Safe use of ground anchors

It is essential that anyone installing our ground anchors does so in a safe manner, to avoid damage and/or injury, both to themselves and to others.

Handling the anchors.

In order to be able to penetrate the ground reasonably easily, the anchors, like a drill or a chisel, have to be fairly sharp, therefore use appropriate gloves when handling them.

Hammering the anchors.

When hammering any metal object, there is always a chance a small chip could fly off, therefore always wear appropriate eye protection when hammering

Position of anchors in the ground

Never attempt to hammer an anchor into the ground unless you are sure there are no underground services nearby that could be damaged, examples of services would include: electrical cables, conduits, water pipes, gas pipes, heating oil pipes, drainage pipes, drains. Coming into contact with services could cause injury or death, especially with electrical cables.

Relying on the anchors.

The load that can safely be applied to an anchor varies considerably, factors that determine possible loadings include: anchor type and length, soil conditions, seasonal variations (mud in winter etc.), do not use the anchors where failure might cause unacceptable damage or injury. Do not use then to restrain zip wires.

Risk of injury.

Assess the risk of injury that could happen even if properly used, for example, avoid their use if they could present a tripping hazard, avoid siting them where someone, especially a child could fall onto them, for example: in an exposed position on a trampoline base.