Sven's Summertime Safety: Lawn rockets

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Dave Watnemoe
  • 319th Air Base Wing Safety Office
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Summer is here and all of your hard work in the yard this spring is paying off, even if you did need some encouragement from the housing office's team of yard inspectors. Now you get to enjoy the tedious pleasure of safely maintaining that beauty for the next three months until it is covered with snow.

Lawn mowers can eject rocks at the rate of 200 mph. That is why it is so important to keep the lawnmower discharge directed away from your house, car and street.

It is also best to keep your children and pets indoors while cutting the grass or weed eating. Children are like ninjas and may catch you off guard by walking directly into the path of your mower chute.

Keep in mind if you have a dog like mine, it will bark and chase you, and then bite at your mower tires before backing off and kindly leaving you a new landmine to step in.

If weed eating, you should wear some kind of eye protection because these machines are famous for shooting small bits of everything straight up and into your eyes.

Another tip for the real smart ones out there, if you clog up your discharge port or need to put your hand anywhere other than on the push-bar, shut it off first. There is nothing cool about not being able to wave and have your other hand free to do something else at the same time.

Also, it is called a push mower because you are supposed to push it. If you find yourself pulling it backward toward yourself, you are doing it wrong. I don't think you would want to have to tell your grandkids the story about how you cut both your feet off cutting the grass one warm summer day.

Speaking of feet, it is not a good idea to do your yard-work barefoot or in flip-flops; toenails come off easier than you may think. It's best to wear heavy soled shoes or boots.

Remember to keep your situational awareness around you while doing your yard work because a well manicured lawn shouldn't cost you a trip to the emergency room or urgent care.