During the warm summer weather, many homeowners enjoy getting outside and working on their landscaping and gardening. Gardening is a great way to enjoy the sunshine, get some exercise, and grow your own fruits and vegetables. Landscaping can even help increase the property value of a home by up to 12%. But while gardening is a great activity, it does pose certain dangers. So let’s take a look at a few tips to help you garden and landscape safely this summer.
Wear the Right Gear
Before you even get outside, you should make sure you’re wearing the appropriate gear. You should always wear gloves to protect your hands from sharp edges and contaminants from garden products. Additionally, if you’re going to be out in the sun for a long time, make sure you’re wearing sunscreen, long sleeves, and a hat to protect yourself from getting burned. And lastly, you need to wear the appropriate eyewear and hearing protection when using machinery, like a weed whacker. Overall, make sure you’re dressed to protect before heading outside.
Lift smart…or ask for help!
Gardening and landscaping often involves lifting and carrying a lot of heavy items, like big bags of soil. And while these things are often necessary, you need to be careful when lifting heavy items. Already, 69% of Americans have low back pain that impacts their daily activities. So to avoid joining them, never lift heavy items you don’t have to. If you get bags of material delivered to your house, ask if they can bring them right to your garden area to avoid having to move them. Or if you’re getting items from the store, always ask for help when transporting heavy purchases to your car. Try to avoid lifting heavy objects whenever possible to prevent injury.
Keep your tools in good shape!
And last but not least, make sure your equipment and tools are in good shape before using them. Whether it’s a weed whacker, pruning shears, a shovel, or any other tool, you need to ensure your equipment is in proper working condition. If you use something that isn’t sharpened or has rusting parts, you could potentially get injured. So before using anything, look it over and make sure it’s okay to use. For heavy machinery, look for fluid leaks and loose parts — both of which are surefire signs something isn’t right. And always use tools as they’re intended to avoid getting injured due to incorrect use.
Summer is the perfect time to get some gardening and landscaping done — but it’s important to do so safely. So keep these tips in mind to help your garden bloom without getting injured.
