Do's and Don'ts for Lawn Mowing Safety

Lawn mowers are extremely dangerous to use and operate. A mower's blade can throw debris at a speed of 200 miles per hour, and gasoline has the explosive force of 33 sticks of dynamite. Emergency departments have to treat about 68,000 people with injuries from power lawn mowers every year, more than 9,000 of which are teens under the age of 18. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, injuries from lawn mowing include "deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, broken and dislocated bones, burns, and eye and other injuries." From the same source, "Older children and adolescents were most often hurt while cutting lawns as chores or as a way to earn money." Well, that certainly relates.

However, all these bad effects can hopefully be prevented by abiding by the following Do's and Don'ts:

DO'S

1. Wear closed-toe shoes, preferably thick boots, to protect your feet while mowing-- most definitely DO NOT mow barefoot or in sandals.

2. Wear close-fitting attire that has little chance of getting caught in the mower's machinery.

3. Wear long pants to protect your legs from objects ejaculating from underneath the mower.

4. Wear ear and eye protection.

5. Wear shoes with good enough traction to help prevent you from slipping. Losing your footing could result in you potentially messing up your body, the mower, and or the lawn you are working on.

6. Read the operating manual for the lawn mower you are using.

7. Make sure that your mower can run over fixed objects around the yard (like sprinkler heads, for example) without the blade hitting them before passing your mower over these things. If it doesn't work out, just mow around the obstacle.

8. Make sure your mower works well and is in good condition before mowing.

9. Shut off your mower if it starts smoking. Smoke means that something is WAY hotter than it is supposed to be or something is burning.

10. Keep all four wheels in contact with the ground, because debris could fly up and hit you. According to a study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the majority of lawn mowing injuries occur because of debris being throw from underneath the lawn mower. Many people are hurt by this because not only can the person operating the mower get injured, but also bystanders.

11. Stay with your mower when it is running.

12. Position the wheel height BEFORE you start the mower.

13. Stop the mower when you want to clean out the discharge shoot.

14. Always inform someone of where you are while you are mowing, just in case a problem arises.

15. Search for miscellaneous items lying around the yard before you mow, because these objects (toys, etc.) can be broken up and thrown by your mower if you run over them.

16. Before mowing, search for holes which you might step in. Not only could you twist your ankle, you could also lose control of the mower, causing problems.

17. Be sure that children and pets are far, far away from your mower when it is running.

18. Employ a mower with a control that stops itself when the handle is not in use.

19. Start and refuel your mower OUTSIDE.

20. Keep your mower's blade sharp.

DON'TS

1. Never mow down a steep slope because you could easily slip, causing your foot to get wedged between the fast-spinning blade. Either push the mower up the hill or, the best option, push your mower across, although this pattern isn't always possible. If you think a slope too steep to mow safely, ask your client about it.

2. Don't allow grass or other debris to build up on your mower. The blade or the engine have the potential to light those things on fire.

3. Don't mow with a leaking gas tank. It is a fire hazard to you and to the grass.

4. Never have more than one person on a riding mower. If one of you falls off, major injury could very likely occur.

5. Don't leave your mower running when you are crossing pavement. Objects can be flung WAY faster on that kind of surface.

6. Don't touch a hot engine. Although occasionally fun to pop, blisters get annoying after a bit.

7. Don't empty the grass-catching bag while the mower is running. The grass will go all over the place in a disorderly way. However, more importantly, you never want to put your fingers near a moving blade.

8. Don't use your mower for something it was not made for.

9. Don't alter your mower to boost the engine's power or increase the rotation speed of the blade. This will NOT make your job easier, rather, it will only make your job more hazardous.

10. Never eliminate a safety feature from your mower.

11. Never overfill your gas tank. If you do accidentally spill gas, clean it up.

12. Don't put gas in you mower while it is going. Putting gas in a hot mower could just in general start a fire. Don't do it.

13. Don't mow in the dark. Not only is it dangerous, you probably will do a horrendous job anyway.

14. Don't mow on wet grass because you could slip and fall.

15. Don't mow when there is thunder and lightening.

Lawn mowing can be very dangerous, but if you follow the above tips, you will most likely be fine. Above all, use common sense. If something you are doing or thinking about doing seems like it might be dangerous, stop and reflect on how many fingers could be lost as a result of the action. Good luck mowing lawns safely.

Further Reading:
http://www.juniorbiz.com/lawn-mowing/13-lawn-mowing-safety-tips
http://www.aap.org/family/tipplawn.htm
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/06/17/health-tip-lawn-mowing-safety.html
http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/health-tips/mowing-safety-3-2007.html
http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1097.pdf

Labels: Equipment, Spring/Summer