When Nathan Birtch was in his late teens and early 20’s he worked for a landscaping company cutting grass, trimming, laying sod and installing patio stones. On a normal workday, Birtch found himself driving a pick-up truck and trailer to various residential and industrial sites where he cut grass, trimmed weeds, and used potentially dangerous equipment like lawn tractors, push mowers, and trimmers.
Unfortunately, like many new workers, Birtch had many “close calls” at work. "Many times, I was required to cut grass on steep-sloped hills. This required heavily leaning on one side of the lawn tractor to ensure it didn’t tip and roll down the hill. There were a couple of occasions when this was done during wet conditions and the tractor actually lost traction and slid down the hill”, says Birtch. “Thankfully, it never tipped and rolled, but it was definitely a possibility. I consider myself lucky.”
Don’t let your kids rely on luck at their new landscaping job. Make sure they’re aware of the following hazards and how to handle them before they begin work.
1. Heat stress and dehydration
Landscaping work is most often done in the warmer months, which means higher temperatures. Birtch spent many days working in the extreme heat. “There wasn’t a lot of instruction to make sure we knew how to keep ourselves safe and what signs of heat stress to look for,” says Nathan.
It’s essential that your teens stay hydrated and recognize the signs of heat-related illness. Your teen should wear UPF clothing, sunscreen and a hat, and take frequent water breaks. They can also talk to their employer about scheduling breaks during the hottest times of day and planning heavier work for cooler periods of the day.
2. Physical strain and repetitive strain injuries
Landscaping is physical work, often requiring heavy lifting and repetitive movements that can cause strain on your teen’s body or even injuries. To prevent this, your teen can ask their employer to provide ergonomics training.
Using equipment like tractors, wheelbarrows or dollies to minimize lifting and carrying can also make this work more manageable. For example, if your teen is shoveling and it’s causing swollen hands or wrists, this should be a documented hazard. The employer has an obligation to address the hazard (for example, schedule workers to rotate tasks, or use tools that ease the strain on the worker).
Teach your kid to listen to their body, not push through discomfort and fatigue. These are symptoms that are messages from your body telling you to take a pause, stretch, and breathe. If we ignore these, it may result in injuries. Familiarize your teen with micro-breaks to allow for muscle recovery.
3. Working with tools and machines
For Birtch, looking back, he realizes the training he received on how to use equipment was very minimal. “Things like Power Take-Off (PTO) shafts (which are extremely dangerous), operating mowers, and trimmers were given to me after 2 minutes of instruction and observation… it was so minimal it couldn’t really be called training.” Make sure your teen is familiar with built-in safety features of the equipment, such as rollover protection structures (also called a roll bar), seat belts, seat sensor/auto shutoffs, and PTO shields.
If your teen will be using power tools or machinery as part of their job, they must receive equipment-specific training on their proper use, the dangers associated with them, and how to protect themselves. Your teen should also be given the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear while using any tool or machine that requires it.
4. Working at heights
Landscaping work often involves using ladders or working in high places. Make sure your teen is aware that they should receive proper training if they are going to be working at heights. If your teen works at a construction site or is required to use a ladder at 3 metres or higher, they will need Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development-approved Working at Heights training. If your teen is working at heights under 3 metres, they will need ladder safety training. Workers are required by law to receive training before working at heights and using a fall-restricting system, a fall arrest system, a safety net, a work belt or a safety belt.
5. Workplace Hazardous Material Information System Training (WHMIS)
Landscaping products can include insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers and more. Working with these potentially hazardous substances can pose immediate or long-term health risks that your child should be made aware of when they begin their landscaping job. If your teen will be working with or may be exposed to hazardous products in the workplace, they must receive training on WHMIS. They should also receive training on workplace procedures for storage, handling, use, disposal, emergencies, first aid, PPE and spills of these products.
6. Speak up and know your rights
If Birtch could go back in time, he would have asked a lot of questions and learned more about his rights as a worker. “If you find yourself in a situation that feels unsafe, it probably is. Don’t just do the work, ask questions, ask how to protect yourself, and refuse if you aren’t satisfied with the answer. It’s your right,” says Birtch. “I think a lot of teenagers just go along with what is asked of them without knowing what hazards there are and how to protect themselves. Be curious and inquisitive. It might just save your life!”
While landscaping jobs offer teens an active (and potentially fun) work environment, these roles come with unique health and safety hazards. Addressing issues such as heat stress, physical strain, tool usage, working at heights, and exposure to hazardous substances through proper training and safety measures is essential to keep your teen safe.