84-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 30,1998 KIDS AND MOWERS Can mowing your lawn be hazardous to your children’s health? Several recent lawn mower accidents involving chil dren under the age of 5, occurred in York County. They resulted in loss of limbs, fingers, toes or injured the eyes. The whirling metal blade below the mower deck con tributes to 70 percent of all lawn mower accidents. A person can come in contact with the blade by slipping under the mower deck, or reaching into the dis charge chute before the blade stops. Lawn mower blades typi cally turn at 3600 revolutions per minute, or 60 revolutions per second. Since most blades have two ends and rotate at 200 mph, an object in line with the blade for only one second may be struck as many as 120 times. The intensity of the damage from a blade rotating under these conditions is equivalent to a 1.2 pound missile traveling at 232 miles per hour. Bones com ing in contact with the mower are typically crushed and the wound filled with dirt and grass, making it difficult for a surgeon to repair. Lawn mowers often hurl objects (stones, sticks, etc.) from under the mower deck especially • Coated with baked on TGIC Polyester Powder • For safe and easy grooming, washing and clipping cattle • Expanded metal floor stays cleaner and givfes more traction • Assembles and dis-assembles quickly and easily • Can easily be moved and loaded by one person | PAUL B. ZIMMERMAN, INC. Call or Write For Hour* Additional Information M *>n. Thru Frl. And Your 7 to 5 Nearest Dealer when the lawn is high. Debris launched from the discharge chute could puncture the skin or eyes resulting in serious injury. Recent design changes to lawn mowers have reduced but not eliminated the danger. Improved guards have helped as well as the ‘deadman brake’ which stops the blade in three seconds or less after the opera tor lets go of the push handle or gets off the seat of a riding mower. Some operators see these safety devices as a nui sance, and by-pass the device using a wire or tape. Never remove the safety device on a lawn mower. lb reduce the hazards associ ated with mowing the lawn, review the proper use and oper ation of the mower. Clear the area under the deck of sticks, stones and other debris. Keep children out of the area you plan to mow, children under 5 years old and pets are the most acci dent victims. Wear sturdy footwear such as work shoes or steel work boots (never wear sandals, sneakers or bare feet). Wear close fitting slack and shirts to avoid entanglement under the mower. Make sure all guards, deflectors, and safety devices are in place and in work ing order. Check the fuel level 295 Woodcorner Rd. Lititz, PA 17543-9165 1 Mile West of Ephrata 717-738-7365 before starting. Do not add fuel when the engine is hot. While mowing your lawn, wear eye protection, pay careful attention to children playing in the area, move slowly over rough terrain, direct the dis charge chute away from cars, buildings, and people, look ahead of the mowing path for large debris, and look before backing up. In addition do not operate a mower on a grade steeper than 15 degrees (2.5 ft. rise per 10 ft. run), operating riding mowers up and down slopes, operate walk behind mowers across slopes, never attempt to adjust cutting height while the mower is running, never operate on wet grass, and never pull a mower up grade while running (you might slip under the mower.) If a discharge chute becomes clogged, shut off the engine and wait for the blade to stop com pletely before unclogging the chute. When servicing the mower deck or blade, be certain that the mower is turned off, and the spark plug wire is dis connected to prevent accidental starting. Farm Safety Camp For children, ages 8-13 who live on or visit farms, Extension is sponsoring a home and farm safety camp on Friday, July 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the York County 4-H Center. Topics include lawn mower safety, bicy cle safety, first aid, com picker and PTO entanglement preven tion, tractor rollover prevention and more. Send a $3.00 registra tion to the Penn State Cooperative Extension, 112 Pleasant Acres Road, York, PA 17042. Information for this article was supplied by Dan F. McFarland, Extension Agent - Agricultural Engineering, Penn State Cooperative Extension. Any questions regarding the Fax (717) 866-7237 Glu-Lam Arches Glu-Lam Beams Glu-Lam Treated Posts MEMBER * Mt