Spring Safety Tips for the Garden

Wash Your Hands 

If you’ve had a day of gardening and you’re on your way in for a lunch break, make sure that you wash your hands with soap and water. This is important even if you are wearing gardening gloves and your hands don’t look dirty. The reality is that you’ve been playing in dirt, which is, well, dirty, and your gardening gloves likely don’t offer adequate protection against pathogens that could be lurking in your garden. Hand sanitizer is good, but the CDC recommends actually washing your hands with soap and water. This is because, while hand sanitizer can kill bacteria, it can’t wash away everything on your skin the way soap and water can. If you’ve been gardening, wash your hands. 

Eat Clean 

Don’t worry; we’re not suggesting a fun-free diet. However, we are suggesting that you don’t eat dirty produce that’s come from your garden. If you’ve got fruits and vegetables growing, there is a chance that your neighbor’s dog has watered them or perhaps left some extra fertilizer in your garden. This is especially a concern in rural areas where dogs and other animals are much more likely to roam freely. Pesticide usage is also a concern. For these reasons, it is very important to follow produce-washing guidelines from a reputable source. If you’ve got fruit trees, make sure that you never eat ground fruit—especially if you’re in an area where there are deer. Ground fruit is more likely to carry deadly strains of E-coli. While most cases of E-coli are simply massive inconveniences, there are some strains that can send a person to the ER and even result in death. Make sure that the fruit and veggies you’re harvesting haven’t been contaminated and properly wash anything you plan on consuming.  

What’s in that Spray? 

There are a lot of chemicals that can be used to enhance your garden. Are they edible? Safe to breathe in? Safe to eat? What if you’re pregnant? It can be difficult to find answers, especially when there are so many different plant foods, liquid fertilizers, pesticides, and more, on the market. However, there are some reasonable precautions you can take to help promote your safety. Check the back of the bottle to read all the warnings. Some chemicals can damage your skin, so make sure that you’re wearing proper protective gear when you use those chemicals. If you’re spraying it on something you plan on eating, make sure that it’s safe to use on food, or that it will be able to be washed off of food. If you are pregnant, talk with your OB about the concerns you have about gardening to ensure you’re taking proper precautions. Wash your hands after  

Safety Glasses 

If you’re weed whacking, tree trimming, or using any sort of equipment that could cause shards, particles, or debris to fly up in your face, you should be wearing safety goggles or safety glasses.  Depending on your situation, you may want to consider getting prescription safety glasses. Safety glasses are instrumental in preventing eye injuries. While most people think safety glasses prevent eye annoyances, some particles, chemicals, or large pieces of debris can actually cause blindness, especially when considering things like impact. Many landscaping businesses provide safety glasses to their workers, and they’re typically legally required to do so. There’s a good reason for this too: we’ve identified a real risk of serious injury to the eyes when operating certain pieces of machinery. If you’re using power tools while gardening this spring, make sure that you’re using the proper protective equipment.  

Pick up All Lawn Items 

There are a lot of safety hazards that come with having a bunch of junk sitting in your lawn. One of the biggest concerns is the lawn mower: when you’ve got toys, debris, and other items lurking in your lawn, running over them with a lawn mower can be a disaster. It’s not uncommon for these items to go flying once they’ve been thrown by the lawn mower—and it’s bad news if they go flying in your direction. Make sure all toys, sprinklers, branches, etc are picked up before you get out the lawn mower. Also, remember that certain objects can be a slip and fall hazard. If you have sprinklers or other items close to the front of your house, guests could accidentally trip on them and fall. So, make sure the area by your house is free from such hazards. 

When You’ve Been Injured

If you’ve sustained injury, Moxie Law Group is here for you. At Moxie Law Group, we care about our clients’ best interests and we want to get them the help they need to recover. That’s why we offer everyone a free consultation. If you’ve been injured in an accident, contact Moxie Law Group today to set up your initial consultation.