Don’t be “That Guy” When Mowing Your Lawn
It’s estimated that over 80,000 lawn mower injuries (many to toes and feet) land people in the emergency room each year—and would you believe that a good portion of these is due to people who mow their lawn barefoot or wearing flip-flops? At Pasco-Hernando Foot & Ankle, we know that most lawn mower safety tips are a matter of common sense, and yet, they bear repeating because of the high number of accidents that continue to occur. Below are some scenarios that might cause you to forget to put safety first.
Wet lawn—it’s the day of your big family barbeque, and even though it rained last night if you don’t get started now, the lawn won’t be picture perfect before everyone arrives. Guess what? The most common cause of mower accidents is the loss of control of the mower due to slippery, wet grass. When grass is wet, you need to wait.
Child onboard—your child or grandchild begs for a ride on the mower. You figure you’ll just go slowly and all will be well. Not so. Lawnmower accidents are the leading cause of amputation for children and burns from the metal of a hot mower are also frequent injuries as squirmy children slide off your lap and into danger. In fact, the categories with the highest risk of mower injuries are children under 14 and adults over the age of 44. Very young children should stay indoors while you mow. Those who are old enough to understand should follow a strict rule of not approaching an adult who is mowing the lawn because it’s too hard to hear a child coming up behind you.
Projectile stick—you’ve got plans to go out today, so you decide to shorten your lawn work by skipping picking up sticks and debris before you mow. It is a bad idea because items picked up by the mower can be shot out at alarming speeds, injuring people in the vicinity.
Minor cut—you nick your finger fishing some grass out of the blade. It’s not too bad and you’ll put a bandage on when you finish mowing. Mower blades are extremely dirty. It takes very little time for bacteria to enter your body, especially if there’s an open wound. Stop immediately if you get a cut and clean the area thoroughly. Then bandage it up and finish the job.
If you sustain a non-emergent foot or ankle injury from mowing or some other activity, contact our Spring Hill (352 683-5799) and Hudson (727-868-2128) offices so that our podiatrist, Dr. Lawrence J. Kales, can properly evaluate and treat your injury.