Garden safety is of paramount concern to anyone who loves their family… and their outdoor space. However, your enjoyment can be heightened or lowered depending on the care and safety you show in your garden.
Your garden should be a safe space that the whole family can enjoy. Sadly this is not always the case. In fact, there can be some pretty dangerous things in your outside area, that can threaten the safety and wellbeing of the people that use your garden.
Happily, the post below outlines the most common threats and suggests ways to maintain garden safety. Read on to find out more.
Garden Safety: Rusty Tools and Fences
Most gardens need tending at some time or another. That means you are likely to have tools such as trowels, shovels, and forks lying around. Of course, gardens tend to be reasonably wet places as well. This being a situation that can create the perfect conditions for metal objects to rust.
Now, rusty tools or fences, or even nails and screws may not seem like much of a threat to safety, at first glance. However, they can cause a real issue if someone receives an injury from them. The reason being that disease Tetanus can be passed into the human bloodstream for any cut or scrap that pierces the skin.
With that in mind, keeping tools locked away both so they can’t get too wet, and so they do not present a trip or injury hazard is the best idea. Similarly, fences need to be replaced with wooden options. While loose nails and screws need to be removed to remove any catching hazards that could subject a garden user to this disease.
Garden Safety: Unstable trees
Another common safety issue in the garden is that of unstable trees. In fact, trees can become unstable for several reasons. Such as old age, not being supported by a sufficient roots structure, and even due to weather damage.
Of course, the threat that an unstable tree can pose to garden users is dangerous indeed. Especially if larger branches or the entire trunk is at risk of coming down.
Happily, there is a reasonably simple resolution to such an issue and its to use an Arborist to trim your tree professionally. Thus making it as safe as possible. Although, you may wish to ask them to remove it altogether if it poses enough of a risk.
Garden Safety: Standing Water
Water in the garden can also be a real threat to health and well-being, especially if it is what as known as standing water. That is water that does not flow. Therefore is a much more effective incubator for lots of nasty diseases. Such as Malaria and dengue fever to name but a few.
The problem is that many gardens will have at least some standing water, even if it is unintentional. This is because rainwater will often collect in receptacles like buckets and unused plants pots.
With that in mind, be sure to turn any such vessels upside down to prevent this from occurring. Oh, and covering or rinsing out larger areas such as ponds or pools regularly, or installing water pumps can also help minimise any risk in your garden too.
