Ah, spring! The bees are buzzing, the flowers are blooming and the lawn is growing. Time to break out the mower on almost a weekly basis. But wait! Danger, in the form of flying debris, lurks.
According to a study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, injured mower operators account for a significant portion of annual emergency visits. A nine-year study showed an average of a whopping 74,000 emergency visits each year! People over age 60 had the highest incidence of mower injuries.
Below are some tips.
Still, I couldn’t help but notice “Avoid alcohol indulgence while mowing” something I remember along my neighborhood block while growing up in rural North Texas isn’t mentioned. Guess that should be a given.
– Use safety goggles
-Wear protective gloves when changing mower blades
-Wear close-toed shoes with good gripped soles
-Keep others out of the yard
-Be mindful of the physical stress of mowing the lawn, especially if you have a history of pain onset by intense labor
-Do not mow wet grass
-Do not service mower while it is running
-Keep children under the age of 15 from riding and playing near lawn mowers