Lawnmowers are a valuable tool in any self-respecting gardener’s arsenal. But just how informed are you about the safety side of lawnmowers?
Extensive research carried out in the United States at the turn of the millennium gave some harrowing and eye-opening statistics into just how dangerous lawnmowers can be, especially in regards to children.
Figures such as 9,400 children require emergency care each year in the US alone due to lawnmowers is staggering. 25% of these cases involve children under the age of five and 75% of these cases involve males.
Horror stories involving amputations and, in some cases, fatalities, are not strange when it comes to referencing children and lawnmowers. That is a good enough reason why parents and homeowners must be informed of this potential hazard.
Prevention
When it comes to mowing a lawn, simple prevention methods can make all the difference in ensuring the safety of your child. Ensuring children are indoors and not allowed to play in the area where you are mowing the lawn is important in preventing injuries. Flying objects are also a common cause of injury among children and teaching your children to stay indoors when the lawnmower is in use will reduce the risk.
Another important lesson is what age to allow your child to mow the lawn at. This is not age-specific but it is vital to ensure your child has the required level of judgment, co-ordination, control and maturity.
The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children should be at least 12 years old to operate a walk-behind mower, while 16 years old is the preferred age for operating a ride-on mower. It is also strongly advised that an adult supervises the child until they are 100% certain that they are capable of doing the job themselves. Teaching your child about this topic is vital in ensuring your child is fully aware of the dangers of lawnmowers well before they begin cutting lawns, as it raises their awareness of the dangers. Accident levels increase with reckless behaviour and such education can reduce this kind of behaviour, hence reducing the risk.
Children should be prohibited at all times from playing on lawnmowers, be it in operation or in storage, and it is recommended that no children should be allowed accompany an adult as a passenger on a ride-on mower.
Safety guide to lawn mowing
These precautionary measures also extend to adults. The following are guidelines for before, during and after you cut your lawn, to maximise safety and minimise the risk involved with cutting your lawn.
Before
Inspect the garden and pick up any toys, stones or debris that could get picked up and flung by the mower.Ensure the grass catcher as well as the protective guards and shields are secured correctly before turning on the engine.Always start the mower outdoors, never in the garage.Use protective gear, such as eye protection and ear muffs.During
Do not mow in reverse. But if it is necessary, inspect the situation beforehand to ensure it is completely safe to do so.If your garden is on a hill, mow across the slope of the garden, provided it’s not too steep, never up and down.If your mower strikes an object, turn it off and inspect it. If it is damaged, do not use it again until it is repaired.After
Turn off your mower completely before you cross a gravel path or a roadway.Do not remove the grass catcher unless the engine is fully off.Do not try to unclog the discharge chute unless the mower is fully off.Use the stick of a broom to remove objects stuck in the lawnmower. (Removing objects stuck in the blade could lead to the blade continuing to spin, causing injury).It may also be fruitful to carry out regular maintenance on your lawnmower to ensure it is in good working order. This will lead to fewer problems, both from a safety and operational sense.The Potential Power of Lawnmowers
A lawnmower can eject a piece of wood or metal at 160km/hr (100mph).The energy transferred by a typical lawnmower blade is equivalent to being shot in the hand with a .357 Magnum pistol.The rotating speed of the lawn mower blade can cause dirt to be transferred deep into a wound, resulting in severe infection. Key Points for Safety Ensure young children are out of danger.Children using lawnmowers must be the correct age.Use protective gear.Pick up toys, stones and debris from the garden.Consider the terrain.Refuel when motor is off and cooled.DO NOT mow in reverse.DO NOT remove grass from a clogged chute or catcher unless the motor is off.Age Children Should Use Lawnmowers
12 years old: Before a child should be allowed to operate a push mower.16 years old: Before they should be allowed operate a ride-on mower.Dr Patricia Eadie’s advice
Consultant plastic surgeon Dr Patricia Eadie told Irish Country Living about some of her experiences of operating on injuries caused by lawnmowers.
“We would have seen some horror injuries over the years, especially in relation to ride-on lawnmowers. Oftentimes, they are caused when parents let small children sit with them on ride-on mowers and the child falls off,” she told the Irish Country Living.
“The injury from the moving blade is very severe. I have seen cases where a child has had their arm amputated, all the fingers amputated and a case where a child had all their toes removed,” said Dr Eadie.
“This time of the year always sees an increase in these types of injuries. For example, in 2013, in the six-week period around this time of the year, we saw four cases of lawnmower injuries.”
“It is important to follow the advice of experts and keep your children inside when you are mowing the lawn or, at the very least, have supervision from another adult. Accidents like this are completely avoidable,” said Dr Eadie.
