There’s nothing more satisfying than a freshly mowed lawn. We all love the way short grass looks inviting, creates a perfect landscape for play and leisure, and keeps bugs in check — but don’t let summer be a season of mower mayhem. It’s all too easy to get tangled up in problems when taming a lawn. The first rule of lawn mower safety is to respect that you are dealing with a powerful and potentially dangerous machine that may weigh as much as you do.
Sharp blades, heavy weights, and moving parts are what give lawn mowers and other lawn maintenance tools their propensity to cause injury or damage. If this is your first summer as a homeowner, you may be eager to dive into lawn care. You may also be eager to learn the ways of DIY lawn maintenance to avoid the need to pay professionals. In this article, we’ll cover the hazards and important precautions everyone needs to know about to stay protected from serious mower accidents.
The Statistics Surrounding Lawn Mower Accidents
Mowers are ubiquitous in the summer. According to recent data, nearly 229 million Americans own some type of lawn or garden equipment. More than 9.6 million mowers shipped in 2021 alone in the United States.
While we often picture mowing the lawn in sunny scenarios, there is a dark side. A 2020 report reveals that lawnmowers kill more people than bears, sharks, or alligators each year. The average American is far more likely to be killed by a lawn mower than a venomous snake or spider.
So how many people are killed by lawnmowers each year? The total is around 90. However, many thousands are hurt by mowers. When researchers reviewed mower injuries treated in emergency rooms around the United States from 2005 to 2015 as part of a report published in 2018, they found an average of 84,944 people seek emergency care due to lawn mower incidents annually.
It gets even more troubling. Information shared by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) reveals that in 2019 around 3,000 children were treated in emergency rooms around the country due to lawn mower incidents. The AAOS reveals that these are the most common mower injuries across all age groups:
- Cuts caused by the sharp blade of the mower penetrating muscles, ligaments, tendons, or bones. While cuts can happen anywhere on the body, they are most common on the hands and feet.
- Burns caused by the hot engine, gas tank, or exhaust of a mower
- Broken bones or fractures caused by the rotating blades of a mower
Amputation of arms, legs, hands, or feet
Safety Tips Before You Start Your Lawn Mower
Completing a safety checklist before powering up is essential every single time you use your mower.
Put on the Proper Gear
While it’s tempting to mow the lawn in a bathing suit and sandals on a hot day, the wrong gear is dangerous when mowing. As a lawn mower user, your personal protective equipment (PPE) should include closed-toed shoes with a strong grip and slip resistance. Never use old sneakers with slick soles, thong sandals, or beach shoes. Long pants, safety glasses, and grip gloves are highly recommended.
Thoroughly Check the Mower
Start with a visual check of the mower to see that fuel/oil or battery levels look right.
Remove Debris From the Mower’s Bottom
Using a long-handled item that prevents the need to put your hands in contact with the mower’s blades, look for any objects that may be stuck in the mower. Objects that get jammed in the blades could cause your mower to malfunction and cause an accident or injury.
Don’t Alter Safety Shields
Safety shields and similar features are there for a reason. Never alter these features on your mower. If you notice that safety shields are missing or broken, replace them before using the mower.
Bring Your Mower in for Service
This tip is especially important if this is your first year of mowing your own lawn. Professional tune-up services are great for getting blades, spark plugs, and other essential parts replaced before something goes wrong. Routine service also enables an expert to let you know if your mower could be putting you at risk.
Read the Manual Fully
Knowing your way around a mower doesn’t mean you automatically know the specifics of the mower you just purchased or inherited. Take time to read the manual to learn how to properly and safely interact with all parts of your mower. In addition to preventing accidents, this tip can also save you money by helping your mower last longer.
Walk the Yard
Mower safety starts before you even touch your machine. Take a few minutes to walk around your yard to spot rocks or sticks that could turn into flying debris.
Send Others Inside
Ideally, other members of your household won’t be outside in the yard while you’re mowing. If you’re using a riding mower, there’s a chance you may not see a child in the yard quickly enough to avoid a collision. However, the more common risk is that someone in the yard could be hit by flying debris. Rocks or sharp items that become airborne due to a mower can hit a person (or object like a car) with great force.
