These are the categories worth walking through.
01Equipment
Lawn mower
Before each season and after any significant impact, check the blade for cracks or bends. A cracked blade on a rotary mower is a projectile hazard. Remove the spark plug before reaching under the deck to clear debris or adjust the blade — the engine can turn over even when off if the blade is bumped. Blade-brake clutch systems on newer mowers are worth the premium.
Trimmer and edger
Inspect the cutting head for cracks and confirm the line or blade guard is intact. Eye protection is not optional for string trimmer use — line at operating speed launches debris with real force.
Chainsaw
If you own a chainsaw, confirm the chain brake is functional, the chain is sharp (a dull chain requires more force and increases kickback risk), and the chain tension is correct before each use. Chainsaw injuries are almost uniformly the result of kickback and are almost uniformly preventable with proper technique and maintained equipment.
Ladder
Any ladder used for exterior tree work or gutter cleaning should be rated for your weight plus equipment, placed on stable ground at the correct angle (1 foot out for every 4 feet of height), and stabilized at the top. A ladder on soft ground on a slope is the setup for a fall.
02Chemical Storage
Pesticides and herbicides
All pesticide and herbicide concentrates should be stored in their original, labeled containers in a locked cabinet or location not accessible to children or pets. A mislabeled or unlabeled container is a poison control problem waiting to happen.
Fertilizers
Ammonium nitrate fertilizers (common in lawn products) are oxidizers. Keep them away from flammable liquids, petroleum products, and any heat source. Store in a cool, dry location in original containers.
Pool chemicals
If you have a pool, chlorine tablets, shock, and pH adjusters should be stored separately from each other and from any fuel, solvent, or organic material. Chlorine and fuel contact can ignite without a spark.
03Water Features and Irrigation
Standing water
Any container, decorative basin, or low spot in the yard that holds standing water for more than 72 hours is a mosquito breeding environment. Inspect weekly during warm months and eliminate standing water where possible.
Irrigation system backflow preventer
If you have an in-ground irrigation system, a backflow preventer protects the potable water supply from irrigation water infiltration. Have it tested annually by a licensed irrigator — it's a 15-minute test that's required by code in most municipalities.
Decorative water features
Any water feature deep enough to submerge a small child's face — roughly 2 inches of standing water — is a drowning hazard in households with children under 5. Drain decorative features when unsupervised or install a barrier.
04General
Slope stability
A retaining wall that is leaning, cracking at the joints, or showing signs of soil movement behind it should be evaluated before the wall fails. A retaining wall failure takes whatever was being retained with it.
Underground utilities
Before any digging — for fence posts, garden beds, tree planting, or irrigation trenching — call 811 (in the US) to have underground utilities marked. Gas, electrical, water, and telecommunications lines are buried at varying depths and are not always where you'd expect them.
Lighting
Exterior path lighting and step lighting addresses both trip hazards and security. Motion-activated lighting at entries and along walkways is the minimum. Dark steps without lighting are the most predictable exterior fall hazard.
At the start of each outdoor season. Before any significant landscape project. After any storm that involved high wind, heavy rain, or hail that may have damaged equipment or created drainage problems.
Ray Torres is a home safety writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. He writes about the slow, quiet hazards in residential buildings — the ones that have been sitting slightly wrong for long enough that nobody notices them anymore.