It was good to receive reports of work being stopped and re-planned last week as weather and site conditions meant the risk of diffuse pollution was high.

• It is much better to receive these types of reports rather than those of water pollution The contractors and managers involved must be thanked for their good communication and proactive management on site. It is also good to note that despite unsettled weather recently overall the trend is a reduction in diffuse pollution incidents compared with last year.

We are continually looking to improve and reduce diffuse pollution incidents and next month we are launching our new Diffuse Pollution Video Training.

Our Diffuse Pollution Training is aimed at all machine operators working for our approved contractors and additionally those coming on to our managed properties completing harvesting under our Standing Sales Agreements.

The new training is focused on ensuring that all machine operators have the necessary knowledge of diffuse pollution and its impact on our water environment and are fully aware of requirements for managing pollution risks throughout site works.

The training has had extensive review and input from a range of stakeholders including SEPA, Scottish Forestry, NRW and our contractors.

The training is made up of two brief modules. Operators will watch each video module and answer a series of multi- choice questions. During the next 6 months we will be working to ensure that:

• All machine operators across our approved contractor base, access and complete the The expectation is that from April 2021 all operators will complete and pass the training before working on our managed properties.

These coming months will see the risk to our water environment increase wherever there are heavy machine operations on site:

• Planning for diffuse pollution must be robust.
• We must safeguard against heavy rainfall or snow.
• We must check pollution controls are in place on sites at start of work, and that they are checked and maintained as work progresses and draws to completion.
• We must make sure all on site understand the Know the Rules and Stop, Think and Act.

The new training covers these points in detail and uses high quality aerial drone footage and other imagery to engage, raise awareness and reinforce understanding.

Request Access to the Training

Scan this QR Code to register for access to the training and stay ahead of the game.

You can also request access by emailing ios@tilhill.com

We will also be contacting all our approved contractors by email in the coming weeks providing details of how to access the training.