Mower safety tips you should follow
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 234,000 people were treated in a clinic or emergency department, or were admitted to the hospital, for lawn mower-related injuries in 2012. More than 17,900 of them were children under age 18. Approximately one-third of lawn mower-related injuries were serious enough to be treated in an emergency department. When it comes to mower safety hazards most often associated with riding equipment are blade contact and loss of stability. Based on incidents reported to CPSC, an annual average of about 90 deaths is attributed to riding mowers. Fatal incidents have several common patterns. One being the machine tips over and the victim falls under, or is run over. Incidents involving young children are in this category. Or the victim is thrown from or falls off the machine.
Lawn mower safety and injury prevention tips include:
- Only use a mower with a control that automatically stops the mower blade whenever the handle is released.
- Children should be at least 12 years of age before operating a push mower, and age 16 to operate a riding mower.
- Make sure that sturdy shoes (not sandals or sneakers) are worn while mowing.
- Prevent injuries from flying objects, such as stones or toys, by picking up objects from the lawn before mowing begins. Anyone using a mower (or in the vicinity) should wear polycarbonate protective eyewear at all times.
- Always turn off the mower and wait for the blades to stop completely before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge chute, inspecting/repairing lawn mower equipment, or crossing gravel paths, roads, or other areas.
- Use a stick or broom handle (not your hand or foot) to remove debris in lawn mowers.
- Do not allow children to ride as passengers on riding mowers and keep children out of the yard while mowing.
- Keep lawn mowers in good working condition. When using a lawn mower for the first time in a season, have it serviced to ensure that it is working correctly.
The CPSC Fact sheet has other excellent safety tips.
Here is a nice info-graphic from Bradley Mowers.
More on Mower safety in the workplace click below.