Lawn Mower Safety

Each year, about 25,000 people are injured and 75 people, including 15 children, are killed in riding lawnmower accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lawn mower injuries can include deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, broken and dislocated bones, burns, and eye and other injuries.

At least 75 percent of the children involved in a ride-on mower accident lost a finger or toe and 50 percent of those injured lost either one or both legs, says a study of emergency room visits at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, MO. As a result of those accidents, from 1991-1996, eleven children died.

"Let me tell you, it's not the machine," says Dr. Chris Kennedy an attending physician at the hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. "The most common reason is a child who was joy riding with someone else and fell off. It's usually a parent, a grandparent, an aunt or another sibling. They have to live the rest of their lives knowing they inflicted a mutilating injury on a child."

According to Kennedy, if parents kept children off the mower and inside the house or out of the yard, the number of incidents would be drastically reduced. "We've been supporting an aggressive public awareness effort for years," says Bob Tracinski, a spokesman for the John Deere Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division in Raleigh, N.C. "Owners need to be aware that they should not take on passengers when operating lawn and garden tractors."

In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following safety tips.

• Only use a power mower with a control that stops the mower if the handle is let go. This control should never be disconnected.
• Do not allow children younger than 14 to use ride-on mowers. Do not allow children younger than 12 to use walk-behind mowers.
• Make sure that sturdy shoes (not sandals or sneakers) are worn while mowing.
• Prevent injuries from flying objects, such as stones or toys, by picking up objects from the lawn before mowing begins. Use a collection bag for grass clippings or a plate that covers the opening where cut grass is released. Have anyone who uses a mower wear protective eyewear.
• While the lawn is being mowed, keep others away to ensure their safety.
• Start and refuel the mowers outdoors, not in a garage or shed. Mowers should be refueled with the motor turned off and cool.
• Make sure that blade settings (to set the wheel height or dislodge debris) are done by an adult, with the mower off and the spark plug removed or disconnected.