Safety First!
Call Diggers Hotline #811!

My Dad has taken numerous risks when working on projects around the house, and has “lucked out” more times than I can count. He recently fell off a ladder (not totally his fault – I’m not sure that he verified the ladder’s weight limits, but the ladder was very old, and may have been compromised as a result) while using a CIRCULAR SAW to trim a piece of wood above his head.

Do I need to list all of the problems with this scenario, or do you have a good visual??

Oh...and my dog was outside with him. (My beloved dog, who is like a child to me.)

Fortunately, my Dad only suffered a few minor bruises, aches and pains, the saw was turned off and it fell off to the side, and my dog was not in the immediate area. He got off really, REALLY lucky.

Please, don’t take chances when it comes to your safety. If not for yourself, then consider your family. Some of the lawn and garden power tools that you will be working with are very dangerous, and the labor involved in landscaping your backyard is intense.

Safety rule number 1,

CALL DIGGERS HOTLINE BEFORE DOING ANY DIGGING IN YOUR YARD!

Do I need to say that again?

CALL DIGGERS HOTLINE BEFORE DOING ANY DIGGING IN YOUR YARD!

It’s very easy, simply dial “811” from anywhere in the country, and your call will be routed to Diggers Hotline who will ask you questions about the location of your project and when you plan to start digging. Diggers Hotline will then contact the appropriate utility companies who will come out to mark the area, identifying where the underline utility wires are buried.

Make this call at least 3 working days prior to any digging or excavation work. Please see the Diggers Hotline site page (opens new window), for more information.

Make this call regardless of how important you think it is. If you’re digging or planting flowers, you should be calling. It doesn’t matter if you’re digging a hole to plant a tree, installing a fence, or completing serious excavation work. The service is FREE and no injury is more easy to prevent than hitting an electrical or gas line with a shovel.

Safety rule number 2,

always make sure you are well informed about the tool or equipment that you are using....most importantly, how to turn it OFF!

Have you ever had the experience of starting a power tool and then find yourself unsure as to how to turn it off?

The more you use a tool, the more proficient you become. Some of the tools and equipment that you’ll be using for your backyard landscaping project will not be tools that you use on a regular basis, and therefore will be unsure about their operation. Take things slowly and follow the instructions.

Oh, and here’s a miscellaneous safety tip that I learned from experience.

I was cutting the grass one evening with my riding lawn mower. It’s very loud, and I can’t hear a lot when I’m operating it. I usually let my dog, Abby, spend time outside with me while I'm cutting the grass because she never got closer than within 10 feet of the mower.

Well, as I was cutting, I suddenly noticed that the passenger side window (the window facing the lawn) of my truck was smashed in. It took a bit of investigative work (which details I won’t bore you with here) to figure out that the lawn mower shot out a stone or other solid piece of debris, which hit the window and broke it.

I’m so thankful that happened. If that stone had hit Abby, I can’t imagine, nor do I want to, what would have happened to her.

The moral of the story? Keep children and pets out of the area when you’re cutting the lawn or doing any other types of work in which they could get hurt. Even if you think they’re at a safe distance, they may not be.

Safety rule number 3,

never put your hands “in” any equipment that is running, or is turned on!

Don't roll your eyes! I know how this one works (especially for the guys, since I think the same way sometimes)..."I'll just reach down and pull that stick out real quick, my hand won't even get near the blades!"

Some people think it’s safe to dislodge an item that’s stuck in a snowblower, lawn mower, rototiller, etc. while the motor is on, however many accidents can happen this way.

Also, please be sure that you are capable of operating the equipment that you intend to operate. Power equipment can be difficult to handle, especially if you are not very familiar with the device.

My Dad and my brother once rented a power auger to dig post holes for a deck that they were installing. This tool acts like a large corkscrew winding down into the soil, and then must be pulled up to create the hole. Both of these guys were fairly strong when they did this however my Dad still managed to walk away with a hernia.

More safety tips can be found at this safety tip page (opens new window), although the general advice is the same.

Know the equipment that you’re working with, read the instructions and obtain instructions on safe operation from the place you purchase or rent the equipment, keep people and pets away while operating equipment, utilize protective gear such as gloves, goggles, steel-toed shoes, and be sure to contact Diggers Hotline before digging into the soil.

Please people, no dufus moves!!

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