Summer lawn mowing season has arrived. Are you operating your lawn mower safely? Here are the tips you need to stay safe as you manicure your grass.
- Read the instruction manual. Discover the purpose of all the knobs and whistles on your model, how to operate it properly and safety tips for your lawn mower.
- Fill the tank outside. It’s never a wise idea to fill your mower’s fuel tank inside your garage or in a shed. Combustible fumes could build up and explode.
- Store fuel and oil in marked containers. You don’t want to use the wrong fluids and ruin your mower or have anyone accidentally drink the fluid or serve it to pets.
- Perform maintenance when your mower is turned off and cool. You could be burned if you add fuel to your mower while the engine is running or when it’s hot.
- Don’t use anything with an open flame while you fuel your mower. You don’t want to start a fire.
- Do not start the engine under an enclosure. Toxic fumes could build up and cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Stay with the mower when the engine is running. Someone could be injured if your mower rolls down a hill or runs into something or someone while it’s turned on.
- Turn the engine off before making adjustments. If you notice that the grass isn’t getting cut short enough or the engine is skipping, turn the engine off. You can then make adjustments safely.
- Refuse to allow young children to operate the lawn mower, and don’t carry kids as you mow. The machine is simply too dangerous for young children.
- Wear the proper clothes when mowing. Closed shoes and long pants protect your body as you mow your lawn.
- Remove foreign objects from your lawn. Rocks, branches, twigs, toys, hoses and other objects in your lawn could damage your mower’s motor. Plus, objects spit from the mower could travel at a speed of up to 100 miles per hour.
- Don’t allow children or pets in the yard. Even if they’re playing on the other side of the yard from where you’re mowing, it takes only a few seconds for them to cross the yard and enter the path of your mower.
- Train everyone who uses the mower. Be sure everyone who operates the mower knows how to use it properly and follows these safety precautions.
Your lawn mower gives your yard the manicure it needs. Whether you mow several times a week or once a month, follow these safety tips. Consider purchasing homeowner’s insurance, too, as further protection for you and your home.
