Strimmers are more dangerous than you think

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Leper

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A near neighbour has been using an electric garden strimmer for years. It was a relatively cheap supermarket model, but did the jobs for which it was bought. Likely, it was one of the least powerful strimmers too. But, recently my neighbour suffered a bad eye injury when the plastic strimmer line caught some weeds which were speedily flung against his face. The user was not wearing eye protection. An eye shield costs about €1.50 in some pound Shops. Be careful out there, use protection.
 
Sage advice there Mr Leper
Any of the professionals I see using strimmers always wear face protection for the reason you've highlighted
Gardening like any work place is full of hazards which can be life changing so it's always best to err on the side of caution.
When I was a kid one of my weekly chores was to cut the back garden grass with the petrol rotary mower. One particular day I was out cutting and my father was watching from inside the house, next thing the window smashes as a pebble narrowly misses him and lands in the room.
Needless to say that was the last time I observed him checking out my grass cutting skills :D
 
Good call out. I'd normally wear goggles if I end up strimming and also for some home maintenance stuff, but it's easy to just forget to put them on if in a hurry. I had never thought of full face gear to be honest but I might check that out. I'd imagine Screwfix might stock some decent stuff
 
Leper
What age group was your neighbour ,
I find the younger age group are better at wearing all sorts of safety gear when doing working around the house and garden face shield is better if you also need to use a face mask I find,
 
bkenn14 said:
I find the younger age group are better at wearing all sorts of safety gear
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For sure, health and safety laws are having an influence thankfully. I am grateful though that we haven't reached the stage of what I see Ahmurhikhans, Hoo Ya, doing where the big leather gloves seem to come out whether they're moving the bins, walking the Chihuahua, or changing baby's diaper.

My semi-detached neighbour and I are having a wall built to replace the fence that blew down during the storms. The main man is a 3rd generation stone mason and he handles and manoeuvres nine-inch [EDIT]solid concrete blocks with his bare hands. His "helper", who keeps him supplied with blocks and mortar, wears gloves so between them they're 50% protected. :)

Rain stopped play briefly.

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Just to answer questions poised:-
My neighbour is in his early 60’s and he is usually safety conscious eg he wears headphones when using his petrol mower.
It does no harm to review safety procedures. Wearing shorts is what I’d normally do, but not from now on while operating tools.
It’s no great load to carry reviewing safety precautions.
Remarkably, I should know better than I do as I used to work in A&E in a major hospital as a clerical worker in a previous life. Complacency obviously is an issue I must correct.
Thanks All..
 
I’m in 60s. Would never strim without faceguard. All you need is one stone or twig or weed stem belting into that thing to know you need it.
 
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Leo said:
Yep, the sap from some weeds like hogweed can cause blistering that will result in permanent UV sensitivity.
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Yes and even common hogweed does it not just the giant hogweed. Causes red blotches which could take a year to heal but it does heal I think.
Also need to be aware of ticks and be sure to have long trousers as in rare circumstances could be unlucky to get lime disease, but really only in areas where deer or sheep have been so unlikely in your back garden
 
Do not spray chemical weed-killer. Try using white vinegar with ordinary table salt dissolved in it. The solution reaches saturation level fairly quickly when the salt starts to accumulate in the bottom the vinegar receptacle. Leave it there and add more vinegar as spraying progresses.

For patios and footpaths, dig out the weeds and soil from between the joints and crunch the salt used in water softeners into them.

The farmers are doing enough damage spreading slurry with huge anti-biotic content, artificial fertilisers and glyphosate on the lands and into our waterways already. Please don't join the environmental hooligans.
 
Boiling water from kettle or from your cooking is best solution. Result is visible next day with dead weed now brown. Pour enough to get down to roots.
 
usually strimming is about keeping area green but not overgrown, if you use weed killer or other alternatives then you just burn off everything which is very unsightly. Aswell as that the worst and most invasive weeds usually return because the other green cover has been killed off. Also glyphosphate type weedkiller is effective for grasses but not for broad leaf weeds with tap roots like docks , thistles etc.
 
Sitting here typing this, and listening to the constant tinnitus in my ears (from years of motorcycling and discos) ..... wear ear protection guys. Ain't no reversing ear damage.
And of course eye protection etc.

The place I work in has just replaced the covid alcohol. dispensers at the exit doors of the office with Sunscreen SPF50 dispensers. It actually made me happy that I work in a place that takes such things seriously so.....

Wear sunscreen (you have that right).
 
Buddyboy said:
Sitting here typing this, and listening to the constant tinnitus in my ears (from years of motorcycling and discos) ..... wear ear protection guys. Ain't no reversing ear damage.
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What about all the young people now with headphones and ear buds constantly in their ears, it's very easy to get high levels of sound in that closed area with no attenuation like you get even with loud noise levels in open environment? Will they have ear problems in the future from these headphones? Unless medical science advances to replace lost hearing I wonder
 
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