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Mowing the Lawn is Not Child's Play
With the summer break from school, many children will take on a familiar
chore—mowing the lawn.
Whether it’s to help their parents mow the backyard
or a summer job to earn money, this routine task can be dangerous for
children and adults alike if proper safety precautions are not taken.
Each year, approximately 68,000 persons---more than
9,000 are children younger than 18 years---are treated in emergency
rooms for injuries caused by power mowers.
“The power lawn mower is one of the most dangerous tools around the home, but
many children view it as a potential toy—resulting in thousands of debilitating
injures every year,” said Dr. Anatole Karpovs, pediatrician a the Children's Clinic
of SWLA. “Lawn mower injures often include deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, limb
amputations, broken and dislocated bones, burns, and eye injuries.
Most of these injuries can be prevented by
following a few simple safety tips.”
Karpovs offers the following tips from the
American
Academy of Pediatrics:
- Children
should be at least 12 years old before they operate any lawn mower, and at least 16 years
old for a ride-on mower
- Children
should never be passengers on ride-on mowers.
- Always wear
sturdy shoes while mowing—not sandals.
- Young
children should be at a safe distance from the area you are mowing.
- Before
mowing, pick up stones, toys and debris from the lawn to prevent injuries from flying
objects.
- Always wear
eye and hearing protection.
- Use a mower
with a control that stops it from moving forward if the handle is released.
- Never pull
backward or mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary—carefully look for others
behind you when you do.
- Start and
refuel mowers outdoors—not in a garage.
Refuel
with the motor turned off and cool.
- Blade
settings should be set by an adult only.
- Wait for
blades to stop completely before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge
chute, or crossing gravel roads.
“It’s
important that people take their time when mowing the lawn, and teach kids at an early age
to stay clear of these machines when they are running,” Karpovs said. “Often,
children with severe lawn mower-related injuries must endure painful reconstructive
operations to restore form and function. So many of these tragic injuries are avoidable by
taking a few simple precautions.”
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