6 Easy Mowing Safety Tips: Mowing Means Knowing…Where Your Children Are

Every year, thousands of children in the United States are treated for lawn mower-related injuries.  Finger tips, hands, arms, legs and feet can be at risk when the person mowing is distracted, even for a split second.

American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison is a Level I Trauma Center for children, and their specialists see how devastating the impact of a lawnmower accident can be for a family. Rural Mutual Insurance Company is supporting the hospital in their efforts to help spread the word about lawn mower safety.

If you can remember one thing to keep your kids safe, it’s this: Mowing Means Knowing – where your children are.

6 Easy Mowing Safety Tips

Don’t let a split-second accident impact your child forever

Take a few moments to talk about lawn mower safety as a family and keep these tips in mind:

1. Before starting the lawn mower, know where all children are. Talk to them and be sure they stay out of the yard when someone is mowing. Keeping kids in the house is the ideal safety practice.
2. If children are playing outside, designate a supervisor (not the person mowing) of the kids while the lawn mower is in use.
3. Never allow a child to ride as a passenger on a riding mower.
4. Teach children that lawn mowers are not toys.
5. Before learning how to mow the lawn, your child should show the maturity, good judgment, strength and coordination that the job requires.
   • Children should be at least age 12 to operate a walk-behind mower.
   • Children should be at least age 16 to operate a riding lawn mower.

6. Stop the engine and allow it to cool before refueling. Always turn off the mower and wait for the blades to stop completely before:
   • Crossing gravel paths, roads or other areas
   • Removing the grass catcher
   • Unclogging the discharge chute
   • Walking away from the mower

Visit uwhealthkids.org/mowing to learn more about mowing safely.

Safety is our Business

As you’d expect from a company founded to help Wisconsin farms succeed, Rural Mutual offers powerful, cost-effective solutions to the increasingly complex risks you face as a farmer, business owner, individual. Our expert agents, adjusters and time tested policies have you covered.