First a missed tarp
Before we discuss the importance of the final blow in landscape maintenance, we should mention the case of a lonely tarp. One full tarp got left behind and it was left right over top of a drain. Now, normally that wouldn’t be a big deal but at the time, the province of British Columbia was dealing with historic floods and people were on edge.
Leaving a big, fat tarp over top of a drain didn’t help anyone. And since I happened to be nearby, I stopped by and loaded it into the back of my Mazda 3. Just barely.
The final blow
The final blow is landscape maintenance is super important. It’s what we refer to as “courtesy blow”. It’s a clean-up blow at the end of the day; and when it’s done right, you shouldn’t even notice that the landscapers were on site.
Yes, the final blow is noisy but it’s a critical step. When the final blow is done correctly, it’s practically impossible to leave a full tarp behind. Yes, sometimes empty tarps get stuffed into hard to spot spaces but it’s hard to miss full tarps. Assuming you blow the entire site religiously.
The final check
Goal number is site cleanliness. Every time. But there is more. Since it’s not always feasible for a foreman to walk her entire site, the final blow doubles as the final check.
Did you see any piles that were missed? What about full tarps blocking drains? Did you see any tools left behind? Are all gates closed? Did you make all remnant piles disappear? (See my blog post on remnant piles on December 14)
Training
While strata residents only hear the noise of our final blow, I think about the workers doing it and wonder how seriously they’re taking it. Check and blow every corner of the site, unless there wasn’t any work done in a section.
It’s surprisingly difficult to get people switched on. They blow like drones, only thinking about messy spots while ignoring everything else. So keep on training them. That’s the key.
Yes, mistakes will happen. I’m quite confident I will one day soon be called in again to collect a lonely tarp left behind by a crew. But with good training, this problem can be minimized.
The final blow is the final check. Don’t take it lightly.
