Do you consider your landscaping to be your life’s work? Is your backyard the envy of everyone who lives in your neighborhood?
If so, then you’re probably looking forward to summer’s warm weather. People everywhere will be firing up the lawnmowers, weed whackers, and other landscaping power tools.
Unfortunately, these giant toys can also be quite dangerous.
Lawnmower injuries are something we see all the time at our urgent care clinics during the summer.
While our urgent care clinics are always here to take care of any illness or injury you might have, we’d rather see you for an annual checkup than a severe lawnmower injury.
In the interests of keeping you happy and healthy this summer, we’ve compiled a list of the best lawnmower safety tips. Keep them handy!
- Keep Your Lawn Clean – No, we don’t mean sweeping and mopping. Before you fire up the mower, simply take a few minutes to walk around your lawn. Look for rocks, sticks, toys, dog bones, and other potential hazards that could be hiding in the tall grass. It takes an extra minute, but picking these things up by hand before you mow will prevent big damage to yourself and your machine.
- Keep Your Toes Tucked Away – We know you want to wear your flip flops or Birkenstocks while mowing the yard, but DON’T! Your lawnmower could kick up a rock or other hazardous debris at any time, and you don’t want to lose a toe because of it. Wear sneakers or boots to keep your feet protected while mowing.
- Keep Up With Your Lawnmower Maintenance – Lots of lawnmower injuries could be avoided simply by keeping up with maintenance and repairs. After sitting in your garage or backyard shed all winter, some of the lawnmower parts are bound to be loose, rusty, or even completely missing. Don’t put yourself at risk! Hire a professional to inspect your lawnmower at the start of every season.
Have you suffered cuts, burns, abrasions or other injuries while working in your yard? Don’t hesitate! Come into one of the Medics USA urgent care clinics and get fixed up right away.