Women Gardeners More At Risk Than Male Partners

Summer Garden Safety Campaign Urges ‘Take Five’ To Save Lives..
A new survey commissioned by the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) shows that nearly half of women gardeners may be risking their lives this summer because they’ve never used or haven’t heard of an RCD (residual current device).

An RCD is a life-saving device which is designed to protect you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire.  RCD protection is particularly important whilst using mains-powered electrical equipment outdoors, where there is an increased risk of electric shock.
Almost half of women surveyed have either never used or have never heard of an RCD (23% and 26% respectively) and women are also less likely than men to consider the potential dangers of electrical gardening equipment (47% vs 56%).  This is despite the fact a previous survey2 has shown that a quarter of women have experienced at least one electric shock during their lifetime while at home or in the garden.

So, as the days get longer, the ESC is urging all gardeners and, in particular women, to take five minutes to check they are protected by an RCD and that wires and plugs for equipment such as lawnmowers and hedge trimmers - which have been languishing in the shed all winter – are all intact.