Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Thu, Apr 20 2006
Mowing your way to the emergency room
When it comes to that study showing older people being at higher risk for lawnmower injuries, I believe I would read at least some of the numbers with caution when considering one's own chances of being hurt. Not all of us would poke our hands into running blades. However, when you consider how tough some mowers are to start, I can see how the temptation to clear debris without stopping the engine would be there.
Most mowers have some protection in the rear of the machine, so how are people getting struck with debris, unless perhaps it's a ricochet effect from mowing close to a wall or fence? I would think a bystander would be in much greater danger of getting smacked with a projectile. Maybe bystander data is actually included in the study's figures and so this is a fairly significant source of injury.
Those low-hanging limbs on trees probably catch both walking and riding mowers. It's easy to concentrate on the grass and forget to duck. But how on earth are so many people falling off riding mowers? Is this a case of inner ear disturbance? Perhaps speed is a factor. Do study statistics include participants from the growing sport of lawn mower racing? I'll bet those rough riders take a good spill every now and then. In the end, I'm betting the statistics of drivers falling off their mowers will show a direct relationship between the number of falls taken and the number of tall, cool ones consumed before mounting up for yard duty.
posted at: 10:51 | category: /Health and Fitness | link to this entry
When it comes to that study showing older people being at higher risk for lawnmower injuries, I believe I would read at least some of the numbers with caution when considering one's own chances of being hurt. Not all of us would poke our hands into running blades. However, when you consider how tough some mowers are to start, I can see how the temptation to clear debris without stopping the engine would be there.
Most mowers have some protection in the rear of the machine, so how are people getting struck with debris, unless perhaps it's a ricochet effect from mowing close to a wall or fence? I would think a bystander would be in much greater danger of getting smacked with a projectile. Maybe bystander data is actually included in the study's figures and so this is a fairly significant source of injury.
Those low-hanging limbs on trees probably catch both walking and riding mowers. It's easy to concentrate on the grass and forget to duck. But how on earth are so many people falling off riding mowers? Is this a case of inner ear disturbance? Perhaps speed is a factor. Do study statistics include participants from the growing sport of lawn mower racing? I'll bet those rough riders take a good spill every now and then. In the end, I'm betting the statistics of drivers falling off their mowers will show a direct relationship between the number of falls taken and the number of tall, cool ones consumed before mounting up for yard duty.
posted at: 10:51 | category: /Health and Fitness | link to this entry
