Posted by: Michelle Atkinson, Environmental Horticulture Agent

On Monday of this week a lawn maintenance worker was found dead in a stormwater pond after the mower he was riding flipped over on top of him. As I teach classes to our green industry professionals I hear time and time again about mowers going into ponds. Let’s take a moment to discuss lawn mower safety.

Hazards most often associated with riding equipment are blade contact and loss of stability. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 34,000 consumer injuries related to riding mower incidents were treated annually in hospital emergency rooms during 2010-2012. Based on incidents reported to the Commission, an annual average of about 90 deaths was attributed to riding mowers during 2007-2009. Fatal incidents have several common patterns: the machine tips over, the victim falls under or is run over by the machine (incidents involving young children are in this category), or the victim is thrown from or falls off the machine. (http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/122050/588.pdf)

Before You Mow

• Understand all of the components of your riding mower or lawn tractor, and thoroughly read its operation manual before ever starting the machine.
• Check to make sure that the mower’s operator-presence control system, a safety feature that shuts off the blades when the operator dismounts the machine or rises from the seat, is functioning properly.
• Know how to stop the lawn mower engine quickly in the event of an emergency.
• If your lawn tractor is equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS), be sure that it is installed properly. Never operate a ROPS-equipped tractor without this protective structure in place.
• Confirm that the mower’s blade drive belt is set at the proper tension and that it is free of debris.
• Check for proper functioning of the interlocks that prevent the lawn mower engine from starting while the mower is in gear or the blade is engaged.
• Do not remove or disable guards or other safety devices.
• Dress properly for the job. Always wear substantial shoes or safety boots, long pants and close-fitting clothes. Wear heavy work gloves to protect your hands when handling the blades and other items that might be sharp or have nicks or metal burrs on the edges.
• Before you start mowing, clean up the area and clear the lawn of pets and people, especially children.

• Fill your gasoline tank only when the engine is cold. If you need to refuel before completing a job, turn off the lawn tractor or riding mower and allow the engine to cool.
• Avoid spilling any gasoline during the refilling process, and never smoke or light a match around gasoline.
• Before starting your lawn tractor or riding mower, inspect it for loose belts or other damaged components.
• Always start your riding mower or lawn tractor from the operator’s seat. Never start the machine while standing beside it.
• Riding mowers and lawn tractors are one-person machines. Operate from the driver’s seat only, keeping both feet on the tractor at all times, and never carry any passengers, especially children.
• Take care not to throw a unit into gear accidentally, which could cause it to jerk ahead unexpectedly.
• When operating a riding mower on uneven terrain, use extreme care. Always mow up and down slopes—never across—and avoid sudden starts, stops or turns.
• To prevent tipping, decrease your speed when going down slopes or around sharp corners.
• Maintain a minimum ground speed and make turns wide and gradual.
• Never dismount from or jump off a riding mower or lawn tractor with the engine running. Always observe proper shutdown procedures before dismounting.
• Routinely remove any accumulations of grass, leaves or excessive grease to reduce fire hazard.

Resources: http://www.tractorsupply.com/know-how_Lawn-Mower-Maintenance_basic-riding-lawn-mower-safety, http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/122050/588.pdf, video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFRbW_JM30g

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