Quick Lawn Mower Safety Tips

June 14, 2017

Every time you mow the lawn, you’re operating a machine with sharp blades spinning at 160 miles per hour, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  The most common types of serious accidents with lawn mowers are rollovers and being caught in moving parts.  Fortunately, these accidents are preventable.

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Follow these quick tips to avoid being caught in moving parts:

• Wear protective clothing like safety glasses, long pants and closed-toe, non-slip shoes.  Loose-fitting clothes and jewelry are a no-no.
• Check over the area to be mowed.  A quick check can alert you to objects in your path that could potentially get stuck in the mower.
• Keep your hands and feet away from the blade.
• If you need to work under the mower, make sure to take precautions to keep the engine from starting.  You can disconnect the spark plug wire to do this.

Follow these quick tips to avoid rollover accidents:

• Don’t mow near drop offs, ditches, embankments or steep slopes.
• Avoid making sudden moves.
• Take turns slowly and make wide, gradual turns, especially on slopes.
• For riding lawn mowers, mow up and down slopes.  Do not mow across the slope.  Also keep the heavy end uphill to avoid a rollover.  For walk behind mowers, mow across slopes, not up and down.  This will keep you from sliding underneath the mower.

Injuries from lawn mowing accidents often result in bodily injury and property damage.  Speak with your local insurance agent to make sure you’re covered just in case.

Resources

http://www.jhsph.edu/news/stories/2011/healthy-monday-2011/06132011_mowing.html

https://www.osha.gov/dte/grant_materials/fy09/sh-19503-09/mowing-trimming_safety_manual.pdf

This blog entry is created for informational purposes only.  Any viewpoint or sponsorship of outside parties involved in the blog entry does not necessarily represent Goodville's stance as a company.  The blog should not be used as a substitute for professional advice.