If there is one relaxing activity at home that you would want to do, it’s gardening. It not only helps you achieve some form of peace, but it can also be productive and healthy. However, there are some hazards that you would want to watch out for, and it pays to keep yourself safe when engaging in it. Minimize your health risks by performing these simple actions.
Wear Clothing for Safety
A simple way of minimizing risk while gardening is to wear protective gear. Out of the various types of health and safety clothing from suppliers, gloves are perhaps the most important. You might handle several different items, including soil and plants, and wearing gloves could protect you from injuries. Of course, it also helps to wear other work clothes, such as overalls and long-sleeved shirts. The more covered your body is, the less likely you’re going to get injured.
Give Your Body Needed Attention
Despite gardening being a relaxing activity, it can still be hard work on your body. It’s best to treat it like you would any other physical exercise and start by warming up. This way, you’ll be able to avoid injury caused by movement. Also, make sure to take regular breaks and keep yourself hydrated, especially when you’re exposed to the sun. It is also a good idea to distribute work among the different muscles in your body while going through your tasks.
Update Your Tetanus Shot
If you haven’t been up to date with your tetanus shots, then you might want to do it before you get into intensive gardening. There are several ways on how you can contract it, including being pierced by plants, exposing yourself to contaminated soil, and injuring yourself on rusty tools. It may seem like you don’t need it for such a mundane task, but it’s better to err on the side of safety.
Keep a First-Aid Kit Handy
Even when you’re careful, there’s always a chance that you’ll get yourself injured. And it’s not restricted to simply wounding yourself. You may experience allergic reactions, stings, and bites, which would need treatment other than putting on a bandage. In preparation for these kinds of events, it would be best to put together a first-aid kit that would be able to address them, including items such as medicines and tweezers.
Wash Hands After Gardening
There are all sorts of bacteria and substances in the soil that can make you ill if you do not wash your hands or allow soil and earth to contaminate your drink. Aside from wearing gloves, which would prevent some of them from going on your hands, it would be best if you also made a habit of washing your hands after you’re done for the day.
When you keep yourself safe while engaging in gardening, you’re in a better position to enjoy the activity and its health benefits. You’ll be able to relax and work out at the same time, and you’ll also have cleaner air and even a source of food.
