Lawn mower injuries - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Lawn mower injuries

About a quarter of a million Americans are injured each year while running a lawn mower.

Mower blades travel at 150 mph and rocks, sticks and toys left in the yard can fly at around 100 mph. Doctors say they essentially become missiles.

At Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, doctors treat dozens of lawn mower injuries every year.

"Children and adults-- the injuries that we see here at Fletcher Allen include lacerations of the feet and hands. We've seen some amputations that have been tragic, and we've seen people that have had multiple bodily injuries from the lawn mowers rolling over on them on unsteady turf," said Dr. John Fortune, a trauma specialist at FAHC.

Some of Dr. Fortune's tips for safe mowing:

• Never let your child ride with you
• Keep kids out of the area while mowing
• Kids should be at least 12 before operating a push mower and 16 for a riding mower
• Clean your yard of debris before mowing
• Wear closed-toe shoes
• Never pull the mower in reverse-- you can run over your feet
• Make sure the machine is off and the blades are completely stopped before unclogging the discharge chute