Excerpted from "A Year of Health Hints"
365 Practical Ways to Feel Better and Live Longer
Getting sliced by a lawn mower blade and being hit by rocks or
other propelled objects are the two most common lawn
mower-related injuries. (Mower blades rotate at nearly 200 miles
per hour, and seemingly harmless sticks and stones often become
dangerous missiles when picked up and hurled at that speed.)
To mow grass safely:
Before you
start to mow, clear the lawn of sticks, stones, toys, garden
hoses, and so forth.
Don't use electric
mowers on wet grass.
Wear heavy-duty
shoes and long pants to protect your legs.
Wear safety
goggles to protect your eyes.
Wear ear
protectors (like those worn on shooting ranges) to protect your
hearing.
Push the mower,
never pull it (if you have a push mower).
Mow across a
slope, not up or down, so the mower doesn't slide or fall on top
of you.
Look several feet
ahead when mowing.
Turn off the
engine if you have to check the blade, or clean or adjust the
mower.
Never fuel a lawn
mower when the engine is hot. Spilled fuel or fumes can result in
an explosion
or fire. Instead,
allow the engine to cool before refueling.
Never allow
children to operate a power mower, and keep small children far
away from a mower
that's in use.