There are several basic safety rules in the garden and although they may seem like common sense, you would be surprised how many of us overlook them and have gardens with potential accidents waiting to happen. It is true that it is not necessary, or indeed advisable, to wrap our children up in cotton wool but each summer, hundreds if not thousands of children end up in hospital due to preventable accidents within their home, which of course includes the garden.

Accidents will happen of course but as parents it is our responsibility to put preventative measures into place, a whole lot better than an afternoon sat in a busy and hot A&E department at your local hospital or in some more serious cases a far longer stay. The dangers do change as our children grow from an inquisitive toddler to an energetic five year old (who are most at risk), so as your child reaches each new milestone take a moment to look around your outdoor play area to check for new hazards.

• Never leave a young child unattended in a garden.

• Ensure that your garden is securely fenced in.

• Fit childproof locks on gates.

• Fence off any potentially dangerous areas such as steps or steep slopes.

• Greenhouses should be fitted with safety glass; you can place a plastic film across the glass if you have an older building.

• Water features will enthral your young child but never leave them unsupervised. You can cover a pond with mesh or fence it off but it may be advisable to fill it in. A child can drown in only a couple of inches of water and life is irreversible at that point.

• Empty paddling pools immediately when your child has finished playing in them.

• All tools and electrical machinery should be stored out of reach of children and you should not use lawnmowers etc while your child is playing in the garden.

• When sharing gardening times with children never leave them unsupervised. Have special child friendly gardening tools to teach your child how to use and store it properly.

• Make sure all play equipment meets BSI Standards and is in good repair. Suitable for the age group child using it.

• Remove any pet faeces from the garden immediately. Apart from being unpleasant the faeces contains parasites that can lead to severe health problems for children and unborn children.(pregnant women should ask someone else to clear animal faeces)

• Keep all chemicals/weed killers locked away from children. Never use coca cola bottles or similar to pour chemicals in.

• Check the plants and berries in your garden to make sure nothing is poisonous. Teach your children not to eat any berries or plants when out playing.

• Remember sunscreen and hats for sunny days, and even cloudy ones in the summer.

• Place play equipment so that it will be in the shade when being used.

• Avoid ice lollies or sticky, sweet snacks as these will attract bees and wasps.