Tips On Lawn Mower Safety

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

NSE Tips On Lawn MowerSafety (NAPSA)—Many parents know it’s important to tend to more than their yards when they do yard work.Still, thousandsof chil- dren are injured in yard-work- related injuries every year. It only takes a momentfor a child to dart into the path of a lawn mower. Myrandagot herfoot trapped underneath the blade of her father’s riding lawn mower when she was 2 years old. Spence lost part of his foot when he tripped in front of a riding lawn mower when he was 38. Both Myranda and Spence had to have a foot amputated and now use prostheses. Myranda and Spence are among the many children cine Web site, children between the ages of 15 and 19 have the highest rate of hospitalizations caused by lawn moweraccidents, and the second-most-common result of these hospitalizations is toe amputation. To prevent lawn mower injuries, follow these safety tips from Shriners Hospitals for Chil- dren and the CPSC: Do not allow passengers on a riding mower. Keep children out of the yard and indoors while mowing the lawn. Do not allow children under injuries are to children under the age of 18. One out of every five lawn mower deaths involves a child. According to a report published in the Annals of Emergency Medi- behind the handle until the blade Stops. e Never reach under a mower while it is still operating. If you need to removedebris or check the blade, disconnect the wire from the spark plug. Don’t cut grass whenit’s wet. On slopes, mow up and down orthopaedic problems, burns, in the grass. Handle fuel with care. Wipe each year, and 8,800 of those e Always use a mower with an automatic blade cutoff. Stay items such as sticks, rocks, toys, fingers, toes and limbs as a result of power lawn moweraccidents. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 84,000 injuries ment. Don’t remove or disable guards or other safety devices. e Always prepare your lawn the age of 14 to operate a lawn mower. for mowing. Check your lawn for result from lawn moweraccidents know how to operate the equip- rather than acrosstheslope. For more information on Shriners’ network of 22 hospitals that provide medical care Shriners Hospitals for Children treats each year who have lost Check guards and shields. Read the owner’s manual and etc. Make sure nothing is hidden up spills. Never fill the tank on a mowerthat is hot. Never smoke or use any kind of flame around gasoline. e Wear appropriate clothing and shoes, including long pants, long-sleeved shirts, eye protection, heavy gloves, and sturdy, closetoed shoes with slip-resistant rubber soles. and services to children with spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate at no charge, write to Shriners International Headquarters, 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607 or visit www. shrinershgq.org. All services are provided at no charge to children under 18, regardless of financial need or relation to a Shriner. If you know a child whom Shriners can help, call (800) 2375055 in the United States or (800) 361-7256 in Canada.

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