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Most lawnmower accidents are caused by negligence and careless behavior

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

A warning sticker on a Lawnboy mower on sale at Porter's.

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Jim Porter of Porter's Lawn & Power, right, points out lawnmower features to Gene Bilz of Janesville.

JANESVILLE — Susie was 5 when she sat on her grandpa’s lap on the riding lawnmower.

When she fell off, he accidentally mowed over her foot.

The accident cost Susie the front of her foot, said Dr. Jacob Gerzenshtein, board certified plastic surgeon at Mercy Regional Plastic Surgery, Skin and Laser Center.

Susie is not her real name, but Gerzenshtein said the story is true.

Unfortunately, Susie is not alone.

Pam Schubring, physical therapist of 16 years at Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, recalled another traumatic lawnmower injury.

“He was going up a steep incline, and the riding lawnmower slipped—tipped over on him—and he fractured his shoulder blade,’’ she said.

“I saw him for a long time. It was extensive,” Schubring said of his injury.

“He was lucky he didn’t get killed,’’ she said.

Nearly 210,000 people—about 16,200 of them children younger than 19—were treated in doctors’ offices, clinics and emergency rooms for lawnmower-related injuries in 2007, according to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports.

Gerzenshtein said he’s treated between 20 and 30 mower injuries a year since joining Mercy four years ago. Many of the accidents happen when people try to remove debris with their hands, he said.

“Don’t touch the mower with your hand even if you think it may be off,’’ he said.

Gerzenshtein has treated lawnmower injuries as simple skin-deep cuts and as serious as hand amputations.

“People with amputations put back on with microsurgical techniques can takes years of rehabilitation,’’ he said.

For her foot injury, Susie was seen at the Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center every day for a couple months. They treated the wound so it would heal and had her walk to improve her ankle’s range of motion, Schubring said.

“We saw her quite a bit when she was little and years later for follow-up procedures,’’ Schubring said.

Last fall, Susie was in for desensitizing of her scar so she could better tolerate a prosthesis in her shoe to help her balance and stride, Schubring said.

If you’d see her walk today, “you’d never know the trauma she’d undergone,” she said.

Lawnmowers today are built with many safety devices, but most mower accidents are caused by careless behavior, according to a TORO mower manual.

“A lawnmower does not know the difference between a blade of grass and a finger or a toe. So it’s up to its user to stay away from moving parts,’’ the manual reads. “A moment of carelessness could lead to a lifetime of regret.’’

LAWNMOWER SAFETY TIPS

Riding and walk-behind mowers

-- Read the operator’s manual thoroughly.

-- Know how to stop the machine quickly.

-- Leave all safety features—guards, shield, deflectors and warning decals—intact on the machine.

-- Clear the mowing area to minimize the risks of objects being thrown from the mower.

-- Keep everyone out of the area being mowed.

-- Avoid blade contact. Never put your hand or any part of the body in or anywhere close to the blade path when the engine is running. Never clear the chute with the engine running. Never use your hand.

-- Never allow children to operate a lawn mower. Only adults and mature teens, with adult supervision, should operate a mower.

-- Wear appropriate clothing plus goggles or similar eye protection. This means substantial shoes—no sandals or tennis shoes—and full-length trousers. Never mow barefooted and be aware that loose clothing or dangling jewelry can become entangled in moving power parts and lead to an accident.

-- Give your mowing operation your full attention and full use of all your faculties. Do not operate a lawn mower when under the influence of alcohol, medication or other mind-altering substances.

-- Refuel your mower carefully by following precautions outlined in the operator’s manual. Do not smoke while filling the fuel tank. Do not fill the fuel tank indoors or while the engine is hot or running. Wipe up any spilled fuel before starting or restarting the engine.

Corded and cordless mowers

-- All safety precautions addressed earlier apply to using electric or battery mowers. However, special care must be taken when handling these products to reduce the risk of electric shock.

-- Use the proper extension cord and one intended for outdoor use. Always replace a damaged extension cord and never try to repair it.

-- Do not operate in wet or damp conditions.

-- When the mower is being charged, put the key in a safe place.

-- Charge the mower in a well-ventilated area away from sparks, flames and smoking since the charging process for all batteries produces explosive gases. Batteries contain corrosive acids that can cause blindness or severe burns.

-- Do not wear rings or jewelry that could contact both the positive and negative battery posts and short the battery. The battery or conductor may overheat and cause burns.

Riding mowers

-- Never carry passengers, especially a child on your lap, in any cart or on any implement being towed.

-- Do not mow in reverse and make certain no one is behind you.

-- Use care during slope operation. If possible, make turns on level ground at the top and bottom of the slope. Watch for holes, ditches and embankments where a wheel could drop causing you to lose control or even tip over.

-- Never operate a riding mower on slopes with more than a 15-degree angle. When using a grass bagging attachment, weight of the grass in the bag affects the stability of the mower.