| PSG ALLOTMENT RISK ASSESSMENT |
| Name: PURLEY SUSTAINABILITY GROUP | Activity: gardening |
| Date occasions | Location: Allotment – Purley on Thames |
| IDENTIFIED HAZARD |
HAZARD APPLIES TO: | Likelihood | Severity | Risk |
CONTROL PROCEDURES | Revised Likelihood | Revised Severity | Revised Risk |
| ACTIVITY: GARDENING / GROWING / COMPOSTING / CONSERVATION |
| Injury through tool use including cuts, scrapes, grazes, bruises, pinches, broken bones and concussion from knocks. |
PSG members, volunteers, public | 3 | 4 | 12 |
- Tools should be regularly maintained and checked before use for damage to ensure they are safe to use.
- Tool safety instructions about proper use to be given before starting to all participants as well as warnings about moving around safely with tools. Power tools or motor-driven strimmers or mowers should be used with extra care, especially those with blades.
- Protective equipment such as gloves and goggles to be used where needed especially with sharp tools or motor-driven strimmers and mowers etc.
- Participants should be warned to leave adequate space around themselves to avoid hitting others with tools.
- Children should be supervised at all times when using tools and tools of appropriate size should be selected for children.
- All tools should be counted ‘out’ and ‘in’ in order to ensure none go missing.
| 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Injury from trips and slips due to poor tool/ equipment storage, puddles, water spillages and hose pipes, as well as uneven ground or rocks/logs in the outdoor area. |
PSG members, volunteers, public | 2 | 2 | 4 |
- A safe ‘tool area’ to be clearly identified and all tools to be returned here when not in use.
- Rakes must be stored with teeth facing downwards or leaned against a wall with teeth facing in towards wall.
- Bags and other equipment to be stored away from working area or in walk ways.
- Careful use of watering cans and hoses should ensure spillages are kept to a minimum.
- Hose pipes should be coiled/ rolled up after use and not left lying out where they could become a trip hazard.
- PSG members to warn participants of any uneven ground or trip hazards that cannot be moved i.e. rocks/logs.
|
1 | 2 | 2 |
| Injury such as strains and muscle ache from heavy lifting of tools and equipment or through digging and bending down. | PSG members, volunteers, public | 3 | 2 | 6 |
- Participants to use manual handling best practice when lifting and moving things.
- Participants warned to not over stretch their personal physical capacity and to take regular breaks/do stretches to relieve muscle discomfort.
- Participants should take care when filling, pushing and tipping wheelbarrows. These should not be too heavily laden for the user to manage easily. When left full they should be well balanced so they do not easily tip over.
| 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Injury from hedgerow, fences, gates. | PSG members, volunteers, public | 3 | 2 | 6 |
- Participants to be made aware of potential hazards around hedgerows, gates and fences and to take care.
- Chicken wire to be checked for sharp edges regularly and participants to be advised to take care.
- Gates regularly maintained
| 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Damage to the eye from plants supports or canes. |
PSG members, volunteers, public | 2 | 4 | 8 |
- Participants to be made aware of hazard and to take care when leaning over beds.
- Cane toppers or protectors to be used where necessary.
| 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Infection/microbial or pathogenic contamination, skin/eye irritation and illness from: contact with animal manures, soil, compost, fertilisers and other animal faeces etc. Including infections such as Tetanus/ Toxoplasmosis, as well as Leptospirosis and Lyme Disease from flies and vermin attracted to compost/manure. | PSG members, volunteers, public | 2 | 4 | 8 |
- Participants given gloves to wear when handling manures, soil, compost and fertilisers. Care to be taken to avoid contact with face, mouth and eyes.
- Open cuts, abrasions and eczema/skin irritations to be covered with plasters and clothing/gloves when working.
- Participants warned to wash hand thoroughly on completion of the task and before handling food and drink.
- Wash all produce that has been in contact with soil/compost before eating.
- Cover all composting facilities and manure piles to avoid attracting vermin and avoid putting cooked food, meat or diary on the compost pile.
- PSG members and volunteers to check the work area before the activity and remove any animal faeces whilst wearing gloves. Bury/dispose of it away from the working area and wash trowel and hands afterwards.
- Open bags of compost with the head away from the opening as far as possible and avoid using loose compost and digging/raking soil in dry and windy conditions to avoid contact with eyes.
- In the case of cuts/abrasions happening, participants should ensure they have up to date tetanus immunisations and if they are concerned to seek medical advice.
| 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Infection from discarded needles or injury from sharp objects in soil. | PSG members, volunteers, public | 1 | 4 | 4 |
- If sharp objects such as needles are found volunteers and members of the public should be told not to handle but to alert PSG members.
