While commercial lawn mowers are extremely efficient for lawn care, they present a variety of hazards. People who operate a mower without carefully following appropriate safety precautions are in danger of serious injury. To keep yourself safe on the job, learn about the dangers of commercial mowers and how you can prevent injury while using them.
Mower Hazards
Mowers are powerful tools and must be operated with extreme care. Consider the following safety hazards:
- The cutting edge of the mower blade can travel up to 200 miles per hour (mph), cutting anything in its path.
- Objects such as stones and sticks can fly out when struck by the blade. These items can travel at 200 mph and can cause serious injury to the operator or others nearby.
- The muffler and cylinder head are extremely hot and remain hot for a long period of time after the engine is turned off. This can cause burns if touched.
- Gasoline from the engine is extremely flammable.
- Mowers can produce 100 decibels or more of noise when in operation, presenting a hazard to the operator’s hearing with long-term use.
One gallon of gasoline combined with the correct amount of air
is equal to 83 pounds of dynamite.
Safety Practices
To keep yourself injury-free on the job, follow these precautions when working with commercial mowers:
- Be cautious when filling the gas tank. Wipe up spills and never attempt to fill a tank on a mower that is still hot from recent use.
- Do not wear loose-fitting clothing that could get caught on controls or fast-moving parts. Instead, wear long pants, sturdy boots and a form-fitting shirt.
- Wear the appropriate hearing protection.
- Make sure that objects and other workers are out of the area before mowing.
- Drive riding mowers directly up and down slopes to avoid rollovers.
- Never leave a running mower unattended.
- Disconnect spark plugs when servicing a mower to prevent the engine from accidentally starting.
- Never disconnect the safety features installed by the manufacturer.