How to Protect Yourself When Working on Your Yard
Yard work is some of the most satisfying “home improvement”. Unfortunately, often your yard will not be as kind to you as you are to it! Exposure to the sun, chemicals, bugs, and tools puts you at risk for burns, bites, and bruises. The following tips can help protect you against those potential dangers.
Wear Proper Clothing
Many people avoid any kind of layering as they work in the sun, trying to stay cool. However, long pants and long sleeves are the best way to protect your skin from the sun and hazards from power tools or machinery like lawn mowers or weed whackers. Good shoes and gloves are also essential to protect fingers and toes. According to Jobe’s, you should wear sturdy materials that cover the whole foot or hand. Finally, don’t forget that sensitive areas like your eyes and ears need protection as well! Hats, sunglasses, and earplugs are a cheap and easy way to prevent harmful exposures.
Be Conscious of Pests
Nests of creepy crawlies are not a pleasant surprise. Bees, wasps, termites, any insect that likes to make your home theirs, (or even burrow into the foundation of your house,) can cause more than minor inconvenience. According to Preventive Pest Control, stinging insects often hide in piles of debris in your yard. Serious, long-term damage can come from ignoring pest problems. Take advantage of preventive pest control to stay on top of bugs getting into your yard and home. If you choose to take care of those problems yourself, make sure you wear bug spray as protection before you approach the issue. In addition, little tasks like cutting your grass consistently, pruning trees and bushes, pulling weeds, and doing your best to keep areas from remaining wet or moist for long periods of time will make your yard less attractive to bugs and therefore more attractive to you!
Be Aware of Chemicals
Every once in a while your yard may need some sort of fertilizer, weed killer, bug repellent, or other chemical attention. These chemicals—while great for grass—are not good for human contact. Don’t skip reading over the instructions and warnings for the chemical products you use or following the directions given by your pest control workers. Ideally, according to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, you shouldn’t allow people or animals around your grass and soil for at least two to three days after applying chemicals like fertilizer.
It’s important to take care of yourself before you take care of your lawn. These preventive measures are worth the little extra time and energy to keep yourself safe.
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