Always work safely in the garden

In autumn, DIY enthusiasts rely on professional-quality ladders, small scaffolding and work decks

The hot summer of 2024 is over and the most important work of the year begins for amateur gardeners and DIY enthusiasts: the house and garden need to be winterised. Home growers are bringing in the last of their fruit and vegetable harvest and trees and hedges are due for major pruning. If you want to work safely at height and avoid accidents, you should use functional tools and stable, safe climbing aids: The experts agree and clearly recommend the ‘Made in Germany’ seal of quality.

‘When the leaves turn colourful and it gets colder outside, the main work time in the garden and around the house begins for hobby gardeners. It is particularly important to pay attention to safety. After all, it's the leaves that should be falling in autumn - not the DIY enthusiasts. But accidents in the house and garden happen faster than you think,’ says Günzburger Steigtechnik expert Ferdinand Munk from Günzburg.

Lots of accidents happen

There are millions of accidents in German households every year. The lion's share of these are falls. This is shown in a study by the Robert Koch Institute. According to Munk, the cause is often inadequate equipment: ‘Many DIY enthusiasts buy the most expensive chainsaw or hedge trimmer. But if they then climb onto a rickety old ladder or completely unsuitable and unsafe makeshift equipment such as a beer crate, they are putting themselves in unnecessary danger,’ says Munk.

He is certain that anyone who relies on the latest quality products from specialist retailers when using ladders, scaffolding or work decks will work much more safely. This is because they fulfil all safety regulations.

What makes a ladder safe

Munk's tip: High-quality and safe ladders are characterised by robust step and rung stile connections and sufficiently large standing platforms. A flexible ladder shoe is also particularly important: thanks to 2-axis tilting technology, the entire surface of the shoe rests on the ground, ensuring maximum stability.

According to Munk, there is no way around specialist retailers: ‘They offer high-quality, “Made in Germany” climbing aids with a guarantee of up to 15 years. This way, users can be sure that all climbing aids comply with the applicable standards and regulations. DIY enthusiasts and hobby gardeners can also obtain expert advice from specialist retailers on which work equipment is the right choice for their application,’ says expert Munk.

Ideal for on the move: the foldable compact step stool

With an aluminium step stool, DIY enthusiasts can carry out work under the ceiling, on windows and walls particularly well and, above all, safely. Their conical design, eight-centimetre wide, ribbed steps and flexible ladder shoes ensure a high level of stability and safe footing. In addition to models that can be accessed from both sides, there are also stepladders that can be accessed from one side. Here, a safety platform with a high stile replaces the top step.

Quality made in Germany

MUNK Günzburger Steigtechnik's quality products have recently scored particularly well in product tests conducted by leading DIY magazines and have won several awards. For example, the handy and very stable ML ladder, the ML work platform as well as the flexible multi-purpose ladders and multi-purpose ladders with nivello ladder shoes including the 2-axis tilting technology.

‘Thanks to their versatility and high-quality safety features, ‘Made in Germany’ innovations are the ideal companions for a wide range of jobs around the home and garden. The more DIY enthusiasts and gardeners rely on professional tools in the future, the more the number of accidents in the home could fall significantly,’ emphasises Munk.