Gardening Safety

Gardening – Know Your Limitations

If you have any form of incapacity or chronic illness, it is important that you are aware of your capabilities and avoid doing anything that might cause injury to you or anyone else.

• If you are taking medication that impairs your concentration, makes you feel drowsy or affects your reaction time, you need to avoid activities that might become more dangerous because of your condition, such as working with powered machinery or working at height. Either postpone such tasks until you are able to undertake them safely or hire someone else to do them.
• Some conditions, such as arthritis, may mean that some tasks are more difficult. However, gardening tools are available that are designed to help people with these conditions. Mild exercise can often help to relieve the stiffness and pain associated with some forms of arthritis, though it is wise to consult your physical about it first.
• Avoid situations where you need to carry on with some strenuous activity after your own body is telling you that it is fatigued. Try to plan major projects as smaller, self-contained tasks so that you are able to take a break without leaving behind a potentially dangerous situation.