The Providence and Saint John Emergency Room Physicians urge caution and common sense when using lawn mowers or other powerful lawn tools. The American College of Emergency Physicians offer the following safety tips:
- Wear shoes, not sandals. Keep all exposed skin away from the moving blade.
- Pick up anything that could cause injury it’s tossed, like stones, toys, sticks, etc.
- As mentioned above, but worth repeating — keep young kids under the age of 12 away from lawn mowers. Never allow them to play with them, even if they are powered off and never allow them to ride with you.
- Never make adjustments to a lawn mower blade while it is running.
- Wear protective eye and hearing protection.
- Make sure the mower is completely powered down before removing grass catcher or crossing a gravel road.
- Properly maintain a lawn mower regularly making sure it is in good, safe working condition.
- Use a stick or broom handle to remove debris in a lawn mower, not your hands or feet. Hands or feet should never touch the blade under any circumstances.
- Never remove safety devices, guards or switches.
- Never leave a lawn mower unattended while running.
- Don’t drink alcohol before operating a lawn mower