4 Lawn Mowing Safety Tips Every Lawnmower Should Know
According to the US consumer product safety commission, over 300,000 adults and 20,000 children are injured by lawnmowers every year. Lawnmower injuries range from minor cuts and burns to broken bones and amputations.
Due to the risks involved, it’s paramount that you be cautious when mowing your lawn. To reduce the risks of injury, you need to observe these lawn mowing safety tips:
Work with a properly maintained lawn mower
A poorly maintained mower improperly cuts the grass thus giving your lawn an ugly look. The machine also makes your work harder. Since it’s rare that the machine will have all the protective parts in place, it puts you at the risk of being hit by stones, sticks, and other materials when mowing.
There are many ways of keeping your lawn mower in top condition:
Clean the lawn mower regularly: When you regularly clean the lawn mower you keep it looking good. You also get rid of harmful bacteria that might damage the lawn mower parts. After each use, you should brush the lawn mower using a rag or whisk broom. After it has stopped running completely, reach under the deck and remove the caked grass that might be there.
You also should give your lawn mower a good cleaning a few times a year. When you aren’t mowing, empty the gas tank and turn the mower on its side. You should remove any debris that might have caked on the mower deck or wrapped around the blades.
For a cleaner look, spray the underside with a garden hose and scrub it with a soft brush. Once you are done, rinse it.
Sharpen the lawn mower blades: You should keep the mower blades sharp all the time. Remember, a dull blade shreds the tips of the grass blades and cuts grass unevenly. This gives your lawn a beige cast that is ugly to look at. You can sharpen lawn mower blades with a grinder wheel or file. After sharpening the blades, balance them.
Inspect the lawn mower regularly: You don’t have to inspect the lawn mower only when you are mowing the lawn. It should be a habit where you should inspect and fix any issues it might be having. When inspecting the machine, be on the lookout for worn out or damaged belts, old air filters, and dirty or old spark plugs. If you want to do some more maintenance for your mower yourself take a look at Homegearexpert.
Operate the mower correctly
It’s pointless having a lawn mower in mint condition if you don’t operate it properly. When you don’t operate the machine properly you risk hurting yourself and others around. You also fail to mow the lawn properly.
You shouldn’t mow gravel. When crossing over a gravel driveway, disengage the blades. Do you live on a gravel road? You should mow the grass near the gravel when there are no pedestrians or cars passing by.
It’s common to be tempted to pull the lawnmower towards you especially when there is an obstruction in front. You should avoid doing this at all costs. In the event, you slip when pulling the lawn mower, you can pull the machine on top of you, which can be catastrophic.
It’s wise to add enough gas to the lawn mower before you start mowing. If you have to add more while lawn mowing, be cautious of the hot state of the engine. The engine can not only burn you, it can also start a fire.
When adding fuel, ensure that the engine has completely cooled down. You also should ensure that there are no other ignition sources such as cigarettes that can ignite the fuel vapors.
Sticks, grass clumps, debris, and other materials will get caught in the lawn mower blades. Never use your hands to remove the obstructions. The best way of going about it is to switch off the lawn mower blades and use a stick to remove the blocking material.
When mowing, pay attention to the condition of the terrain. Exercise caution when mowing hills and slopes. Mow across slopes with a push lawn mower. This is to avoid pulling the lawn mower over your feet in the event you slip.
When it comes to mowing up and down the slopes, use a riding mower. This is to prevent the mower from tipping over.
Dress the part
You should wear the right footwear. Avoid sandals as they are less stable, putting you at the risk of slipping, tripping, or stumbling, causing you to get into contact with the lawn mower moving parts or even the hot parts of the machine.
Sandals also tend to increase the chances of stubbing or pinching your toe when riding a zero-turn or riding mower.
The center for disease control and prevention reports that listening to sounds over 85 dB for a long time puts you at the risk of suffering from hearing damage. Did you know lawn mowers produce more than 100 dB? To protect yourself from the noise, wear hearing protection for lawn mowing. More on hearing protectors.
You should also wear long pants to protect your legs and high-quality gloves to protect your hands.
Watch out for the kids
Children are injured when adults aren’t keen when lawn mowing, or they are allowed to operate the lawn mower unsupervised. You should teach the children to stay away from the lawn mower all the time, even when it’s not in use.
When mowing, don’t allow a child or passenger to rid with you. Plenty of accidents have been reported when children spectators are hit by flying objects ejected from the lawn mower. They are also hit by the lawnmower. You should keep the children away all the time.
When turning around blind spots on a rider mower, be extra careful. Also be cautious when backing up to avoid hitting any children.