Blog

Safety Tips When Using Lawn Mowers

As the weather starts to warm up, people are now getting ready for their regular routine of mowing their lawns to increase that curb appeal. Not everyone has a lawnmower, but the need to keep your grass trimmed is something that everybody considers, and it can be immensely beneficial to buy or rent one. This applies to every type of lawnmower, whether it’s a riding mower, a push mower, or even a lawn tractor, all of which can enable you to sustain a healthy yard while making maintenance a breeze.

However, operating a lawnmower necessarily involves planning and thoughtful consideration of protection. When handling your land mowers, you must proceed with extreme caution because they are enormously powerful machines that use sharp blades at high RPM and can cause severe injury if used improperly. By following the necessary safety tips, you can help guarantee that you enjoy a healthy lawn while avoiding potential injuries.

With that in mind, we have compiled a list of six lawn mower safety tips so that you can mow your lawn safely and have a well-maintained and great-looking yard.

Tip #1. Put On the Proper Safety Gear

Every year, thousands of injuries occur as a result of improper lawn mower use and inadequate safety precautionary measures. When operating a lawnmower, remember to wear the following personal protective equipment (PPE):

  • Leg Protection. When working with lawn equipment, wear close-fitting clothing to avoid loose fabric potentially getting caught in the blades. Close-fitting pants minimize the chances of becoming entangled in branches, hedges, and other obstacles as well.
  • Work Gloves. Putting on gloves safeguards your hands from injury while also allowing you to get a better grip on your loan mower. Keep in mind to pick gloves intended for yard work as they are adequately thick and best suited if you need to weed your lawn or dig out roots alongside your other yard maintenance tasks.
  • Protective Footwear. When operating any powered tool or equipment durable, close-toed shoes. To avoid getting entangled in bushes and hedges, choose footwear that fits comfortably and has no dangling loose laces.
  • Hearing Protection. It is critical to protect your hearing by wearing high-quality hearing protection. Earplugs and other hearing protection assist in decreasing the decibel level of noise you hear, which can be loud and could be harmful if used for an extended time without ear protection.
  • Eye Protection. When handling equipment or any power tools, perhaps the most important rule is to wear protective eyewear. Safety sunglasses or goggles are essential for protecting your eyes against flying debris.

Tip #2.  Clear the Lawn Before You Begin

After putting on your safety equipment and inspecting your lawnmower, discard all toys, stones, wood chips, debris, and other objects that your lawnmower may run over. The scattered pieces have the potential to damage the blades of the mower. Metal toys, hard stones, and other unwanted materials can damage the lawnmower and cause it to malfunction, as well as create dangerous projectiles. So, before you proceed, ensure that you have cleaned up all debris in your yard. Doing so will protect you from injury issues and keep your mower safe.

Tip #3. Always Refuel Lawn Mowers Outdoors

Don’t ever attempt to fill up your mower’s gas tank in a storage shed or other enclosed area. The fumes are highly combustible, and all it requires is a single spark to cause a severe flash burn. Likewise, to prevent smoke from accumulating, make sure to fuel up your mower outside. If you used up all the gas while cutting the grass, wait a little bit before filling up to allow the machinery to cool down before refilling to avoid any potential combustability problems.

Tip #4. Never Get Your Hands Under the Lawnmower

Although it may appear obvious, several people are injured each year while attempting to get their hands under the mower to free a trapped branch or other objects. Never put your hands under your lawnmower or anywhere close to the spinning blades. Don’t ever flip your grass cutter over to inspect the blades while the machine is on or powered by either electricity or gasoline. Ensure that the machine is off, cooled down, and unpowered before ever inspecting any of its parts.

Tip #5. Wait Until The Weather Condition Is Perfect For Mowing

Attempting to cut wet grass will not only result in an inconsistent cut but will also potentially clog your mowing equipment. Besides that, the health of your lawn may be severely compromised because massive clumps of wet grass can smother it, resulting in unsightly brown patches.

Tip #6. Take Caution on Slopes

When you begin mowing on a hill, pay close attention as you go. Follow the instructions to check how steep an incline you can securely mow. If you are cutting grasses using a riding mower, drive it up and down hills to avoid tipping it over and potentially trapping you underneath. When using a walk-behind mower, mow parallel to the slope rather than up and down. The reason for that is that it’s much simpler to manage the mower if you are not pushing it up a steep hill.

Choose Elephant Rental

Elephant Construction Solutions serves professionals and hobbyists alike with the high-quality tools and equipment they need to get the job done. Located in the Rio Grande Valley, we offer construction equipment for rent, power tools for rent, power equipment rentals, saw rental, and concrete breaker rental, as well as other quality equipment and machinery, including air compressor rental, power generator rental, and even scaffolding. 
Reach out to us at Elephant Construction Solutions to get your free quote for any machinery your site may need. Whether it’s as simple as a lawnmower, as important as scaffolding, or as small as a nail gun, we have the rental tools and equipment you need to successfully finish your next project and stay under budget while doing it.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Get a Free Tool Rental Quote

Need A Tool Quote?