​Nursery Supplies To Keep Your Employees Safe

When most people imagine the workings of a nursery, they probably frame imagine some idyllic TV commercial that shows some guy walking through rows of trees at sunset, his fingers dancing over the leaves. He’ll stop to check on a few trees, nodding knowingly. The only “nursery supply” is probably a glass of orange juice in his hand as he sits in an Adirondack chair. Everything is perfect in this imaginary tree nursery.

If you work at a nursery or orchard, you know that what most people think of as nursery work is far from the truth. While it would be nice if everything was as calm and enjoyable as it looks in orange juice commercials, there’s an incredible amount of hard work in anything that involves trees. Not only that, but some situations can even be dangerous. Today we’re going to take a look at some nursery and orchard supplies that it’s imperative to keep on hand.

Gloves

There are dozens of reasons that an employee might need gloves when working at a nursery. Sometimes it’s when they’re using sharp implements such as shears, loppers, or saws. Other times it’s because they’re using tools all day long and want to prevent blisters. Of course, it’s also vitally important to protect an employee’s hands when they’re spraying chemicals. Frostproof carries an excellent selection of nitrile and natural rubber gloves.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to wear gloves when nursery workers are using budding and grafting knives. These knives should be kept very sharp in order to make the proper cuts in plants and prevent any tears in the bark. But a sharp knife can also do more damage to naked fingers, so it’s a good idea to work with gloves if at all possible when budding or grafting is occurring.

Remember, an employee who has damaged hands today isn’t going to be much use to the nursery or orchard tomorrow, so it’s very important to protect their hands from any kind of damage.

Chemical Protection

Doesn’t it seem like everything is out to kill your trees? If you work at a nursery, a fungus is attacking the leaves or the roots. If you work at an orchard, something is attacking the fruit. If you’re going to stay in business, spraying them is a necessity.

But it’s also a necessity to keep your employees safe, and that’s why we carry important nursery and orchard supplies while they spray chemicals. We have a variety of spray protection options, from chemical spray suits to aprons, eye protection and foot protection. Respirator masks might also be necessary, depending on the chemical being sprayed and the direction of the wind. Of course, we also have a selection of gloves that we mentioned above to protect the hands.

Back Protection

While we don’t offer back protection at Frostproof Growers Supply, we thought it best to bring it up. There’s a lot of heavy lifting that goes on at most nurseries, and you don’t want to put an employee out of commission for weeks just because they lifted a tree into a wheelbarrow. Make sure you keep back braces around as an essential nursery supply.

Helmets

Whether you run a nursery or an orchard, it’s always a good idea to keep some helmets on hand. At an orchard, you can protect employees from falling fruit. While the fruit might not be terribly dangerous, it could be a distraction that knocks them off their ladder.

At a nursery, it’s good to send employees out with a helmet if they have a saw in their hands. Cutting tree limbs might seem simple, but a branch could always come down on their heads. Check out our selection of hard pith helmets right here.

Protect Your Employees!

There are many reasons to protect the well-being of employees. It makes them more efficient workers, it lets them enjoy their jobs more, and it keeps OSHA off your backs. But more than anything, protecting a worker is simply the right thing to do.

If you manage anything having to do with trees or plants, it’s important to keep the right orchard and nursery supplies on hand. Click on those links above to get everything you need!