Lawn Mower Accident Statistics: Factors and Safety Rules

Lawn mower accident statistics are issues that will continue to rise if homeowners are not aware of the reasons for them.

Since the best medicine is prevention, we will also discuss the various means to prevent lawn mower-related accidents.

Lawn Mower Accidents Through Statistics

The lawn mower is commonly used to maintain lawns and gardens. However, it can be dangerous if used incorrectly or when safety measures are not observed.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is CPSC in short, around 85,000 recorded lawn mower injuries were treated on an average year in the United States alone. Since the number is high, it is important to understand the reasons that contributed to lawnmower injuries.

On another note, within this number, roughly, 9,000 of them were children who were injured through lawnmower accidents. In addition to this, it is also significant to mention that men are three times more likely to get injured through this matter than women.

– Fatal Accidents

Lawnmowers can kill a person, and almost 70 people die in a year. When a person comes into contact with these moving blades, they can experience serious or fatal injuries. They are powerful machines designed to cut grass using sharp blades rotating at extremely high speeds, which would cause a lot of injuries.

There are several ways that one can die from a lawnmower. First, contact with the blade can be fatal, as with rollover accidents that cause mowers to tip over while running at high speeds.

Fires or explosions are another way to die as a result of mower accidents. Finally, people can die if the mower is turned on in an enclosed space. The mower’s carbon monoxide emission can kill people within the enclosed area and exposure them to these toxic fumes.

Factors That Contribute to Accidents Caused by Lawnmowers

The factors that contribute to accidents caused by lawnmowers are operator errors and mechanical failure that would take place. It would also result from environmental factors and  the meddling of children, who would get into the task and this would harm them.

– Operator Error

This is the most common factor that causes lawn mower accidents, and this is one of the common causes that would lead to an injury. Lawnmower operators can easily run over rocks, sticks, medium-sized pebbles, and even toys.

These objects can cause the mower to throw debris, injuring other people nearby. Aside from injuring other people, the operator could also become a victim of thrown debris, and in short, this is the most common way that the machine could injure someone, whether the person who is using it, or nearby.

There are other common reasons that involve the operator as well. One is not wearing the appropriate safety clothing and gear. Another is operating the lawnmower on steep slopes or on uneven terrain.

Lastly, one of the most common errors is failing to follow lawn mower safety guidelines as set by the manufacturer, and when you skip reading it, you would operate it at a different pace.

– Mechanical Failure

This involves inadequate maintenance, such as failing to maintain the engine properly. This can lead to equipment failure and result in potentially dangerous situations. Dull blades can also be reasons for the lawn mower to malfunction and cause injury or even an important tool in the equipment would be misplaced.

Additionally, mower parts that are worn or damaged can cause the lawnmower to perform poorly, and when you check in on and on, it would damage, because of now examining in a safe way. Deteriorating belts and unsharpened blades are the most common reasons for lawnmower breakdown.

– Environmental Factors

Wet or slippery grass, uneven terrain, or even lawn decor can contribute to lawnmower accident statistics. Wet grass will cause the lawnmower to move with great difficulty while slippery terrain will likely cause the operator to lose control of the machine.

Also, lawn decor, rocks, and sticks can cause the mower to throw debris. When this happens, the lawnmower can cause injury in different ways to the ones that are around the machine and even the one who is operating it.

– Due to Meddling of Children

Children are particularly vulnerable to accidents caused by lawnmowers. Children may be injured when playing near or around running lawnmowers. The sharp blades could accidentally come into contact with their body parts and cause serious injury. As a result of what was mentioned, this is a factor why many children get injured yearly, according to the statistics collected.

To prevent any lawnmower accident, it’s best to keep children away from the lawnmower while it is in operation. Even better, children should not be outside when lawn mowing activities are underway. Plus, they should never be allowed to operate the mower, even when under supervision.

Lawn Mower Safety Tips to Reduce Lawnmower Accident

Safety tips to reduce accidents by lawnmowers are to follow the proper safety precautions and to ensure you have proper training and know how to use it. Ensure you have safeguards against unsupervised use and store them safely and securely.

