Take care when mowing the lawn
Thursday,
May 01, 2008
BY CAROL ANN CAMPBELL
Star-Ledger Staff
Soon, the smell of
newly cut grass will waft through suburban New Jersey, and those shearing the
lawn may get exercise, a wave from the neighbors and -- if they are not careful
-- lose finger or two.
Emergency
room physicians and surgeons expect to be busy the next few weeks as weekend
warriors fire up the lawn mowers, and some wind up cutting more than just grass.
Some hospital emergency departments in New
Jersey may see as many as a half-dozen mower accidents on a warm spring
Saturday. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons said American hospitals
treat more than 92,000 injuries related to mowers every year.
Even a residential lawn mower packs a wallop
of energy. Getting hit with the blade is equivalent to being shot by a .357
Magnum pistol, according to the orthopaedic academy. A mower can eject a piece
of metal or wood at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Doctors will treat everything from deep cuts,
sprains, lost fingers and toes, and even partial or full amputations from lawn
mower accidents.
"People are usually in a hurry,"
said Abram Kirschenbaum, a surgeon who specializes in the wrist, elbow
and hand at Morristown Memorial Hospital. "They tell me, 'It happened so
fast. I just wasn't thinking.' People don't appreciate how much energy these
machines have."
Many accidents are caused when people try to
dislodge something jamming the mower, thinking the motor is no longer running.
But as soon as the jam is dislodged, the blade swiftly turns, mangling fingers
or toes.
Turning the machine off may not necessarily
be the answer.
"If the machine jams and you turn it
off, there can still be stored-up energy. So as soon as you knock whatever it is
out of the way, the blades can still turn and do some serious damage,"
Kirschenbaum said. "Even after the machine is turned off, you should never
put your hands or feet near the blade."
Christopher Freer, chairman of the emergency
department at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, said some people
stick their hands in the leaf bag to unclog wet grass.
"If you put your hand too far down, you
will hit the blade," Freer said.
He
sees serious injuries by smart people who often feel foolish in the emergency
department. Those who lose their index finger or thumb may be left with a
handicap that affects their everyday life.
Freer said that he also sees a large number of
hedge trimmer accidents.
"You don't get a clean cut. The machine
macerates the tissue and the injury is difficult to repair," Freer said.
The hospitals see these lawn-related injuries
among homeowners and workers, some of them immigrant laborers employed by
landscaping companies.
Many lawn mower injuries, about 2,300, are
sustained by children younger than 5 each year. The Orthopaedic academy says
children should not be in the yard while the lawn is being mowed, and no riders
other than the operator, regardless of age, should be allowed on a riding mower.
Annual maintenance of a mower can make sure
that safety devices remain in working order.
"We check out the safety devices that
will stop the blades if you are not in the seat of a riding mower, or not
standing behind a push mower," said Laura Toth, the manager of The Lawn
Mower Shop Inc., in Bound Brook. "We tell people the machine should be safe
for them as well as anybody else who might use it."
Cut the lawn safely
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
said American hospitals provides these guidelines for lawn mower use:
·
Service a lawn mower at the beginning of each season.
·
Do not remove safety devices, shields or guards on switches.
·
Add fuel before starting the engine, not while it's running or hot.
·
Never touch the lawn mower blade, with hands or feet, under any
circumstances -- even if the engine seems to be off.
·
Wear protective boots, clothing and eyeglasses when using a lawn mower.
Carol Ann Campbell may
be reached at ccampbell@starledger.com or (973) 392-4148.
Mower recall
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Friday announced a recall of about 530 LawnBott lawn mowers (models LB2000, LB
2100, LB3000 and LB3200). The reason: The mower's cutting blades continue to
rotate when the mower is lifted from the ground, and the spacing on the side of
the mower could allow rom for a person's foot to enter and be struck by the
blade. Both scenarios pose a laceration hazard.
The LawnBott is made by Zucchetti Centro
Sistemi S.p.A., of Italy, and imported by Kyodo America Industries Co. LTD., of
Lawrenceville, Ga.
People should stop using the recalled mowers
immediately and contact Kyodo America at (877) 465-9636 between 8 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. (Central Time) Monday through Friday, to register their mowers for repairs.
For
more information, visit lawnbott.com or cpsc.gov.