Lawnmowers are a valuable tool in any self-respecting gardener’s arsenal. But just how informed are you about the safety side of lawnmowers?
Extensive research carried out in the United States at the turn of the millennium gave some harrowing and eye-opening statistics into just how dangerous lawnmowers can be, especially in regards to children.
Figures such as 9,400 children require emergency care each year in the US alone due to lawnmowers is staggering. 25% of these cases involve children under the age of five and 75% of these cases involve males.
Horror stories involving amputations and, in some cases, fatalities, are not strange when it comes to referencing children and lawnmowers. That is a good enough reason why parents and homeowners must be informed of this potential hazard.
Prevention
When it comes to mowing a lawn, simple prevention methods can make all the difference in ensuring the safety of your child. Ensuring children are indoors and not allowed to play in the area where you are mowing the lawn is important in preventing injuries. Flying objects are also a common cause of injury among children and teaching your children to stay indoors when the lawnmower is in use will reduce the risk.
Another important lesson is what age to allow your child to mow the lawn at. This is not age-specific but it is vital to ensure your child has the required level of judgment, co-ordination, control and maturity.
The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children should be at least 12 years old to operate a walk-behind mower, while 16 years old is the preferred age for operating a ride-on mower. It is also strongly advised that an adult supervises the child until they are 100% certain that they are capable of doing the job themselves. Teaching your child about this topic is vital in ensuring your child is fully aware of the dangers of lawnmowers well before they begin cutting lawns, as it raises their awareness of the dangers. Accident levels increase with reckless behaviour and such education can reduce this kind of behaviour, hence reducing the risk.
Children should be prohibited at all times from playing on lawnmowers, be it in operation or in storage, and it is recommended that no children should be allowed accompany an adult as a passenger on a ride-on mower.
Safety guide to lawn mowing
These precautionary measures also extend to adults. The following are guidelines for before, during and after you cut your lawn, to maximise safety and minimise the risk involved with cutting your lawn.
Before
Inspect the garden and pick up any toys, stones or debris that could get picked up and flung by the mower.Ensure the grass catcher as well as the protective guards and shields are secured correctly before turning on the engine.Always start the mower outdoors, never in the garage.Use protective gear, such as eye protection and ear muffs.During
Do not mow in reverse. But if it is necessary, inspect the situation beforehand to ensure it is completely safe to do so.If your garden is on a hill, mow across the slope of the garden, provided it’s not too steep, never up and down.If your mower strikes an object, turn it off and inspect it. If it is damaged, do not use it again until it is repaired.After
Turn off your mower completely before you cross a gravel path or a roadway.Do not remove the grass catcher unless the engine is fully off.Do not try to unclog the discharge chute unless the mower is fully off.Use the stick of a broom to remove objects stuck in the lawnmower. (Removing objects stuck in the blade could lead to the blade continuing to spin, causing injury).It may also be fruitful to carry out regular maintenance on your lawnmower to ensure it is in good working order. This will lead to fewer problems, both from a safety and operational sense.The Potential Power of Lawnmowers
A lawnmower can eject a piece of wood or metal at 160km/hr (100mph).The energy transferred by a typical lawnmower blade is equivalent to being shot in the hand with a .357 Magnum pistol.The rotating speed of the lawn mower blade can cause dirt to be transferred deep into a wound, resulting in severe infection. Key Points for Safety Ensure young children are out of danger.Children using lawnmowers must be the correct age.Use protective gear.Pick up toys, stones and debris from the garden.Consider the terrain.Refuel when motor is off and cooled.DO NOT mow in reverse.DO NOT remove grass from a clogged chute or catcher unless the motor is off.Age Children Should Use Lawnmowers
12 years old: Before a child should be allowed to operate a push mower.16 years old: Before they should be allowed operate a ride-on mower.Dr Patricia Eadie’s advice
Consultant plastic surgeon Dr Patricia Eadie told Irish Country Living about some of her experiences of operating on injuries caused by lawnmowers.
“We would have seen some horror injuries over the years, especially in relation to ride-on lawnmowers. Oftentimes, they are caused when parents let small children sit with them on ride-on mowers and the child falls off,” she told the Irish Country Living.
“The injury from the moving blade is very severe. I have seen cases where a child has had their arm amputated, all the fingers amputated and a case where a child had all their toes removed,” said Dr Eadie.
“This time of the year always sees an increase in these types of injuries. For example, in 2013, in the six-week period around this time of the year, we saw four cases of lawnmower injuries.”
“It is important to follow the advice of experts and keep your children inside when you are mowing the lawn or, at the very least, have supervision from another adult. Accidents like this are completely avoidable,” said Dr Eadie.
SHARING OPTIONS