As a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, I feel compelled to write a public service announcement (PSA) for lawn mower safety. Here’s why: I will never forget the first time I saw the consequences of a child’s injury from a lawn mowing accident. My heart broke for the child and her family. The child lost her toes and the mother, who accidentally ran over them, was overcome with guilt that she may bear the rest of her life.
If that had been the only lawnmower injury I witnessed, I might not be as driven to write a PSA about prevention and safety measures.
But we inevitably see this type of injury a few times a year at Cincinnati Children’s alone.
Because no one ever thinks it can happen to them. No one intends to make a tragic mistake. And certainly the parents never imagined it would happen to their families.
The majority of the time, it happens like this. A parent or grandparent is mowing the lawn. The child, usually around age 4, either falls off the mower or is run over while playing in the same yard. While we see children of all ages with lawnmower injuries, this is the most common age. Typically older children know how to protect themselves and get out of the way. It’s the younger ones that need extra supervision and forethought.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 17,000 children under the age of 19 were injured by lawnmowers in 2010.
After an initial visit in the Emergency Department, I will see these patients in orthopedics to determine what else can be done to help the injured area function again. I see lawnmower injuries ranging from fractures to amputations.
One of the more complicated injuries I treated was on a girl who lost a section of the bone in the middle of her foot and inner ankle. She needed treatment from plastic surgery as well as reconstructive orthopedic surgery. This included a bone graft, pins, and a metal plate. The resulting surgeries allowed her to walk in normal shoes again. While we were able to help this little girl get back to a relatively normal way of life, this is not always the case for these types of accidents.
While the number of lawnmower accidents that happen are relatively small, the severity of the injuries are often catastrophic. The good news is that the majority of them can be prevented with a few safety measures. Here are some tips to help keep your loved ones safe:
Lawn Mowing Safety Tips
Appropriate ages for types of mowing:
- Kids under the age of 15 should never be in the yard when someone else is mowing
- Children younger than 12 should not use walk-behind mowers
- Children younger than 16 should not be allowed to use ride-on mowers
- Neither children nor adults should ride as a passenger on a ride-on mower
Lawn mower safety features:
- In reverse, the blade should disengage
- When handle is released, the mower stops
- When driver leaves operating position, a ride-on mower disconnects the blade from the power source
Operating the mower:
- Do not mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary, and look behind you when you do
- Turn off mower and wait for blades to stop completely before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge chute, or crossing gravel paths
- Wear hard-soled shoes (no sandals or sneakers), hearing and eye protection
- Pick up objects from lawn, such as stones and toys, to prevent injuries from flying objects
Please share this post with your fellow parents and grandparents. The extra vigilance and awareness could help prevent another catastrophic injury from occurring.
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