Gardening safety

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Gardening is a relaxing and enjoyable form of exercise.

Be sunsmart

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can start to burn unprotected skin within minutes. Suggestions include:

• During the warmer weather, garden in the early morning or late afternoon. Avoid the hottest part of the day, which is about 10 am to 2 pm.
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and a broad-brimmed hat.
• Apply broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen to unprotected skin, and reapply regularly.
• Ultraviolet radiation may cause temporary blindness and an increased risk of cataracts.

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Use the right tool for the task

• Wear enclosed shoes when mowing the lawn, preferably safety boots with steel toecaps.
• Wear appropriate eye protection, such as safety goggles.
• Wear earmuffs or plugs when using noisy equipment such as lawn mowers, line trimmers and chain saws.
• Wear long trousers, preferably made from a heavy fabric such as denim, to protect your legs against flying debris.
• Ride-on mowers can tip. Drive at slow speeds, especially when turning.
• Take extra care when pulling the mower towards you or mowing on slopes, to avoid foot injuries.
• Don’t permit young children to operate garden machinery, such as lawn mowers.

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Gardening can cause back pain and overuse injuries.

• Avoid marathon gardening sessions.
• Warm up before gardening with slow, sustained stretches and remember to do basic backstretches during your gardening.
• Rotate your tasks to avoid repetitive movements; for example, after 15 minutes of raking, swap to pruning for a while.
• Rest frequently and relax in the shade with a drink of water.
• Avoid uncomfortable positions.

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Many gardening injuries involve the hands and fingers.

• Always wear gardening gloves to protect your hands against cuts, soil, insect bites and skin irritants. Leather gloves offer protection against puncture injuries from thorns and bites (insect, snake or rodent). Rinse gloves afterwards.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.
• Use appropriate tools (shovel or hand shovel) instead of your fingers. Buried objects such as tree roots, glass and tin can injure your hand, wrist or arm while digging.
• Consult with your doctor about keeping your tetanus vaccination up to date. Cuts and puncture injuries carry a risk of tetanus.
• Choose your hand tools to suit you. Avoid buying or using hand tools that feature ‘moulded’ handles that don’t fit your hand. Blisters, calluses and muscle pain can occur if the finger grips on the handle are too small or too large for your hand.
• Keep your hand and wrist in a straight line when you use hand tools. Bending the wrist weakens your grip on the tool, which causes you to exert hand and arm muscles with greater force. This can cause fatigue and soft tissue injury.
• Use rubber gloves when working with garden chemicals. Always inspect the rubber gloves for holes or tears before use.