Although many people will have stowed their lawnmower away for the season, those who are using it to deal with leaves on the lawn are still prone to accidents; at this time of year it is the weather that is most to blame for creating a situation where an accident is almost inevitable without taking extra care.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The ride on mower is prone to tipping or rolling on inclines, with wet grass and leaves underfoot exacerbating this problem. If the wheels cannot gain traction they will spin in place, damaging the lawn surface and often necessitating human intervention to free the wheels. It is imperative that the engine is switched off when moving a ride on mower out of a rut; failure to do so could result in fingers being lost very easily. Extra care should also be taken on slopes and other areas of the garden with tight turns. It is best to clear these areas of leaves by another method, either raking or with a leaf blower, and then using the lawnmower on a flat patch to shred the leaves down.
The same potential slip hazard applies to push mowers, as your footing needs to be sure in order to safely push the mower around. Shoes with a grip are a must, but running spikes or football boots would also provide an extra safe footing for anyone manually pushing the lawnmower on wet grass and leaves.
As more people decide to use their lawnmower to shred fallen leaves, the incidence of fires started by lawnmowers in the winter increases. All too often people rush to put the lawnmower away and get back into the warm house, but in doing so create the perfect conditions for a fire. Leaves and other dry material left on the mower is very flammable under the right conditions; add petrol fumes, heat and a slight breeze and you have all the ingredients for a raging fire in the shed. Although it’s tempting to get the job over and done with quickly, the better course of action is to leave the mower outside to cool off properly while you warm up with a cup of tea. Once it is cool you can brush off any leaves or stray matter and ensure that there is nothing that will act as tinder near the mower when you put it back in the shed.
Don’t run the risk of injuring yourself with the lawnmower, when these accidents are easily avoidable with a little extra care and some common sense.