Protect That Green Thumb

Precautions to avoid the top gardening hazards.

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Gardening is great for your health -- unless you injure yourself in the process.

Tetanus bacteria live in soil, making yard injuries especially dangerous. Dr. Bruce Bonanno, spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, suggests precautions to avoid these top hazards:

Scratches and scrapes
Protect your hands with leather gloves, and wear long-sleeved shirts and slacks around all thorned plants.

Splinters
Wooden support stakes and broken tool handles can pierce skin. Consider bamboo stakes, and replace worn equipment.

Puncture wounds
Rakes, nails and fence wire pose hazards to even sneakered feet. Always wear work boots or shoes with hard soles.

From Reader's Digest - July 2004

 

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