Risk Assessments for Gardening

              

Gardening risk assessments and more

Gardening might not seem to be one of the most dangerous employment sectors if you picture a retired couple spending their days pruning and weeding. However, commercial gardening involves speed and efficiency and includes operating various power tools, such as hedge trimmers and lawnmowers, which carry inherent risks during use.

There are also dangers to gardeners from prolonged exposure to sunlight, which can lead to heat exhaustion or sunburn. Furthermore, the use of chemicals for pest control or weed suppression adds another layer of risk, requiring proper handling and protective gear.

To address the hazards that a gardener may encounter, we need to assess the risks and implement control measures to reduce the likelihood of harm from the risks we have identified.

But what is a control measure?

A control measure is something that manages identified risks, and the ideal control measure is to eliminate the risk. So, if the risk was of conkers falling and striking a person's head when they cut the grass, a perfect control measure would be not to cut the grass under a Horse Chestnut tree from late September to mid-November. If this solution were impractical and the grass still needed cutting, then we would need to look at other methods of controlling the risk. A bump cap or hard hat would suffice, but it’s important to note that PPE is considered the last line of defence, and only to be used if the risks cannot be eliminated or reduced to a sufficiently safe level in another way. If a person needs PPE, then the risks are still in place.

The scenario of conkers causing injury and harm to a gardener may seem trivial, but it was used because it’s easy to visualise, and has simple, controlled solutions to the risk.

Why do we need control measures?

If you were cutting the grass in your own garden, under your own Horse Chestnut tree in the middle of October, there would be a good chance that a rogue conker would act like Newton's apple and bump you on the head. However, I know no one who has ever created a Risk Assessment with control measures for working in their own gardens. So why do we need them, and what is their real purpose?

The simple answer is responsibility, which involves providing a safe work environment for employees and anyone else affected by their work. This is mandated by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA), which is the primary UK legislation for occupational health and safety. It places duties on employers to protect their employees, self-employed individuals, and visitors by ensuring a safe working environment and managing risks "so far as is reasonably practicable." It also outlines employees' responsibilities to care for themselves and their colleagues.

The Act covers:

Employer Duties: Employers have an essential responsibility to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and other individuals who may be affected by their operations to the fullest extent reasonably practicable. This obligation encompasses several key elements, including providing a safe and conducive working environment, implementing effective systems of work, and ensuring equipment meets safety standards.

Employee Responsibilities: Employees are responsible for prioritising their own health and safety, as well as that of their colleagues. This requires exercising reasonable care in all tasks and activities to reduce risks and avoid accidents. Additionally, employees should actively cooperate with their employer on health and safety initiatives, providing feedback and suggestions when necessary to promote a safer workplace. It is essential that employees do not misuse, tamper with, or disable any safety equipment provided, as such actions could jeopardise their own safety and that of others. Moreover, employees must promptly report any hazards, unsafe conditions, or potential risks they encounter in the workplace to their employer.

"Reasonably Practicable": Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, the term "reasonably practicable" refers to an employer's obligation to balance the risk of harm to employees against the cost, time, and complexity of implementing risk mitigation measures. Employers must take appropriate action to ensure safety "so far as is reasonably practicable," which requires a careful assessment of factors such as the severity and likelihood of the risk, as well as the resources needed to address it.

This assessment process prompts employers to consider not only the financial costs of safety measures but also the potential consequences of not implementing them. If the costs or efforts involved in risk control are deemed disproportionate to the level of risk, the employer may not be required to take those specific actions. However, it is important to recognise that as the severity and potential impact of the risk increase, so does the expectation for employers to allocate effort, resources, and expenditure towards risk mitigation. This principle encourages a proactive approach to workplace safety, ensuring that risks are managed effectively while acknowledging practical limitations.

To summarise, a gardening company needs to assess the risks of each task before it is carried out, and implement control measures when these are reasonably practicable.

We have compiled a specialist safety pack for gardeners, available for download HERE.