VitalAccurateThinking

Lawn Safety Tips

Each weekend, I observe my neighbors working on their yards with a variety of safety practices, some better than others. As such, I have compiled a list of summer safety tips:
1) Be aware of recommend personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job you are about to perform. For mowing the lawn, I recommend long pants, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses and ear protection. There are countless injuries each year due to flying objects or running over feet with the lawn mower that could be minimized with proper PPE.

2) Be aware of four mental states that can lead to injury: rushing, fatigue, frustration and complacency. Any combination of these states can create four unsafe conditions: mind not on task, eyes not on task, being in the line of fire, or balance/traction/grip.

For example, suppose you are rushing to mow the lawn before the big game starts. That could lead to not putting on safety shoes and then running over your toe while moving very quickly to mow around a tree. (rushing, mind not on task and toe being in the line of fire).

3) Be very careful when allowing teens or children operate machinery. 800 children are run over by riding lawn mowers each year. Source

4) Be extremely careful with ladders as falls are the largest cause of accidental injuries treated in emergency rooms. Falls are the 2nd leading cause of unintentional deaths behind auto accidents. Source

So, be careful out there!

posted by Jim VAT @ 5:24 PM