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Lawn Mowing Safety



Lawn Mowing Safety Ah spring . . . the whirring of lawnmowers . . . the smell of fresh cut grass . . . the sirens of ambulances carrying the injured away . . . According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year, 800 children are run over by riding lawn mowers or small tractors and more than 600 of those incidents result in amputation; 75 people are killed and 20,000 injured . . . one in five deaths involves child . . . More than 80,000 people go to the emergency room each year because of lawn mower injuries . . . leading cause of injuries is debris thrown by the blades . . . in a single year 810 people were treated in Ontario emergency rooms for injuries caused by lawnmowers . . . in the main men . . . children younger than 15 and adults over 60 predominate . . . 70% of people use gas-fueled mowers, 15% electric, and just 4% use a manual-propelled mower.
The statistics continue to reveal the ghastly toll extracted by what, in the main, is simply stupidity and negligence. On an average day in the United States, 13 children receive emergency treatment for a lawn mower related injury. That adds up to almost 4800 children injured each year. Scared of terrorists? Lawnmowers kill 69 Americans annually on average. In comparison Just two Americans are killed by jihadi terrorists in most years. We need all the readers we can get! So please don't become a statistic yourself. Follow these simple procedures:
  • Walk the Yard: remove all debris such as sticks, pebbles, toys prior to commence mowing
  • Clear the Area: no children, pets or irresponsible persons
  • Avoid Steep Slopes: dangerous enough using a deck mower, suicidal operating a ride-on machine
  • Safety Boots, Glasses: eye injuries from flying debris, toes and feet sliced sliding under mowers are all too common; they may not be comfortable especially in warm weather, but these protect from such disasters
  • Servicing Safety: never, ever fuel a warm machine; remove spark plugs, or disconnect cables from electric machines, before cleaning and sharpening blades
  • Lawnmowers Are Not Toys: ban their use by children and young teens--period
  • No Alcohol or Drugs: afterwards if you wish, never before and certainly not while operating any lawn mower or power equipment

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Wes Porter -- Bio and Archives

Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.


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