How many Garden accidents actually occur?
Accidents happen all the time, and can be from something as simple as a little scrape to something far more serious. There are numerous key injuries that occur which can be easily avoided. Back and muscle strain are common amongst the injuries inflicted in your garden, but a small pre-gardening or DIY limbering up session can make things far safer for you. This is increasingly encouraged if using spades or pickaxes are included.
So how many accidents actually occur?
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA - www.rospa.com/),using their historical statistics, around 300,000 people will be injured in their gardens this year, with over 100,000 of these being children. Their top ten list of the most dangerous tools is:
- 1. Lawnmowers (6,500 accidents per annum)
- 2. Flower pots (5,300)
- 3. Secateurs and pruners (4,400)
- 4. Spades(3,600)
- 5. Electric hedge trimmers (3,100)
- 6. Planttubsand troughs (2,800)
- 7. Shears(2,100)
- 8. Garden forks (2,000)
- 9. Hoses and sprinklers (1,900)
- 10. Garden canes and sticks (1,800)
It’s not hard to decipher what may have happened to cause the injuries, with some sharp objects in and amongst the top 10.
Many of these accidents can be easily avoided with a bit of garden Health and Safety. Leaving sharp tools like shears lying around the garden is never going to end well. Therefore storage and organisation is key to keeping your garden safe. But even then the shed can be a dangerous place. That’s why Asgard aim to make their metal storage sheds as child friendly as possible.
All Asgard units are built from the inside out, which means no extruding screws as they are hidden away. Also the Access and Access Plus feature a gas assisted lift, as well as making it easier access, it also means no getting fingers trapped and unnecessary garden injuries.
Funnily enough, common sense could also be a life savour when it comes to garden accidents. For instance, wildly swinging garden forks and spades is never going to end well. Just take it easy and sensibly. Wear suitable clothing for each job, sandals and mowers do not go together!! Gloves, goggles, stout boots and even ear defenders may be necessary with some equipment.
A top tip from the ROSPA website is: “Avoid accidents and injury when doing DIY tasks by always operating within the range of your skills, ability and experience. Always use personal protective
equipment including gloves, goggles, helmet, and facemask and safety shoes as appropriate and recommended for the task and follow manufacturer’s instructions”.
Hopefully reading this means you won’t end up as another figure on the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents statistics. If you want to read up on more advice they have, not just garden related, then visit their website; http://www.rospa.com/
Is there a question you have? Then get in touch with us on twitter by tweeting @shedforce and we’ll do our best to get back to you! Or alternatively, if you want to follow this subject a little further, why not visit the BBC Gardening website at www.bbc.co.uk/gardening or take a look at www.which.co.uk (Garden equipment reports including how safe they are), www.gardenguide.biz or www.diynot.com
