Lawnmowers Some Tips To Keep Your Children Safe

Every year during the summer months some truly awful injuries happen in back gardens throughout the country where children have been hurt in accidents with powered lawnmowers. So whether you have an electric or a petrol lawnmower, you need to take extra care as the number of injuries to children in the USA alone, is estimated to be about 20,000 each year.

Riding Mowers are mostly the petrol lawnmower type and it is with these machines that the most serious injuries seem to occur although children are also hurt in accidents with push, or walk behind mowers. Here are some safety hints which if you enforce in your garden will keep your children safe.

Ensure that your lawn is clear of any obstacles such as children's toys, stones, twigs and any other debris before you start mowing. Both Cylinder Mowers and Rotary Mowers can throw these into the air like small missiles and cause serious injury, especially to eyes.

Although children love to help in the garden, the recommendation is that children under 12 should not operate any sort of mower and should be at least 16 before being allowed to drive a ride on mower.

A riding mower or lawn tractor must seem a fascinating toy to a small child and you will no doubt be pestered to allow him or her to ride on your lap, or to sit beside you when you mow. Please, do not give in to the pestering, the most terrible accidents that happen to children with lawnmowers, are those which occur when a child falls from a riding mower and under the cutting blades. The consequences do not bear thinking about.

Make sure that children are well away from the area where you are mowing. If young children are in the garden when you are working, never assume that they are still where you last saw them. If you can, try to arrange for another adult to supervise them whilst you are mowing or ensure that they and your pets are safely indoors.

Try to make sure that the mower you purchase has the sort of handle that, when released, stops the mower from moving forward. You should never drive a mower backwards but if you cannot avoid it, exercise extreme care.

Whether you have a petrol lawnmower or an electric one, having a powered mower saves so much time in our busy lives that most of us could not manage without one. However, they are so appealing to children and that is very dangerous, but I hope that the hints I have given here will help to ensure your child's safety this summer.