Although older people will benefit from a personal alarm to feel safer in the garden, everyone can benefit from following basic safety precautions. Aid Call offers these top tips:

- Avoid trip hazards such as uneven surfaces, loose paving slabs or unravelled hosepipes
- Use surfaces that provide a good grip underfoot
- Avoid the garden when conditions are icy and slippery
- Never work while standing on an unsteady surface such as a stool
- If you are working on a ladder make sure it is placed on a level surface. Ladders should be held or secured
- Check the ladder before using it for broken rungs or any other damage
- Don’t over-reach whilst working up a ladder. It is far safer to re-position the ladder
- Do not leave garden tools lying around, which could cause someone to trip and injure themselves
- Don't lift objects too heavy for you. When lifting heavy objects, let your legs do the bending and not your back.
- If you are unsure of the safety of tackling a job, call in the professionals

Sheila Merrill, RoSPA’s home safety manager for England, said: "When you spend time in the great outdoors, minor accidents like bumps and grazes are bound to happen. Thankfully, the consequences of many garden accidents are minor, but some are more serious and result in a trip to hospital.

"Good preparation is an easy way to prevent accidents, like making sure you have the right skills and tools for the job you want to do, making sure tools are in a good condition and putting on gardening gloves.

"Good footwear can not only prevent falls but should also prevent the painful injuries we hear about when people’s feet have got a bit too close to a fork, spade or, in some cases, even a lawnmower.

"Tools left lying around can also lead to accidents, so do try to tidy up when you’ve finished working.

"And, if you have grandchildren, spare a thought for where your gardening tools and chemicals are stored when you’re not using them, preferably in a locked cupboard or shed."

A self-install Aid Call, Age Concern personal alarm can now be purchased online with ‘Easy-Connect’, which offers a saving of £80, please visit http://www.aidcall.co.uk/personalcare/shop/index.php.

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