- PSG members should wear protective clothing such as gloves to remove the object and dispose of it safely.
| 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Stings, rashes and allergic reactions to nettle stings and bees/wasps/insect bites and stings. | PSG members, volunteers, public | 4 | 2 | 8 |
- Insects should be avoided and left undisturbed. If a nest is observed, other participants should be made aware to avoid it.
- Participants should wear gloves when handling nettles.
- PSG members should be aware if any participants are allergic to specific insects.
- Anyone attending the allotment should be advised to bring sting/topical creams if desired.
| 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Burns, scorches and smoke inhalation, as well as fire damage to property and equipment from fires and burning green waste.
| PSG members, volunteers, public | 3 | 5 | 15 |
- There must be a designated person overseeing the fire safety at all times.
- All participants should be warned about fire safety and a safe access area should be designated around the fire so people do not stand or walk too close to the fire.
- A water source and buckets or hose should be to hand in case the fire gets out of hand.
- The fire must be out and thoroughly doused with water at the end of use.
- An evacuation plan should be in place, outlining how the public will be evacuated if the fire gets out of hand.
|
2 | 5 | 10 |
| Irritation, allergic reaction or illness from ingestion or contact with plants including poisonous plants and fungi. |
PSG members, volunteers, public | 3 | 3 | 9 |
- Gloves and protective clothing should be used when working with plants that may irritate the skin.
- PSG members and volunteers to familiarise themselves with any plants that may be poisonous and seek assistance when unsure.
- Where plants have some poisonous parts but remain desirable for the garden i.e. rhubarb leaves, warnings/labels should be given not to eat these parts. Plants that are ornamental but toxic when eaten should not be planted in edible beds i.e. daffodils.
- Participants, especially children, warned not to eat anything they are unsure of and to seek identification first.
|
2 | 3 | 6 |
| Injury from falling or moving plants/tree branches and plants with thorns/spikes. |
PSG members, volunteers, public | 2 | 2 | 4 |
- PSG members to warn participants of any thorny or unstable plants or trees, as well as, the possibility of falling debris from trees and
- Participant to wear eye protection if possible when working in bushes, otherwise be aware of moving branches.
|
1 | 2 | 2 |
| Chemical burns or poisoning from contact with irritant or poisonous chemical fertilisers, weed or pest killers etc. | PSG members, volunteers | 3 | 4 | 12 |
- Chemical products should be avoided at all costs and natural organic product should be used to limit damage to wildlife and humans.
- If they are to be used, care should be taken by PSG members, volunteers to avoid splashing on skin or ingestion. Protection equipment such as gloves to be worn where appropriate.
- Chemical products kept by PSGs must be stored out of reach of children and animals. PSGs should avoid using chemicals and substances that are classified as “hazardous to health” as defined by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002. Where substances must be stored a COSHH assessment must be completed (see http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm).
|
2 | 3 | 6 |
| Illness or irritation from water borne bugs/ infections from water butts, ponds or flooding. | PSG members, volunteers, public | 2 | 4 | 8 |
- Water butts should have lids, be firmly secured on a stable surface and kept in cool position as far as possible. If not, consideration to be given to insulation or light reflecting paint. (NB Water left in sun may breed microorganisms such as Legionella)
- Water from water butts or standing ponds should not be drunk or used to wash hands or food.
- When using water from water butts for watering, participants should wash their hands afterwards.
- Water butts and ponds could be cleaned out regularly where possible and protective gloves and masks should be worn for this task.
- If food-growing beds become flooded from nearby surface water/drain overflow do not harvest crops from these areas for consumption, and relocate in unflooded area.
| 1 | 4 | 4 |
| ACTIVITY: HARVESTING / FORAGING |
| Irritation, allergic reaction or illness from ingestion or contact with poisonous plants and fungi. |
PSG members, volunteers, public | 4 | 4 | 16 |
- Activities to be led by qualified persons
- PSG members to familiarise themselves with any plants that may be poisonous and warn participants not to pick or eat these.
- Participants, especially children, warned not to eat anything they are unsure of and to seek identification first.
|
2 | 4 | 8 |
| Injury from falling or moving produce/plants/tree branches and plants with stinging parts thorns/spikes. |
PSG members, volunteers, public | 4 | 2 | 8 |
- PSG members to warn participants of any hazardous plants or trees as well as the possibility of falling produce/debris from trees.
- Participant to wear gloves if needed when picking produce from stinging or thorny plants.
|
2 | 2 | 4 |
| Contamination of produce from coughing/sneezing/germs from hands, as well as from dropping on floor or items being blow onto it i.e. insects, soil etc. | PSG members, volunteers, public | 3 | 2 | 6 |
- Ask participants to avoid coughing/sneezing on produce, cover produce where possible and wash it thoroughly before eating.
|
2 | 2 | 4 |
