Health & Safety

Making your Allotment Safer

Remember it’s your responsibility as a plot holder to make sure your allotment is safe for you and anyone who may enter on it.

Avoiding Accidents.

Here are some simple suggestions to help keep you and others safe:

  • Organise your allotment so that it reduces the need for high maintenance and lifting.
  • Avoid trip hazards wherever possible such as; loose paving slabs, hosepipes left unravelled, tools lying around or uneven surfaces.
  • Do not leave sharp tools lying around. Lock them away from children.
  • Use surfaces that provide a good grip underfoot.
  • Avoid your allotment, or the Allotment site, if possible when conditions are icy and slippery.
  • Make sure your Well, if you have one, is securely covered and locked.
  • Lock away chemicals such as weedkillers and insecticides. Just because they have the words ‘organic’ or ‘bio’ on them, does not make them safe for children to touch.
  • Never leave bonfires or barbecues unattended and make sure the flames are extinguished before leaving plot.
  • You should never use electrical equipment in wet weather, even when the power is provided by a generator.
  • When using electrical equipment always use an RCD (residual current device) to prevent electric shocks. It cuts out the flow of electricity when a cable or flex is cut through.
  • Wear safety equipment – such as; goggles, hard hats, gloves, steel toe cap boots and tuck in loose items of clothing – when using machinery.
  • Don’t keep piles of rubbish on your allotment.
  • If you are in the least bit unsure about the safety of tackling a job, call in professionals.
  • It is a good idea to keep a First Aid Kit and sterilising hand cleaner on your allotment. It is also a good idea to clean your hands before you eat.
  • Avoid leaving trip hazards around or uneven paths.

Personal safety equipment

Always make sure that you are wearing the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to avoid a serious injury when working on the allotment. This is particularly important when operating machinery such as rotavators, mowers, strimmers, chainsaws and hedge-trimmers. PPE can include steel toe cap boots, goggles, ear-defenders, gloves etc. Always consult an expert if you are unsure what you should be wearing for a job.

It is a requirement of your Tenancy Agreement that annually you will complete the Plot Holder Safety Assessment form.

Enjoy your allotment but please be safe!