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Lawn Care Safety for the Whole Family During COVID-19

ID

ALCE-193NP

Authors as Published

Garland Mason, AgrAbility Program Coordinator, Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, Virginia Tech; and Kim Niewolny, Associate Professor and AgrAbility Program Director, Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, Virginia Tech

As it is every year at this time, it’s finally spring and the grass is growing. What is different about this year though, is that the kids are home. It might seem like a good idea to send them outside to do some yard work while practicing social distancing—and it is! Fresh air and exercise can help ease the stress of being cooped up inside for months on end. Before you send them out though, make sure you and your family are familiar with these important safety tips, and make sure your kids are adequately supervised. Consider having an adult operate the potentially dangerous machinery and having the youth help prep the yard for the machinery.

Safety Tips

  • Here are some tips to keep everyone safe:
  • Wear closed-toed shoes or boots to keep feet safe and to ensure you don’t slip and fall while mowing.
  • Keep hands and feet away from the mower blade while it’s operating. If it gets clogged with grass, turn it off before pulling out the matted grass.
  • Don’t disable any of the mower’s safety mechanisms like shields or chutes.
  • Walk through the yard to remove sticks, stones, or toys that could become lodged in or thrown by the mower.
  • Be aware of holes and hidden hazards.
  • Mow up and down a slope, not across it.
  • Make sure everyone helping out is out of range of objects that could be thrown by the mower’s blades (greater than 50 feet is advised).

VCE Publications

Refer to these publications to learn more about lawn care safety:

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Publication Date

April 9, 2020

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