Lawnmowers can cause a variety of accidents and injuries, so preventing them is a must. The most common mower injuries are cuts and lacerations, followed by burns, broken bones, and amputations.

To prevent lawn mower accidents, homeowners should remember the right guide and be cautious of any harm coming to them.

– Follow Proper Safety Precautions

There are many safety precautions that homeowners and operators can follow. One of the most important ones is wearing the appropriate safety gear and clothing.

These can include goggles, earplugs, and masks. Long pants and sturdy shoes are also influential protective clothing to prevent foot injuries caused by the lawn mower.

Another essential safety precaution is to use the mower only as intended. One of the directions should inform homeowners to keep the lawnmower well-maintained regularly so that it would cause any accidents.

– Ensure Proper Training and Use

In order to avoid accidents caused by lawnmowers, operators should be properly trained on their correct use. This will keep them safe and away from potential hazards during operations. Operators should be responsible enough to read and follow all the instructions and warning labels in the owner’s manual for the lawnmower.

Proper sets of instructions can be found in the owner’s manual. These directions are set by the manufacturer to ensure that the operators stay safe while using the mower, and these would be written in the manual often.

– Safeguard against Unsupervised Use

Lawnmowers can seem like toys for many children, but they are far dangerous to be considered one, which is why they can be tempted to play with them. Moreover, they would see how easy the functionality is and seem curious to try it out, just as they always see.

When the lawnmower is out, adults should ensure that children are supervised and kept away from the machine. This will lessen the possibility of children getting injured from unsupervised lawnmower operations.

Additionally, homeowners and lawnmower operators should always be aware of their surroundings at all times. This will prevent the lawnmower from coming into contact with running children and playful pets because when they meddle around, they would shift your focus, and this way different injuries would be caused as well.

– Store Lawnmowers Safely and Securely

Unused lawnmowers should be stored safely away in a secure location. Ideally, it should be in an area where children and pets are unable to access it. Plus, the lawnmower has to be kept away from other potential hazards, and if the blades have gotten rusted, and they aren’t functioning properly, they would cause issues too.

It should be noted that riding lawn mowers are responsible for more accidents than push mowers. This highlights the importance of taking the appropriate safety measures when operating riding mowers. To prevent untoward accidents, seat belts must be properly worn.

Safety Features to Look for in Lawnmowers

The safety features to look for in lawnmowers are blade brakes would be adjusted, in addition to having a rollover protection system, and lastly having operator presence control. This way, the injury percent would decrease, and so will the risk.

It should be worth noting that additional safety features should be considered when purchasing lawnmowers. These components can help prevent accidents related to or caused by lawnmowers.

– Blade Brakes

This is a safety feature found in many modern lawnmowers. It stops the mower blade within three seconds upon the operator’s release of the blade control lever. This small but significant safety precaution can greatly reduce the risk of injury, and if you stop, the blades will not keep moving.

– Rollover Protection System

This feature is designed to prevent the homeowner or operator from being pinned or crushed by the moving mower. This system has a protective bar or cage that encloses the seat of the operator. This acts as a protective barrier in the event that the mower experiences a rollover.

– Operator Presence Control

A running but unmanned mower often causes accidents. This safety feature shuts off the mower whenever the operator leaves the seat. By shutting unmanned mowers off, accidents are greatly reduced.

Conclusion

Becoming a statistic from lawnmower accidents is possible. Let’s recap what we’ve learned so far:

• Operator errors, mechanical failures, and environmental factors are the top reasons for accidents related to lawnmowers.
• In order to prevent injuries caused by lawnmowers, it is important to follow recommended safety protocols, wear protective gear and clothing, and store lawnmowers safely.
• When purchasing lawnmowers, always look for modern safety features to prevent accidents further.

Lawnmower accidents are a serious safety concern. But now that you know what to look for and what to do, you can prevent them from happening. If you learned anything new from this article, make sure to abide by them to keep any injury away.