June is National Safety Month--a good time to take a look at safety in your own backyard. Every summer thousands of people are seen in emergency rooms due to accidents with lawn and garden tools. Injuries from lawn and garden tools can be severe, or even fatal.
Lawn and Garden Tool Safety Tips
Fortunately most lawn and garden tool accidents can be avoided simply by using common sense and paying attention to what you and your family are doing while working in the yard. If you have young children, the adults must have enough common sense for them, as well.
The Illinois Department of Health offers excellent advice on avoiding mower, hedge trimmer, and string trimmer accidents. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provides helpful backyard safety tips, as well.
Power lawn and garden tools receive the most publicity about safety due to the severity of the injuries that can result from accidents, but common hand tools such as rakes, tree saws, and yard axes can also cause accidents if you aren't careful. Important safety tips for working with lawn and garden tools include:
- Never get close to a mower blade unless the mower is off and the spark plug wires disconnected
- Always check your yard for obstacles prior to mowing
- Don't allow young children near a running mower or on a riding mower
- Wear eye protection when using a lawn and garden tool that has the potential to throw out debris
Make sure you and your family use common sense when working with lawn and garden tools, and your family can enjoy working in the backyard all summer long.
