With spring here and summer coming, many of us are starting to spend more time outdoors.
Gardening is a popular activity at this time of year, but there can be hidden dangers in everything from getting too much sun to being exposed to harmful lawn care chemicals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these tips for gardening safety:
- Wear safety goggles, sturdy shoes and long pants when using lawn mowers and other machinery.
- Protect your hearing when using machinery. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone who is an arm’s length away, the noise can be potentially harmful to your hearing.
- Wear gloves to lower the risk of skin irritations, cuts and certain contaminants.
- Protect yourself from diseases caused by mosquitoes and ticks. Use insect repellent containing DEET. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants legs tucked in your socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots since ticks are usually located close to the ground.
- Lower your risk for sunburn and skin cancer. Wear long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, sun shades and sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher.
- Follow instructions and warning labels on chemicals and lawn and garden equipment.
- Make sure equipment is working properly.
- Sharpen tools carefully.
- Keep harmful chemicals, tools and equipment out of children’s reach.
