Did you know that roughly 600 children in the United States lose a limb EACH YEAR due to lawnmower accidents? Since we are in the middle of summer and have to mow our lawns every few days, the EZ-ACCESS® team wants to make sure you’re practicing excellent lawnmower safety. Learn how to keep your children safe during this routine chore with these simple tips:
- Don’t leave the mower running unattended. Shut off the engine if you must walk away, and take the keys with you.
- Keep children away from any active mower. Lawn equipment can throw up rocks and other debris that may result in broken bones, damaged eyes or even limb loss.
- The organization Limbs Matter suggests that you keep children inside at all times when you’re mowing the lawn. This is the most effective preventative measure and ensures no unknown movements are encountered with your lawn equipment.
- From an early age, teach your children to stay away from all running mowers. A mower should be treated like a hot oven—don’t touch it.
- Don’t let your children ride with you on a riding lawnmower. As fun as it sounds, many times emergency room workers see children come in with injuries to their feet, caused by falling off of the mower they were riding on.
- Wait until your child is at least 12 years old before letting them mow the lawn. They may not have the strength to maneuver and maintain control until this age.
Practicing lawn mower safety is extremely important. Please help spread the word by sharing these tips with your loved ones and always lead by example. If you need to transport your lawnmower, consider using the TRAVERSE™ Walk Ramp to safely and easily load and unload your heavy lawn equipment!