Gardeners are powering up for a ‘blooming’ safe Spring
As the warmer weather lures people into the garden armed with their mowers, strimmers and power tools, Scottish Hydro is warning gardeners that their seemingly harmless pastime could be riskier than they think.
Latest government figures report that an average of 50 people in the UK are killed each year from garden accidents and 300,000 visit Accident and Emergency wards with gardening-related injuries – 6,500 of which alone are caused by electric lawn mowers!
Due to these shocking statistics, Scottish Hydro’s group safety manager Iwan Tukalo is urging local gardeners to take simple safety steps to avoid turning a day in the flowerbed into a week in the hospital bed.
Iwan said: “Using electrical equipment can take the backache out of gardening, but all it takes is a minor lapse in concentration to cut through an electric cable with a lawnmower or hedge trimmer, with potentially fatal consequences. Following our simple checklist should ensure that gardening remains safe and enjoyable.”
Ten simple steps for safer Spring gardening:
- Before you start, check that electrical equipment has been stored safely and for frayed cords, broken plugs and cracked or broken housings. If it’s damaged, don’t use it!
- Always use a residual circuit device (RCD), a protective switch which cuts off the electricity supply if a fault is detected. This simple piece of kit provides extra protection against electrical shocks – and for just a few pounds can save your life!
- Never use electrical equipment in wet conditions or when it is raining.
- Always wear gloves, stout shoes and eye protection.
- Never clean, adjust or check equipment while it is connected and DO NOT clear grass from a mower without switching it off and removing the plug from the socket.
- Do not leave electrical equipment plugged in while unattended.
- If the flex is cut, always remove the plug from the mains socket before touching the flex – even when a RCD is fitted.
- Never carry ladders in the upright position underneath overhead lines.
- Look up before you start cutting hedges or trees. If overhead power lines are nearby, contact Scottish Hydro for advice before carrying out any work.
- Before digging any deep holes in your garden, check where underground electricity cables are located. Scottish Hydro can provide plans of these for free.
