Do you think of your garden as a safe retreat from the hustle and bustle of working life? Think again. Over 500,000 of us need outpatient treatment for injuries sustained in the garden each year.

But wait! Incredibly, eighty per cent of people injured in the garden aren't actually gardening, says a recent Gardening Which? feature on garden safety, with the single most common type of accident involving trips and falls.

• Eye injuries are common (garden canes and flying debris being favourite.)
• Plants (from the hazardously poisonous to dropping pots on toes - of the 50,000 or so accidents involving plants, the plants themselves are nearly always innocent.)
• Ponds (which on the whole don't mix well with toddlers or children under five.)
• Soil, compost and manure (these contain bacteria and parasites that may lead to ill-health and in extreme cases death.)
• Fire and glass.

Motor mowers and other power tools cause serious injuries and manufacturers say:

• Dress appropriately for the task.
• Wear long trousers, long-sleeved shirts (to avoid injuries from thrown objects like rocks or sticks), close-fitting clothes and no jewellery sturdy shoes with slip-resistant rubber soles, eye protection, heavy gloves and hearing protection.
• Before starting up machinery, remove objects from the area in which you are working that can cause injury or damage equipment, such as sticks, glass, metal, wire, and stones.
• Make sure that safety devices on the equipment are in place and functioning properly before starting work.
• Never let a child ride or operate a garden tractor or riding mower, even if the child is supervised.
• Young children move quickly and are attracted to mowers and mowing activity. Never assume children will remain where you last saw them.
• Unplug electric tools and disconnect spark plug wires on petrol-powered tools before making adjustments or clearing jams near moving parts.
• Be sure power tools are turned off and made inoperable if they must be left unattended to prevent use by children.
• Never work with electric power tools in wet or damp conditions. For protection against electrocution, use a earth fault circuit breaker.
• Be sure that extension cords are in good condition, are rated for outdoor use, and are the proper current rating for the capacity of the tool.

Children are particularly vulnerable to accidents in the garden. Half of all serious accidents to children happen in the garden. One of the most important things you can do to prevent accidents is to talk to your children about safety.

Making ponds safe

• A child can drown in as little as 2in or 5cm of water, so even shallow water is dangerous.
• If you have small children garden ponds can be drained and filled with sand to make a sand pit until the child is older.
• An alternative is a cover made using heavy-duty trellis and wire mesh to fill the gaps.

Paddling pools

• Always supervise - if the phone rings, take the child with you.
• Turn paddling pools upside down when not in use.

Rain water

• Children can drown in rainwater that has collected in buckets, wheelbarrows or uncovered dustbins. Prevent this by turning all containers upside down.
• 80% of drowning incidents happen in someone else's garden. Don't assume that a friend's garden is safe until you have checked.

Sheds and play equipment

• Sheds are not good dens. Keep chemicals out of reach, their caps are child-resistant but not completely child-proof.
• Swings and climbing frames should be securely fixed and checked regularly for safety.
• Don't place play equipment on hard surfaces or near ponds or greenhouses.

Paths

• Broken or uneven pathways cause many thousands of accidents each year. Keep them well maintained and clean.
• Also, make sure that there are no garden stakes or sharp objects to fall onto and consider adults as well as children.

Poisonous plants

• Make sure you know which plants in your garden are dangerous and remove them, or keep children well away.

Do look hard around your garden and imagine what something as simple as a fall could cause. Make a list of bigger jobs to be done and be vigilant in the meanwhile.

You might well think of throwing in your gardening gloves and calling it a day but don't let a little safety planning spoil your enjoyment. After clearing away the high risk items, you can settle down to a safer, relaxing retreat.