Occupational hazards landscape professionals should watch out for

Like every industry, landscaping and lawn mowing in Mornington, Peninsula has its own occupational hazards. Dangerous working conditions are most likely not the first aspects that come to mind when you think about landscaping or lawn mowing in Mornington, Peninsula, while actually, they should be some of the most important things you should know about before getting into the industry. In this article, you will find out about the most dangerous distress and ailments you may come across in the sector.

Occupational hazards landscape professionals should watch out for

Injuries and illnesses are very common in the field of landscaping and lawn mowing in Mornington because of various reasons, all of which we have discussed here. For your convenience, we have mentioned all the ways you can protect yourself from the enlisted unfortunate situations as well.

• Possible hazard #1:

Physical injuries

Landscaping is a laborious task and requires putting in long hours. No wonder the highest number of injuries reported in this industry are physical injuries like back injury, muscle spasm, sprains, etc. Various other physical injuries like broken bones or limbs also occur due to slips, trips, and fall. In many cases, the injuries can be really serious.

Solution:

Employees working in the department of landscaping and lawn mowing in Mornington need to have a lot of muscle strength and physical fitness. They need to exercise and stretch regularly and regularly check with the doctor.

Even after all the physical fitness, slips and falls might happen accidentally. In order to prevent such incidents, you may inspect the housekeeping quality of the areas you will be working in. If you find traces of any spill, either you don’t work there, or you may use cat litter or chemical absorbents to cover it, and only after you ensure the safety of the area, you start your work.

• Possible hazard #2

Pesticide poisoning

Another very common hazard faced by experts of landscaping and lawn mowing in Mornington, Peninsula is pesticide poisoning which can happen while storing or applying them. The symptoms of acute pesticide exposure are nausea, headache, or even loss of consciousness. The danger of your health depends on how long you have been exposed to the product.

Solution:

There a list of precautions you should take to prevent pesticide toxicity in your body-

1. Before applying any pesticide, learn the different levels of PPE requirements and precautions of the particular product that you are applying.
2. Minimize skin exposure to any chemical pesticide — wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants, and well-covered shoes.
3. Always store pesticides by their respective categories — herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.
4. Never store pesticides with gas, oil, or any fuel.
5. Always store your pesticides in a locked, well-lit, and well-ventilated place with proper hazard sign on the door.
6. You should read as well as mention the warnings and spill control measures on the hazard sign. There should also be no smoking or any games with fire near pesticides.
7. There should always be eyewash stations, fire extinguishers, and spill kits near the pesticide storage area.

• Possible hazard #3:

Poison from plants

Plants may be your first love, but not all plants are human-friendly. As a professional in the industry of lawn mowing in Frankston, you might very regularly deal with poisonous plants like poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac whose poisonous sap can cause an adverse reaction on your skin with direct or indirect contact.

Solution:

As a prevention method, you should definitely learn about the appearance and characteristics of all the plants in your work location that can potentially poison you, and obviously, try to avoid them. Even the smoke resulted from burning these plants is poisonous and you should refrain from inhaling it. In case you do come in contact with any of them, you should wash your hands thoroughly before touching other areas of your skin or your eyes.

• Possible hazard #5:

Poisoning from fumes

Gasoline is one of the very commonly used products in the business of landscaping and lawn mowing in Mornington, Peninsula. Short exposure to the substance may not be too dangerous, but a long exposure may affect your health direly and can even lead to permanent organ damage, going into a coma, cause cancer, or even instant death. The symptoms of intense gasoline poisoning are — dizziness, headaches, coughing or wheezing, staggering, slurred speech, blurred vision, weakness, difficulty in breathing and seizures.

Solution:

Protect yourself from gasoline overexposure by working in a well-ventilated area. In case that isn’t possible, use proper protective gears such as a respirator, safety glasses, and non-permeable gloves to handle the substance.

• Possible hazard #5:

Heat and cold strokes

Professionals working in landscaping and lawn mowing in Frankston can go through dangerous exposure to heat and/or cold because of the extreme climate conditions of the area.

Even though the human body has an in-built heat-regulating mechanism, sometimes it may overload and cause illnesses like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke; which may even be fatal if left untreated for too long. Symptoms include heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, headache, fatigue, rapid pulse, and low blood pressure.

In contrast, prolonged exposure to extreme cold can give rise to hypothermia or frostbite. Hypothermia reduces your body temperature to a dangerously low point and you undergo shivering, reduced muscle function, slow pulse and breathing, and even unconsciousness which may even lead to death. On the other hand, when one particular area of your body is exposed to a freezing or near-freezing temperature, you may experience frostbite where that part of your body generates ice crystals in it, making it frozen and killing the tissue in the area. This may be superficial and treatable or deep and deadly.

Solution:

Needless to say, before starting work in any area, you need to have a full itinerary of the climactic conditions as well as the forecast beforehand and take precautions accordingly. In case of hot weather, wear cooling cotton or jute clothes, keep yourself hydrated at all times, and keep refreshing drinks containing Vitamins D and C nearby. In case of extreme cold, again, wear proper clothing according to the temperature and your cold-tolerance, as well as keep yourself warm at all points by drinking hot water and other beverages, and be near a heating source which you can avail whenever required.

• Possible hazard #6:

Risk from dangerous equipment

Specialists of landscaping and lawn mowing in Mornington have to be around dangerous equipment like lawnmowers, drills, electric saw, etc. way more than regular people. These have a history of dangerous or fatal cuts, amputations, and many such incidents.

Solution:

A professional in this department should take care of the following at all costs, in order to stay safe and work with this equipment in a healthy body for long period -

1. It is extremely important that you stay undistracted and alert while dealing with this heavy and hazardous machinery.
2. Have proper knowledge about the equipment you use — usage, maintenance, and precautions.
3. Wear all protective gears while using these.
4. Before attempting to service or unclog machinery, always disconnect power, shut the engine off, take the key, and wait for all parts to stop moving.
5. You may not be the only one at risk while using these equipment. Always keep any bystander far away from them along with the zones of danger — where thrown or cut down pieces or objects might hit them.

Conclusion

We all know the saying “it is better to be safe than sorry”. While you have decided to take up a dangerous occupation like landscaping and lawn mowing in Frankston, it is crucial that you know both the positive and the negative sides of the field. However, in case you are not a skilled professional, it is smart to not attempt hazardous tasks like these by yourself and take help and guidance of an expert.