Mowers



Some of the most frequent and serious injuries in the landscape industry involve mowers, but because crew members are so familiar with these machines, it’s easy to overlook the hazards associated with them. Each year, approximately 70,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for mower -related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Injuries are split almost equally between those involving walk-behind mowers and those involving riding mowers. About 90 people die annually due to these incidents, usually when riding mowers overturn (crushing operators or pinning them under water) or when the machines run over victims. Finger, toe, hand and foot amputations are possible, and cuts and lacerations can require emergency surgery. Injuries are extremely painful and can cause permanent disability.

The following checklist, dos and don’ts can help prevent mower-related safety mistakes.

Checklist for Supervisors

  • Provide training related to each particular mower employees are asked to use. Ensure employees understand the training. This is a requirement under federal OSHA regulations. Instruction should include all operation and safety guidelines in the machine’s operating manual, any safety messages attached to the machine and a discussion of hazards associated with the equipment and related tasks and necessary safety precautions. Remember, training must be provided in a language the employee understands. Make operating manuals available to employees.

  • Keep records showing which machines each crew member has been trained to operate.

  • Train crew members to properly load, unload, secure and transport mowers and fuel.

  • Consider providing orange flags for crew members to mark obstacles that cannot be removed. Hitting sprinkler heads is common. Another solution to this problem is to cut grass around sprinkler heads with a line trimmer before mowing. Repair sprinkler heads that don’t fully retract.

  • Mandate PPE (personal protective equipment) compliance. When mowing, crew members should wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields, steel-toed footwear, hearing protection, non- baggy attire including pants and long-sleeved shirts, gloves, reflective vests and possibly a respirator. Employees in an area where someone else is using a mower should wear appropriate PPE as well. During regular safety meetings, review the PPE requirements for different types of equipment, including mowers, and consider placing labels with PPE requirements on your machines.

  • Wear the safety gear you require employees to wear when mowing or in the vicinity of an operating mower.

  • Provide mowers with as many safety features as possible. Properly maintain the machines and safety devices/systems. If you own zero-turn mowers not equipped with rollover-protection structures (ROPS), contact the manufacturer. Most will retrofit their products for free.

Dos and Dont's

Do:

  • Inspect the site before mowing. Look for obstacles, debris and objects that could be thrown from the mower and note potential hazards such as holes or drop-off areas. Mark obstacles that can’t be removed (such as sprinkler heads) with flags or cut grass around them with a line trimmer before mowing.

  • Wear appropriate clothing and PPE when mowing. This includes safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields, steel-toed footwear, hearing protection, non-baggy attire including pants and a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, a reflective vest and possibly a respiratory.

  • Read and understand safety decals and the operator’s manual for each mower before you operate it. This should be done in addition to receiving training.

  • Inspect mowers prior to each use. Examine them for defects such as loose hardware, damaged parts, low tire pressure or missing safety guards or devices. Report any problems to your crew leader.

  • Make sure the safety discharge shoot and mower deck deflector shield are present and in a safe position.

  • Drive carefully. Make steady movements with a ride-on mower’s control levers or steering wheel.

  • Drive up and down (not across) slopes when operating ride-on mowers.

  • When using a walk-behind mower, operate across slopes rather up and down them.

  • Watch for overhead obstacles. Be alert to the presence of guy wires and other overhead hazards when using a mower equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS).

  • Use ROPS correctly and whenever possible. Ensure the mower’s rollover protection system (ROPS), if equipped, is deployed and locked in place. If you must fold down the ROPS to avoid overhead obstacles, return it to its upright and locked position as soon as possible.

  • Wear the seat belt (if the mower is equipped with one and roll-over protection is deployed). If the seat belt is damaged or missing, notify your crew leader or supervisor.

  • Turn off the engine and let it cool before refueling. The nozzle should contact the rim of the tank while you add fuel. Never smoke or have an open flame near fuel.

  • Follow all training related to loading, unloading and transporting mowers and fuel. If you have not received this training, leave these responsibilities to someone who has.

Don't:

  • Be complacent. Just because you’ve operated a lawn mower thousands of times without having an accident doesn’t mean one can’t occur. You might just have been lucky.

  • Operate a mower until you’ve received training on that particular model. Instruction should include all operation and safety guidelines in the machine’s operating manual, any safety messages attached to the machine and a discussion of hazards associated with the equipment and related tasks and necessary safety precautions. Training must be provided in a language you understand.

  • Bypass the safety seat switch. This turns off the mower when the operator’s seat is unoccupied.

  • Tamper with or remove any safety feature or device.Never attempt to unclog a mower deck with your hand or foot. Use a long instrument instead. Turn off the engine and wait until all moving parts come to a stop. Be aware stored energy trapped in the blade mechanism could cause it to spin rapidly once the material blocking it is removed.

  • Mow on slopes greater than the mower manufacturer's recommended steepness. Typically this is not more than 15 degrees for a riding mower and not more than 20 degrees for a walk-behind mower.

  • Operate a riding mower close to water, retaining walls or drop-offs. Wet, unstable ground near water could cause the machine to overturn or slide into a lake or pond. Even if the water is not deep, you could be pinned under the mower and drown. Stay at least two riding mower widths away from these hazards.

  • Leave a mower running. Always stop the engine before stepping away from the machine. When using a ride-on mower, also set the parking brake before dismounting a ride-on mower.