In addition to routine watering and fertilizing of your lawn, mowing also goes a long way when it comes to enhancing the look of your home’s landscape. Regular mowing helps you avoid pests, clear away debris, and breathes new life into your yard. However, did you also know that ignoring important lawn mower safety practices could land you in the emergency room? To ensure that you’re mowing safely, follow these tips:
Carefully select the right mower for you
Before purchasing a mower, make sure you remember to view options from a well-established company. Like with any other product, you will always reap unique benefits from more reputable brands. Besides their aesthetically pleasing designs and modern technology, consider their added safety features as well.
We are not trying to demean other lesser known brands, as some of them do have some excellent products. But when it comes to putting lawn mower safety features, we believe that tried and tested brands are your best bet.
Always wear safety gear when mowing your lawn
Experts advise that you should always wear protective attire any time you mow your lawn in order to minimize any chance of injury. These include a hard hat, safety glasses, respirators, earplugs, gloves, a coat, long pants, and a tough pair of shoes.
Of course it’s not something they have to stress every time they give a talk, right? But they do! This tells you that donning protective gear is vital. So don’t mow while exposed.
Cut the grass only when your lawn is DRY
Remember, it’s not all about having healthy grass. Your health is way more important than that of your lawn. By respecting the very basics of electric/electronic devices, remember that electricity should never interact with water. This is a crucial aspect of lawn mower safety.
Also note that wet grass is more slippery, which may further increase your risk of injury. Even if you have a reel mower, it’s still best to mow grass when it’s dry.
You should only mow your lawn during the day
Even if you are always busy during the day, do not mow at night. Now perhaps you are saying, “My home is well-lit! I am safe.”
Well, remember you are operating a heavy machine — the possibility of tripping and falling is pretty high. Besides, we never know what can happen when the lights go out at an unexpected moment.
Keep child child away from the lawn when mowing
We know some children love being involved and even helping with chores around the house, but this task is not one in which your child should be involved. Statistics from the AJEM show that 1641 cases of underage children (younger than five years) experienced injuries from mowers in 2017.
While keeping children away from the lawn while you’re mowing is important, it’s also vital that you teach them about the dangers of this kind of equipment. That way, they are more likely to stay safe even when they are playing, and also when you are not at home.
Do some cleaning prior to mowing
There could be some debris, rocks, and other hard materials that can easily harm you or others once they come in contact with high-speed mower blades. Even if you’re wearing your safety gear, you can’t predict the speed or direction at which dangerous objects may fly or hit you.
WARNING: Don’t refuel during, or immediately after mowing
Lawn mowers use gas, oil, or fuel in order to run their engines. And of course, since these are highly flammable fluids, we often expect that they can easily burn out when exposed, right? So before refueling, be sure that your mower has been turned off for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Final Thoughts
We hope that by reviewing the lawn mower safety tips above,you will remember to be extra careful when mowing your lawn in the future. The health and safety of ourselves and those around us are what matter most, as well as that of our handy mowers. You may not have been following some of these tips in the past, but we hope you will remember them going forward.Luckily, these tips are pretty easy to follow. As long as you take the time to be a bit more vigilant, you’ll be able to enjoy your lawn safely
For more helpful insights and tips about your small engine, or if you’re looking for a reliable service repair shop, please visit Greg’s Small Engine.
