Health and Safety in the garden
Robin Ainsworth is founder of www.gardens4u.co.uk, based in Market Drayton, Shropshire and Putney, South-West London.
Robin isn't convinced that garden health and safety is being taken seriously - Robin asks: What is the most important safety item when working on a job in a garden - boots, gloves, goggles, head protection, hi-viz vest, or a dust mask?
The answer, says Robin, is simple...it's all of them.
Boots will protect your toes from heavy slabs falling or machines rolling over them; gloves will stop thorns piercing the skin on your hands; goggles will prevent stone chips, glass or dirt getting in your eyes and save you from potential blindness; hard hats protect your head from falling debris, such as tree branches; a face mask will prevent dust getting in you mouth or nose.
What safety equipment is worn does depend on what type of job you are doing but not how long you are doing it for or whether you are carrying out any work domestically or commercially as accidents don't discriminate and can happen to anyone in an instant.
Comments
The amount of times I have seen other contractors using strimmers wearing shorts and no goggles.
It's not just personal protection but also public safety I have seen being put at risk.
See my comment on "Does this worry anybody else"
I've been twenty years in the business and never had to make a claim on my public liability and apart from a few cuts and a lot of splinters, no injuries. Hope I'm not tempting fate.
Are we all still being safety conscious, another 5 years on? Are you up to date with insurance policies and licenses?