DIY safety in the garden

Did you know that there are 40,000 ladder accidents around the home every year?

Gardening accidents reach a peak in May. July is the second highest peak, followed by June, then August. Most accidents have been shown to be due to carelessness or lack of knowledge. Recently Haygate Engineering, manufacturers of safety equipment for the garden, organised a briefing day entitled: Gardening: the Ultimate Danger Sport? Here are some top tips to help you avoid danger.

Ladders

First: make sure that you are up to the job.

Some trees are too tall for easy climbing; some walls too high or precarious, some shed roofs too rotten. Why take a risk? If a garden task looks too arduous or dangerous for you to tackle, call in a professional expert.

Secondly: is the ladder strong enough and long enough?

The foot end of the ladder should be one measure away from the wall for every four measures in height. The foot end should be firmly placed on level ground, and the top end lean against solid wall – not on a window ledge or gutter.

It is wise to climb ladders in sensible flat shoes - not high heels, sandals or bare feet.

Hedges and trees do not have the firm shape required for supporting a ladder. The HenchmanÒ range of platforms is the safe alternative to ladders for hedge and tree cutting. The range includes the best-selling, platform model called Hi-step senior. The use of platforms allows the gardener to have both hands free for holding hedge-trimmers.

Hedge trimmers

Haygate Engineering focuses on hedge cutting. Their motto is ‘Safety above all’. When using a hedge trimmer, it is important to keep both hands on the handles, and wear goggles, gloves and ear-defenders.

Be sure to select a hedge trimmer model that has adequate safety controls. Never check, or try to adjust or repair, electrical gadgets or garden tools, without first switching off the electricity and unplugging cables from the power source.

The Government is responsible for advising the consumer on garden safety, via the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It issues a series of leaflets. One of the leaflets, the Guide to DIY Safety (a free booklet of 20 pages), contains further tips on the safe way to do jobs around the house and garden.

General garden safety

Always wear good strong boots. (Once, when I was cutting kale, I put a blade right through my boot and into my toe. Fortunately, a doctor was able to sow me up again, but I had to miss a visit to the bumper cars at a local fair – and at eighteen that can be disappointing).

Sheds are better kept as a safe place to store chemicals, sharp instruments, tools and electrical equipment, rather than turned into play areas for children. Lock sheds for extra security and safety for children.

It is a good idea to keep a watchful eye on toddlers and young children, when they are in the garden. They can be unintentionally rough, or annoying to pets, which might unexpectedly defend themselves.

Learn which plants in the garden are poisonous and keep children away from them.

Old paint should not be burnt off or rubbed down, as the dust could become a poisonous hazard to young children. The dust should be removed with an industrial type of vacuum cleaner.

Choose the tools that have been especially designed for the job - suitable tools can help to reduce the chances of danger occurring.

Grass and weeds should only be removed from a power mower after the machine has been switched off and unplugged.

Water and electricity

Water and electricity can be lethal, so never switch of appliances with wet hands. Turn off the power at the mains before repairing plugs or washing walls. Allow sockets or plugs to dry before switching on the electricity.

Ponds and paddling pools

Most children love playing with water. And if they are supervised water games provide hours of harmless fun. But sadly every year there are reports of toddlers drowning – even in a few inches of water. To prevent tragedy in your garden, cover ponds completely with wire mesh and heavy duty wooden trellis (25mm wood), or temporarily fence off the area. Paddling pools should be emptied immediately the children finish playing. Young children can drown in very shallow pools.

Garden tools

A wide range of power tools for the garden can be obtained directly from this website. Click here to view the selection.