Basic lawn mowing tips

Tip 1: Keep the kids indoors while you mow the lawn

Although it's usually a struggle to keep kids inside during the warm summer months, it's the first and most important step to keeping them safe while the lawn mower is on.

Several serious injuries can occur if children are in your garden while the lawn mower is running. There's the risk that a parent might accidentally run over a child's hand or foot if he or she is playing too close to the mower, or if the lawn is wet and the child slips under the mower. Plus, there's always the chance that an object like a twig or a stone will fly out of the mower and strike the child.

Tip 2: Ride on mowers aren't built for two

It may seem like fun for kids to co-pilot the ride on mower with dad, but in most cases, it's an accident waiting to happen.

Tip 3: Keeping dad safe in the garden

Adults operating lawn mowers are just as much at risk for injuries in the garden as their children.

Before adults even turn on the lawn mower, they should make sure they have on proper hearing and eye protection, and that they're wearing sturdy shoes, not sandals. In addition, don't forget to go around the garden and pick up loose objects in the lawn to prevent objects from projecting out of the mower. Also, remember to turn the mower off before crossing over gravel paths or roads, to avoid flying stones.

With more than 22 percent of lawn mower injuries involving the hand, fingers or wrist, make sure the engine is off and the lawn mower blade has completely stopped rotating before attempting to remove debris from the mower or make adjustments to it.

Read their user's manual before operating the mower. Knowing how the machine operates will help avoid injury to both children and adults. Your garden should be a fun place.