The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents reported that in 2002 over 87,000 people ended up in hospital as a result of gardening injuries. The government then stopped the data collection service, but RoSPA warn gardeners to take care.

• wearing gloves prevents cuts
• placing pots where they will not cause a hazard & be fallen over
• wearing shoes & trousers when mowing - not sandals and shorts.
• using RCDs for electrical equipment
• covering canes and sticks with yogurt pots etc.

Top 10 gardening injuries in 2002 were:

1. Lawn mowers (6500 accidents each year)

2. Flower pots (5300)

3. Secateurs and pruners (4400)

4. Spades (3600)

6. Plant tubs and troughs (2800)

7. Shears (2100)

8. Garden forks (2000)

9. Hoses and sprinklers (1900)

10. Garden canes and sticks (1800).