As the weather continues to get nice, lawn care season is back. With that, the doctors at Brucato Foot and Ankle Surgery encourage you to protect their feet and the feet of those around them when using rotary-blade lawnmowers.
Each year, some 25,000 Americans sustain injuries from power mowers, according to reports issued by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. The blades whirl at 3,000 revolutions per minute and produce three times the kinetic energy of a .357 handgun. Yet, each year we continue to see patients who have been hurt while operating a lawn mower barefoot.
If a lawn mower accident occurs immediate treatment is necessary to flush the wound thoroughly and apply antibiotics to prevent infection. Superficial wounds can be treated on an outpatient basis, but more serious injuries usually require surgical intervention to repair tendon damage, deep clean the wound, and suture it. We advise anyone who operates a power mower to take a few simple precautions.
- Don’t mow a wet lawn. Losing control from slipping on rain-soaked grass is the leading cause of foot injuries caused by power mowers.
- Wear heavy shoes or work boots when mowing—no sneakers, sandals or flip-flops.
- Mow slowly across slopes, never go up and down.
- Never pull a running mower backward.
- Keep the clip bag attached when operating a power mower to prevent projectile injuries.
- Use a mower with a release mechanism on the handle that automatically shuts it off when the hands let go.
- Always keep children away from the lawn when mowing it.
- Treat your injury right away.
- If you have suffered any sort of foot or ankle lawnmower injury, consult a foot and ankle surgeon right away.
For more information on this topic head to: https://www.foothealthfacts.org/article/lawnmower-accidents-cause-thousands-of-foot-injuri
