None of us wants to see themselves or anyone else suffer injury or the Association suffer loss of reputation or even worse, increased insurance premiums and court actions through something that could very easily have been prevented.
With that in mind it’s important that we all regularly look at our plot areas, including sheds, raised beds, paths and even those ‘stored’ items that will ‘come in handy’ someday to identify any risk of harm and where such risk exists, do something about it. This is basically a risk assessment.
Cultivating an allotment can never be completely safe. Throughout the year and in very different climates we use machinery, chemicals, tools and carry out manual lifting work all of which carry risk of injury and harm.
This harm can be immediate such as cuts and broken bones from slips and trips due to poorly maintained paths or more long term harm such as hearing impairment sustained from regular use of machinery without proper hearing protection.
Different age groups may be at greater risk than others. In an allotment environment children can sometimes be at a greater risk of harm than adults. For example, running about the site and ‘exploring’ carries much more risk of slips, trips and injury than someone well acquainted with the area.
On Line Risk Assessment
(Log in to the Members Area to complete the on-line risk assessment)
