18 Riding Lawnmower Safety Tips for the Summer

Riding Lawnmower Safety

Of all the machinery and equipment you work with, riding lawnmowers are one of the most hazardous, mostly due to sheer size and power. Namely, you face cutting or amputation hazards, rollover hazards, and danger from flying debris. In order to stay safe and avoid injury while operating a riding lawnmower, follow these precautions.

General Precautions

1. Read the instruction manual and receive the proper training before operating the machinery.

2. Inspect the equipment before use for any damaged or missing parts.

3. Ensure that the grass catcher, discharge guard, and other safety devices are in working order and in their proper position.

4. Before use, clear the desired mowing area of debris, rocks, large branches, lawn furniture, or other obstacles.

5. With the engine is off, adjust the deck’s cutting height.

6. Fill the gas tank in an open space to avoid fume inhalation.

7. Never carry passengers on the mower with you or let any unauthorized persons operate the machine.

8. Wear tight-fitting long pants, eye protection, ear protection, non-slip boots, and gloves to protect your body against flying debris.

9. Do not wear hanging jewelry, belts, chains, or anything else that could get caught in the moving parts.

10. Avoid driving in reverse, if possible.

Operating Safely

1. Start the mower while in the driver’s seat, not while standing next to the machine.

2. Disengage the mower and transmission before starting.

3. Engage the blades at the lowest engine setting first and then release the brake slowly.

4. Mow in straight lines except when steering around objects such as trees and shrubs.

5. Slow down significantly while turning.

6. Never put your hands or feet near the rotating blades under the machine.

7. Never dismount the mower while the blades are engaged or the engine is running.

8. Most riding lawn mower accidents occur on the slope of a lawn. To prevent rollovers, mow up and down slopes; do not attempt to drive across them.

Tips for Fighting Fatigue While Driving

Tips for Fighting Fatigue While Driving

With the warm weather here contractors are working later and families are taking frequent vacations. With these extended activities comes the drive home and after a full day of hard work and play comes unsafe driving fatigue. Being aware of driving fatigue could make a difference in getting home safe and having a potential accident. Below are symptoms and steps to take to combat driving fatigue.

Recognize the signs

When driving, you should be aware of the signs of fatigue and take the necessary safety measures to avoid it. This includes the following:

• Restlessness—Squirming in your seat, stretching, eye rubbing, cracking the knuckles

• Experiencing short lapses of attention—As fatigue sets in, you pay less attention to the instrument panel and rear/side view mirrors.

• Staring ahead, appearing to be in a trance—You’re less responsive at the wheel, change speed erratically, weave back and forth, and even cross the centerline or drift off the road entirely. At this stage, you are a hazard to yourself as well as others.

Often fatigue may also produce a mental state that will trick you into believing you are driving safely. When tired, drivers often imagine conditions that do not exist. A reaction to some imaginary condition may be disastrous.

Learn to recognize the signs of fatigue, follow all safe driving practices and get the appropriate rest required to safely operate a motor vehicle. Should you become too tired, pull off the road and take a break.

Arrive Alive

Tips for arriving at your destination safely

• Do not operate a vehicle while tired, ill, or with any other condition that makes your driving ability less than 100 percent.

• Do not operate a vehicle beyond the hours of service limitations developed by the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety.

• Make frequent rest stops. Any activity which substitutes a different physical act for the monotony of driving helps refresh a driver.

• Fatigue comes on very suddenly. When it hits, a driver should not wait to get off the road before falling asleep. A fatigued driver should pull well off the road and take an extended rest break.

• Do not use alcohol or drugs of any kind, at any time. Anti-sleep drugs may increase alertness for a short period. However, their use is often followed by headaches, dizziness, agitation or irritability, decreased power of concentration, and the onset of extreme fatigue. In addition, some cold and flu medications cause marked drowsiness, so it is important to read the labels before you purchase them.