Lawn mowing: it’s a familiar experience that some find mundane, and others, a serene and tranquil pastime. Whatever your opinion, it’s an essential bit of maintenance if you have a garden.
For some, however, a day in the garden can result in injury if the right precautions aren’t taken. With around 300,000 people every year suffering serious injuries as a result of gardening accidents, every green-fingered mower should make sure to take care.
Whether you’re a lawn pattern pro or the owner of a more basic push mower, following some of our essential safety tips could help you stay unscathed in the garden.
Avoid wet conditions
We’ve all been there: the lawn’s been neglected for a while, it’s your only opportunity to treat it to a much-needed chop, and it’s raining outside. While it may be tempting to give the garden a quick once-over, it’s best to steer well clear. Mowing in wet conditions forces grass to stick to the underside of the mower,which can clog up the rotary deck – a nightmare for those steering something a little heftier, like a ride-on mower. But it isn’t just your precious mower that’ll be put through the motions, the grass will clump together, causing an uneven cut and ruts in the lawn, leading to water-logging. Add the potential threat of fungal problems and a labour intensive session of to-ing and fro-ing, and it makes sense to wait until the clouds have parted. Plus, water and electricity aren’t the best of chums.
Avoid mowing gravel
While it may seem obvious, gravel and lawn mowers don’t mix. Moving over a gravel driveway while the blades are engaged can cause them to blunt, chip and even break. There’s also the possibility of small chunks of rock being propelled into cars, or even worse, people. So, if you’re mowing a patch of grass that has gravel next to it, make sure there are no passers-by or vehicles in close vicinity. To avoid flinging debris at your neighbours, too, it’s best to give your garden a once over before mowing, removing anything untoward. This could include twigs, woodchips or even stray toys!
Wear appropriate clothing
It’s estimated that around 6,500 people around the UK are injured every year by lawn mowers. Some of these injuries include cuts, lacerations and,in the worst cases, amputations,caused by unprotected limbs touching the sharp blades of the lawn mower. With some of Husqvarna’s engines packing upwards of 2900 rpm, it pays to make sure your body is appropriately covered before heading out into the garden.
Make sure to wear long, thick trousers that’ll protect your legs from flying rocks and debris. This also means wearing close-toed shoes –no, flip flops aren’t acceptable – to prevent the mower from coming into contact with your toes. Not only this, but sandals and exposed shoes are less sturdy, meaning you’re more likely to trip or stumble onto something extremely hot or sharp.
It’s also a good idea to protect your hands from excessive vibration, especially if you’re used to spending lengthy periods in the garden. Investing in a pair of protective gloves can help to reduce the chances of ailments like vibration white finger, and the same goes for eye and ear protectors.
Keep tiny feet away
For those who have little ones, you’ll know they can be inquisitive souls – no more so than in the garden. However, allowing tiny feet to roam free while mowing could have devastating consequences. It’s estimated that around 110,000 children a year are involved in gardening accidents that are serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. While you may be sure of your child’s whereabouts in the garden, there is always the threat of loose debris. To ensure no children are harmed while you mow, it’s safest to make sure they are kept inside until you’ve finished. This enables you to mow without distraction – also reducing the risk of harming yourself – and avoids children sneaking into range of sharp blades and hot engines.
Tidy up cords
If your lawn mower has a long cable, it’s important to make sure that it’s arranged tidily and carefully looked after. With a third of all gardeners having had an electrical accident in the garden, it’s worth taking extra precautions to make sure you minimise your own chances of an electric shock. One way to do this is to check the condition of extension leads, connections and cables before heading out to the garden. Try storing them somewhere out of reach of small animals and damp conditions, to avoid having them damaged. If you really want to ensure your safety, try fitting an RCD (Residual Current Device). This will break the circuit from the mains should you accidentally cut through the cable.
Push, don’t pull
If there’s a small patch of grass in an awkward spot, it can be tempting to jolt the lawn mower around and pull it back on itself. As infuriating as this patch of grass might be, don’t. If you pull a lawn mower backwards, it’s difficult to see any objects lurking in your close vicinity that could possibly result in trips and falls. This is especially true if you have children in the garden. Moving the lawn mower in a forward motion gives you much more stability and control, allowing you to spot any potential dangers or rogue objects first.
Avoid being burnt
If you’re the type of person who likes to single-handedly fix a problem, this tip’s for you. Before you try and unblock a lawn mower or inspect a faulty engine, make sure you let everything cool down first, and allow time for the blades to completely stop. While this may sound obvious, it’s easy to burn skin on an overworked engine, gas tank or exhaust. This also means refraining from refuelling a petrol tank shortly after use, and allowing plenty of time before removing the grass catcher or unclogging the discharge chute. As previously mentioned, you can also prevent burning your skin on an engine by making sure to wear long trousers and close-toed shoes.
Have you got a lawn mower safety tip to add, or a story you think people could learn from? Let us know in the comment section!
Sources:
https://greensocks.com.au/10-lawnmower-safety-tips/
http://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/top-ten-mower-safety-tips/view-all
http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/news-and-campaigns/press-releases/2014/08/poor-safety-advice-lands-thousands-of-gardeners-in-hospital-a-year
http://www.safetyhorizonsw.com/garden-accidents-avoid-summer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/safety_prevent_accidents.shtml
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Raynauds-phenomenon/Pages/Causes.aspx
My spouse and I been trying really hard to keep our lawn pretty lush and green this year and we need help doing that. I think it’s a great idea to try and avoid the rain because it clumps the grass together and makes it harder to mow. We don’t have a lot of time to do yard work anymore so I think it’s a great idea to just hire some professionals that can tackle this for us.
For the garden maintaining it needs some tools. Especially for lawn maintains lawn mowers are made our job easy and quick.