The Danger of Ponds

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

Ponds make an attractive and interesting feature in the garden but they also pose a danger, especially to children, so it’s important to ensure your pond is safe. If you have young children it’s recommended that you don’t build a pond until they are older – at least over the age of six but it’s advisable to wait until they are a teenager.

 

If you move to a house with an existing pond and have children under the age of six, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSpa) recommends filling in a pond completely to prevent drowning. Sadly, around five children each year drown in garden ponds and even if you are supervising a child in the garden, it only takes a few minutes for a child to fall into a pond and drown.

 

Even if you don’t have children, when building a pond, it’s worth remembering that if you were to sell your house in the future, a family with children may move in. Alternatively you may have visiting grandchildren or friends with children who could be attracted to the pond. And although your own children may be aware of the dangers of a pond and behave sensibly when in the garden, they may have friends who are not used to ponds and may be tempted to explore near the water.

 

Here are some tips to ensure pond safety for children:

 

• When choosing the location for your pond, make sure it can be seen from the house so that you can see if children are playing too close to the pond. Of course, young children should never be left alone outside if you have a pond, so watching from the house isn’t advisable – instead you should go outside with them.


• Design your pond to have edges that slope gently rather than edges that drop suddenly into deep water.


• Invest in a safety grid that sits just below the surface of the water or cover a small pond with wire mesh. You can find these online or at most good garden centres.


• Consider putting a fence around your pond to prevent children from getting too close.


• If an existing pond has deep sides, grow plants around these areas to prevent children from getting close to the edge.


• Remember that the shape and features of a pond change over time so it’s important to regularly check a pond for new dangers – such as a broken fence or a hole in the safety mesh.

 

No matter how many precautions you take, ponds, water features, rain barrels and even buckets of water can all pose a risk to children so there is no substitute for supervising your child when they are in the garden. It’s also important to teach them about water safety as soon as they are old enough to understand so that they know although water can be fun, it can also be incredibly dangerous.

 

For more information about pond safety, visit: www.rospa.com

Categories: Children, existing pond, garden, nbsp, pond, pond safety, ponds, prevent children, Water, young children

Stay Safe - Avoiding Garden Accidents

 

Whether you use your garden as a place to relax and unwind or like being active outdoors, the garden is an enjoyable place to be. However, it can also be home to a series of hazards. Around 300,000 people each year in the UK attend their hospital’s Accident and Emergency department following an incident in the garden – over 85,000 of these sustained injuries whilst gardening.

 

There are many reasons why accidents occur in the garden – from the incorrect use of electrical equipment to injuries caused by trips or falls. The good news is that most accidents can be avoided with a little planning. Here are some common-sense tips:

 

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using gardening equipment


• Give yourself plenty of time to complete jobs – don’t rush


• If you don’t feel confident completing larger jobs – call in a professional


• Check your garden regularly for trip hazards and remove them


• Take extra care in winter when there may be icy patches


• Never use electrical equipment in wet weather


• Be aware that some common garden plants and flowers can be poisonous

 

Protect Yourself

Wearing the correct safety gear can prevent many common garden accidents. Always wear the correct clothing when tackling a job – particularly if you are using machinery such as lawnmowers, hedge-trimmers or chainsaws. The equipment you will need will depend on the job in hand but could include steel-toe capped boots, goggles, ear-defenders or heavy duty gardening gloves.

 

Keeping Children Safe in the Garden
It’s especially important to protect children from accidents in the garden. The garden is an exciting place to be and this can cause children to take risks or injure themselves. There’s no reason children can’t enjoy time in the garden – but it’s a good idea to take additional precautions and make sure children know about the potential hazards:

 

• Never leave very young children unattended in the garden


• Do not leave sharp tools or gardening equipment laying around


• Keep pesticides and other chemicals locked away


• Avoid using electrical equipment whilst children are playing in the garden


• If you have poisonous plants in the garden make sure children know not to touch them. If children are too young to understand, you may wish to consider removing the plant entirely


• Take extra care when children are playing in paddling pools


• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using outdoor play equipment such as climbing frames or trampolines.

 

Pond Safety

A big concern for many parents when it comes to garden safety is the risk of children drowning in ponds. Small ponds can be covered with wire mesh to prevent children falling in. With larger ponds you may wish to erect a fence around the pond to keep children away from the water. When building a new pond, consider the safety implications. Choose a position where the pond can be seen from the house, create a pond with sloping edges and grow plants on the deeper edges of a pond to prevent children from getting near the edge.

 

For more information about staying safe at home or in the garden, visit: www.rospa.com

 

 

Categories: Children, common garden, electrical equipment, extra care, garden, garden accidents, gardening equipment, nbsp, prevent children