Safety in the garden

FloridaStock/Shutterstock.com

The technology for gardeners has evolved, with the availability of shears, saws and trimmers that are not only electric, but lighter, more powerful, multifunctional and connected.

Far from the scythes and sickles of the past, gardens these days can be seen boasting tools such as AI-powered cutters, robotic mowers with GPS functions and connected blowers that can be monitored via smartphones for performance and battery life.    

As the technology has evolved, so too has the complexity, which means more things to consider when it comes to safety. Ensuring gardening equipment is safe and performs as intended is essential to reducing the risks of injuries, because if equipment is faulty, the consequences can be dramatic.

This is why there is a whole series of international standards dedicated to it. The multi-part IEC 62841 series provides the safety requirements for all kinds of electric motor-operated hand-held tools, transportable tools and lawn and garden machinery.

It covers aspects such as input and current, resistance to heat and fire, internal wiring, radiation and toxicity hazards, and measures to avoid unauthorized access and transmission failures if connected to public networks.

The series consists of specific standards for each of the various tools, from grass blowers to lawnmowers, with all kinds of trimmers, cutters, shears and saws in between.

All standards for hand-held tools and garden machinery can be found in our e-shop.