Safety Tips While Operating a Lawn Mower
You must be on high alert when operating a mower. The best practices discussed below will help keep your work area safe.
Never disappear outside to mow the lawn without letting someone know what you’re doing. This can be a family member, housemate, or neighbor. It’s important to let someone know you’re mowing so the person can check on you occasionally. You should also tell them how long you think you’ll be outside.
Keep your phone in a secure location on your body while performing tasks in the yard. You can use a cargo pocket, belt, or armband. Having your phone on you will make it easier to call for help if an accident occurs. Just make sure you’re not letting your phone become a distraction that could actually cause an accident.
While you may think it will be okay for just a minute, leaving your mower unattended while it’s running can be a devastating mistake. First, a child can be harmed by an unattended mower. It’s also possible for a mower to roll away. In addition to harming others, a rogue mower could also harm you as you try to get it back under your control.
While it may be tempting to block out the loud noise of the mower using noise-canceling headphones or earbuds, these devices block your sense of hearing to the point that you may not hear a person or animal coming up behind you. If you’re mowing near a busy road, there’s a chance you won’t hear cars approaching while you’re mowing near the curb.
If you have children in your home, make sure they know the mower is not a toy. Additionally, children should be instructed to remain inside whenever the mower is in use.
If you have dogs that enjoy the yard, don’t allow them to run loose while you’re mowing. In fact, it’s important to verify that all pets are secured inside the home before you begin.
Slopes can become very dangerous during mowing because they can create too much momentum for the mower operator to handle. You can end up separated from your mower.
When using a walk-behind mower, always test slopes to ensure you can maintain control by doing a dry run with the power off.
You should only add fuel to your lawn mower before starting the engine. Trying to fuel up while the engine is either running or hot can cause severe injuries.
Riding mowers are very different from walk-behind mowers due to their weight and speed. Health Partners shares these safety tips for riding mowers:
- If you have to mow on a hill or slope using a riding mower, mow up and down the hill instead of mowing perpendicular to the slope to avoid tipping over sideways.
- Don’t stop, start, shift, or turn on slopes.
- Always use your mower’s safety belt.
- Only start your mower after you’re securely in the driver’s seat.
- Never get off the mower while it’s running.
A mower operator should always be either moving forward or standing still. Never move backward with a mower because it will be moving towards your feet — an easy way to sustain a terrible injury to your feet, ankles, or legs. If you need to go back while mowing because you’ve missed a spot, simply turn in a circle to return to the missed area.
Mowing on wet grass increases your risk of slipping. This is true of both riding mowers and walk-behind mowers. When you operate a walk-behind mower on wet grass, it’s very easy to slip toward the mower’s blades. When using a riding mower on wet grass, the machine may tip, roll, or throw you forward.
What to Do If a Mowing Accident Occurs
It’s important to have a protocol prepared for dealing with mower emergencies. The tips below will help you to react quickly to get the issue under control.
1. Make Sure the Mower Is Off
Turn off the mower immediately. A mower could roll, tip, or run over a person as you’re tending to an issue.
2. Flag Down Help
If you’ve been injured or trapped by a mower, attempting to get yourself out of the situation could cause bigger injuries. Assess the situation to see if trying to pull away from the motor could result in greater harm as opposed to staying put until help arrives. If you are in a position to engage someone else, flag them down for help.
3. Call 911
Hopefully, you’ve followed the tip shared above about carrying a phone when mowing. Call for help immediately if you believe you’ve sustained a serious injury. You should also seek emergency medical attention if you are experiencing severe blood loss. If you don’t have your phone, ask others to call for you. You may be feeling too weak to shout for long periods of time if you’re in a serious situation. Consider simply calling out “911” to get attention instead of trying to explain your situation to people within earshot.
Final Thoughts on Lawn Mower Safety
Preparation and awareness are indispensable when it comes to lawn mower safety. While there’s no harm in enjoying the sunshine and fresh air that go along with mowing, it’s important to remember that mowing isn’t a lighthearted activity. You need to treat mowers with the seriousness and respect you’d give to any other high-powered machinery. There’s nothing more beautiful than a lawn that was mowed safely.
