Advice on Lawnmower Safety

Well, it’s only the first week in April, and my grass has been mowed three times already due to the warm weather and abundance of rain this year. Lawn mowing is such a mundane and routine task that we seldom stop to think about what we are doing, unless it’s to think about how hot it is, how thirsty we are, how our muscles are aching and how much longer until the job is done. What we are probably NOT thinking about is the degree of danger we are subjecting ourselves to, as well as our family members and neighbors and pets, if they are outside while the mowing is taking place. Several years ago, one of my daughters was mowing her grass and found a hidden rock with the lawnmower blade. The rock was hurled across the yard and through the back window of her car, shattering the glass. Fortunately, there were no children, pets, or neighbors nearby, so no injuries occurred. This is a good reminder about the power and danger of a lawnmower. If you stop and think about it, you’re operating a machine with five or six horsepower (or more) turning a heavy steel blade at 3000 RPM that is just inches away from your feet and legs (and hands and fingers if you dare). Is it any wonder people get hurt? And it’s not just a few people, it’s thousands every year. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 9,300 young people (age 20 or under) are injured every year by lawnmowers, and one-third of these injuries are in children under the age of 12 years. The injuries range from lacerations, broken bones, amputations and a multitude of injuries suffered as a result of projectiles thrown from lawnmowers.

Lawnmowers have been a source of concern for safety advocates. In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics established guidelines for safe lawn mowing…

In spite of these suggestions, the incidence of lawnmower injuries has not declined in the years 2004 to 2013.  Follow this link to read an interesting update on lawn mower safety,..