Occupational safety is important for gardening work. Gardening tasks can involve physical, biological, chemical and psychosocial hazards that may cause injuries. To prevent injuries, it is important to wear protective equipment like gloves and sun protection, stay hydrated, avoid prolonged repetitive motions, and ask for help with difficult tasks. If an injury does occur, remain calm, seek first aid from the on-site medical kit, and call emergency services if needed. Various government agencies provide support for occupational safety standards and regulations.

1. IO4/Unit 8:
Gardening Safety Tasks and
Accommodations
2017-1-BG01-KA202-036212

2. Table of content
8.1 What means occupational safety?
8.2 What are the potential risks of injuries?
8.3 How to deploy a safety and risk
prevention tasks and accommodations?
8.4 External bodies that provide occupational safety support.
8.5 What to do in case of injury?

3. 8.1 What means occupational safety?
When thinking about work maybe many things
come to your mind:
Profit, salary, productivity, creativity, fun,
growth, business, prosperity, etc..
But the most important aspect of work is
health: staying healthy and avoiding incidents
and injuries.
 Occupational safety concerns
the safety, health, and welfare of people
at work.
 It is good to know that employers have a
common law duty to take reasonable care of
the safety of their employees.
Goal of occupational
safety is to foster a
safe and healthy
work environment
Image: Bio-farm Moravsko selo

4.  As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) "occupational
health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace
and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards.„
Image: freerangestock.com

5. 8.2 What are the potential risks of
injuries?
Occupational
Hazards
Physical
Hazards
Biological
Hazards
Chemical
Hazards
Psychosocial
Hazards
A hazard is
something that can
cause harm if not
controlled.
The outcome is the
harm that results
from an
uncontrolled
hazard.
A risk is a
combination of the
probability that a
particular outcome
will occur and the
severity of the harm
involved.

6.  Physical hazards: Falls are a common cause of occupational
injuries. Machines have moving parts, sharp edges, hot surfaces and other
hazards with the potential to crush, burn, cut, shear, stab or
otherwise strike or wound workers if used unsafely.
 Biological hazards (biohazards) include infectious microorganisms such as
viruses and toxins. Outdoor workers, including farmers, risk exposure to
numerous biohazards, including animal bites and stings.
 Dangerous chemicals can pose a chemical hazard in the workplace. There
are many classifications of hazardous chemicals. An international effort is
investigating the health effects of mixtures of chemicals.
 Psychosocial hazards include risks to the mental and emotional well-being
of workers, such as feelings of job insecurity, long work hours, and poor work-
life balance.

7.  Agriculture workers and gardeners can be at
risk of work-related injuries, lung disease,
noise-induced hearing loss, skin disease or
prolonged sun exposure.
 On industrialized farms, injuries frequently
involve the use of agricultural machinery.
 These workers often worked long hours. The
prevalence rate of working more than 48
hours a week among workers employed in
these industries was 37%, and 24% worked
more than 60 hours a week.
Image: freerangestock.com

8. But, hey! If you are careful
none of these may happen to
you!
In the next few slides you will
receive some tips and ideas how
to stay safe, have fun and enjoy
gardening without injuries.
Image: Bio-hotel Moravsko selo

9. 8.3 How to deploy a safety and risk
prevention tasks and accommodations?
Here are listed some tips and advices for safety you should follow
while gardening:
 Always wear gloves while working. Gloves will reduce blisters and also
protect your skin from fertilizers, pesticides, bacteria and fungus that live
in the soil.
Remember: When exposed to soil, even the smallest cut runs the risk of
developing into a major hand infection.
Leather gloves offer protection from thorny objects and poison ivy,
snake, rodent and insect bites, and other skin irritants in the garden.
 Always wear sun protection while working outside. Apply sunscreen
with SPF 30 or more and remember to wear a hat.
 Do not forget to drink plenty of water.
Images: freerangestock.com

10. Here are listed some tips and advices for safety you should
follow while gardening:
 When you are feeling tired give yourself time to rest.
 Also, avoid prolonged repetitive motions.
It is a good idea to have variety in your gardening activities and tasks
are rotated every 15 minutes with a brief rest in-between so that the
same muscles are not used over and over again.

11. Here are listed some tips and advices for
safety you should follow while gardening:
 Never be afraid to ask for help and
directions.
 Make sure you understood the task given. If
you forget or you are in doubt feel free to
ask for more instructions.
 If you are not feeling well make sure to
inform somebody and stop for a rest.
 If something looks scary or you are not sure
if you can manage – ask for help. Surely
somebody will be glad to show you how to do
it.
Image: Bio-farm Moravsko selo

12.  Here are listed some tips and advices for safety you should follow
while gardening:
Using tools:
 Gardening tools are great. They are designed and created to help you
with your work. But some of them have sharp edges or blades so use
them carefully and remember to remove them from your working space
when you are no longer using them.
 Never yield them or throw them, because you can hurt yourself and
others.
 Always make sure you know how to use a certain tool before getting to
work. If you are in doubt ask for directions or read the guide by the
manufacturer.
 It is good to know that some brands offer pruners, loppers or shears with
safety locks. This way you can be sure your working space is safe.
Image: freerangestock.com

