Mower accidents

[mois25]

These are more frequent than any of us could imagine. In fact, twice as many people are treated for these than gun shot wounds.

Cuts and bruises from flying objects lead in this pack. Any ideas on how to best to treat such related injuries?

 

[AndyMan]

When I was a kid my dad hit the head of a hoe with the mower. It didn't have a handle and had been left in the tall grass. The thing went flying across the yard and through the camper on the back of the truck. Luckily it didn't hit anyone, but it sure scared us all.

 

[JDgreen]

These are more frequent than any of us could imagine. In fact, twice as many people are treated for these than gun shot wounds.

Cuts and bruises from flying objects lead in this pack. Any ideas on how to best to treat such related injuries?

Treatment is much more time consuming than properly eliminating any such hazards in the first place. I have mowed over a lot of debris with my pushers, but because I always operate one with the chute deflector in place, if it throws anything out the deflector will keep it from going far. It's very obvious they are a safety feature, but how many people take them off or wire them up? Same with the rear flaps that keep things from being thrown at your feet. I do a lot of push mowing on slopes and hills and sometimes run my pusher straight up and down the slope but my mowers always have the safety features in place and the handle control that shuts off the engine is always operating. Lets see now, how many people mow wearing shorts or flimsy shoes? How many of them keep watch on the area they are mowing to see safety hazards? How many of them double check to see if their blade is on tight afteer they sharpen it? How many of them mow and not give a second thought to the kids playing 20 feet away? DUUH. Don't be so concerned about treatment, just practice safety instead. Back about '88 I knew a guy that pulled his pusher mower back on his toes, the blade chopped off three of them. He told me afterwards it felt like someone hit his foot with a splitting maul. Every time I get tired or careless, I think about what he said and quit mowing for the day.

 

[KennyV]

Don't be so concerned about treatment, just practice safety instead.

Every time I get tired or careless, I think about what he said and quit mowing for the day.

Both very good ideas... :smile:KennyV

 

[abeja_reina_1989]

I really think you should be focusing on preventing this from happening than worrying about fixing the problem after you get hurt. I personally take the extra time to clean things up so I know I'm not going to be hit by anything. It's not that hard

 

[adan]

These are more frequent than any of us could imagine. In fact, twice as many people are treated for these than gun shot wounds.

Cuts and bruises from flying objects lead in this pack. Any ideas on how to best to treat such related injuries?

I'd rather do something about the statistics, rather than live with them Safety gadgets are available to stop, or at least slow down, any flying debris.

 

[jross]

Nothing burns me more when seeing someone mowing and pointing the discharge out onto the road and into traffic. What is the problem double cutting the outside runs?

 

[AndyMan]

Nothing burns me more when seeing someone mowing and pointing the discharge out onto the road and into traffic. What is the problem double cutting the outside runs?

My brother ended up in the hospital with three broken ribs a few years ago because of this. He was riding his bicycle through his neighborhood and came around a corner where a guy threw his grass clippings into the road. The bike lost traction and my brother hit the pavement. Luckily he was wearing a helmet so he's not dead now. (Would that have been murder-by-grass-clippings?)

 

[touree]

I concur with all of you that suggest paying closer attention to the preventive measures. However, that does not necessarily mean completely pushing aside the 'how to treat such related injuries'. If someone got a serious bruise what is the best way to go about it, for example?

Perhaps that and the statistics too will nudge most people towards being more careful and cautious in the field because as things stand, mistakes will still be committed until when things go wrong.

 

[JDgreen]

I'd rather do something about the statistics, rather than live with them Safety gadgets are available to stop, or at least slow down, any flying debris.

Had an accident with my 4210 yesterday, I had the deck lowered to 2 inches of cut and the outer blade caught a tennis ball sized stone right by the discharge chute. I was mowing at 2600 rpm and the blade tip speed was at maximum. 7-Iron blades are very strong and tough, the rock was cut in two a few inches from the chute, yet only went a few feet. Had the chute been up or missing the stone would have gone a LONG way.

We used to have a huge safety poster at work, there was this farmhand in a field, bending over to pick a flower. He had a red handkerchief in his back pocket, and in the background there was a big, nasty looking bull watching him. The poster read:

"Accidents don't just happen...they are CAUSED".