Landscaping work, and even routine gardening activities, can result in a range of injuries if you’re not properly equipped. So rather than thinking ‘it will never happen to me’, get wise and assemble a good basic safety kit. Once you have all the items you need ready and waiting in the shed, it’s easy to reach for the right gear for the right job, and stay safe.

Goggles

Eye protection should be high on everyone’s safety list, so always have a pair of plastic goggles on hand. Don them before you do overhead work or use powerful equipment like a chainsaw. They’re also a good idea when using line trimmers or lawnmowers, especially where the ground

is littered with sticks or gravel.

Dust mask

A pack of dust masks is a cheap but worthy investment when it comes to looking after your lungs. Wear one when cutting pavers, tree branches or treated pine, or when working with dusty soil on windy days. Potting mix manufacturers also recommend you put on a mask before opening a new bag.

Gloves

Hand protection not only prevents cuts and bites, but reduces the risk of harm from chemical spills and soil-borne infections. Have a few pairs of gloves available: stout leather ones for crowbar work, liquid-resistant gloves for handling chemicals, and basic gardening gloves for planting and potting jobs.

Ear muffs

If you regularly use noisy garden equipment like leaf blowers, line trimmers and mowers, ear protection is good insurance against potential hearing damage. And if you’re planning to use something extra loud, such as a concrete saw, it’s essential.

Hard hats

It’s compulsory to wear one when you’re on a building site, but a hard hat is useful in the garden, too. Pop it on when you’re doing any sort of tree lopping work, whether you’re the one on a ladder up a tree or on the ground picking up the fallen branches.Like' us on Facebook
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