13. Here are listed some tips and advices for safety you should follow
while gardening:
Feeling lost?
 If you are working in a bigger garden it is good to place signs so that you
always know which way to go.
 If the garden is not yours speak with the owner and together find the
best way to place beautiful, colorful signs so everybody knows where are
the important places like: exit, place for rest, please to eat and the
bathroom.
 Also If the garden is big and contains different crops you can place signs
for that as well.
 If you lose your way ask for direction and never wonder too far from the
others.
EXIT
Tomatoes
wc

14.  Here are listed some tips and advices for safety you should
follow while gardening:
 Share and exchange ideas!
 Work is so much fun when it is made easy for everybody. If you have some
ideas or you need some accommodations share them with others. Make sure
you are comfortable.
 Make sure you and your coworkers are well informed for the safety rules and
regulations.
Here is some additional information for Bulgarian safety rules and regulations in agriculture.

15. 8.4 External bodies that provide occupational
safety support
Bulgaria:
In the Republic of Bulgaria, public policy on safety and health at work comes under the
Council of Ministers.
 The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy develops, coordinates and implements public
policy on safety and health at work.
 The Ministry of Health manages and coordinates activities for the protection and
promotion of health at work.
 The General Labor Inspectorate Executive Agency is the public body responsible for
the overall supervision of compliance with labor law in order to ensure safety and health
at work, as well as for the implementation of conditions of employment.
 The National Social Security Institute (NSSI) provides monitoring of scientific
opinion on capacity for work, investigates work-related accidents and maintains a
database on work-related accidents.
Image: freerangestock.com

16.  National policy on safety and health at work is developed and implemented on the
basis of trilateral cooperation at national, sector and regional level.
 The National Council on Working Conditions (NCWC) is the standing body
responsible for coordination, consultation and cooperation for the development and
implementation of occupational safety and health policy at national level.
 There are regional councils in all local administrative districts to ensure trilateral
cooperation for safety and health at work.
 There are also committees on working conditions in all undertakings, providing a
platform for dialogue between employers and employees.
The National Focal Point of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is
situated in the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.
Image: freerangestock.com

17. 8.5 What to do in case of injury?
 As you already know injuries should be avoided. But if something bad happens to you or
somebody else there are a lot of things that can be done.
 First of all: Do not panic! Everything is going to be alight. Stay calm and try to help yourself
and others the best way possible.
 Always know and remember: In every workplace there should be fire extinguisher
and medical kit for first aid.
 If you are not feeling well or you are cut/burned/bleeding or else, search for help. Inform
you colleagues and if needed call the emergency phone for a medical team.
 The national emergency phone in Bulgaria is 112.
 When you call try to explain calmly and with as much details what happened. State your
location and name. This way the medics will come prepared and to the right place. While
waiting for them do not change your location!
Images: freerangestock.com

18. Few words on First Aid:
 First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person suffering from a
serious illness or injury.
 The main goals of First Aid are:
 to preserve life,
 to prevent the condition from worsening,
 or to promote recovery.
 It includes initial intervention in a serious condition prior to professional medical
help being available, such as performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while
awaiting for an ambulance, as well as the complete treatment of minor conditions,
such as applying a plaster to a cut.
 First aid is generally performed by someone with basic medical training.
For example: Basic First Aid methods are presented in schools in Bulgaria and First Aid
training is mandatory for requiring driving license.
Image: freestockrange.com

19. Useful advices and tips:
 A frequent injury is the cut. It is good to know that small cuts
(especially on the fingers and hand) can bleed a lot.
If you cut your finger or hand, bleeding from minor cuts will often stop
by applying direct pressure to the cut with a clean cloth. Visit the
emergency room if:
 Continuous pressure does not stop the bleeding after 15 minutes.
 You notice persistent numbness or tingling in the fingertip or have
trouble moving the finger.
 You are unsure of your tetanus immunization status.
 You are unable to thoroughly clean the wound by rinsing with a mild
soap and plenty of clean water.
Image: freerangestock.com

20.  It is good you and all other people around you to know some simple
bandages and ways to give First Aid. Here you can find some
informative videos:
 Also if you have some allergies or you need to take some medications
state that to your colleagues or employer. This way in emergency
situation they will know how to react and what you need.

21. Please remember:
 Health is the most important thing in the world. Be careful and never
ignore pain or some other symptoms. Try to avoid injuries and never
be ashamed to ask for help. It is our mission and duty to preserve
people`s health every day.
Image: freerangestock.com

22. References
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_aid
 https://osha.europa.eu/en/about-eu-osha/national-focal-points/bulgaria
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_safety_and_health

23. Disclaimer
For further information, related to the ECOGARD project, please visit the project’s website
at https://ecogardening.eu/ or visit us at https://www.facebook.com/Ecogard/.
Download our mobile app at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ecogard.mobile.
This project ( ECOGARD project - 2017-1-BG01-KA202-036212) has been funded with
support from the European Commission (Erasmus+ Programme). This publication reflects
the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.