leaf blower, whether gas or electric, isn’t banned in your area now, they be soon. So now is the time for facility managers to take a look at their grounds practices and equipment and phase out leaf blowers.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
