ee “l Lwnmower Sfety Strts With Help From Shriners Hospitls (NAPSA)—Thesnow hs melted nd soon enough, the long bldes of grss underneth will need to be cut. To ensure sfe lwnmowing experience, few sfety precutions should be followed. Shriners Hospitls for Children tret mny children ech yer who hve been seriously injured s result of power lwnmower ccidents. Mnyof these incidents result in the loss of fingers, toes, limbs nd even eyes. Trgiclly, some lwnmower ccidents cn result in permnent brin dmge or even deth. In 2001, bout 275,000 people were treted in hospitl emergency rooms for injuries relted to lwn nd gr- den tools, nd bout 35,000 of those injured were under 15 yers of ge. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Sfety Commission, ech yer bout 75 people re killed nd bout 20,000 re injured on or ner riding lwnmowers nd grden trctors. One out of every five deths involves child. The Commission estimtes tht most of the deths occur when child is in the pth of moving mower. Although trgic, these unfortunte situtions could hve been voided, if dults hd tken the proper precutions. To prevent injuries to children nd dults from lwnmowers, plese follow these sfety tips from Shriners Hospitls nd the ~ - & - sd Stefnie meets with Dr. John P. Lubicky who operted on herleg nerly 5 yers go. U.S. Consumer Product Sfety Commission: * Do not llow pssengers on riding mower. Keep children out of the yrd nd indoors while mowing the lwn. It is recommended tht children under the ge of 14 not be llowed to operte lwnmower. Alwys prepre your lwn for mowing. Check your lwn for items such ssticks, rocks, toys, etc. Mke sure nothing is hidden in the grss. Hndle fuel with cre. Wipe up spills. Never fill the tnk on mowertht is hot. Never smoke or use ny kind of flme round gsoline. Wer pproprite clothing nd shoes. Wer long pnts, longsleeved shirts, eye protection nd hevy gloves. Wer sturdy, closetoed shoes with slip-resistnt rubbersoles. Check gurds ndshields. Be sure to red the owner’s mnul nd know how to operte the equipment. Don’t removeor disble gurds or other sfety devices. Use mower with n utomtic blde cut-off. Sty behind the hndle until the blde stops. Never rech under mower while it is still operting. If you need to remove debris or check the blde, disconnect the wire from the sprk plug. Don’t cut grss whenit’s wet. On slopes, mow up nd down rther thn cross the slope. For more informtion on lwn- mower sfety, or Shriners network 22 hospitls tht provide medicl cre nd services totlly free of chrge to children with orthopedic problems, burns nd spinl cord injuries, write to: Shriners Interntionl Hedqurters, Public Reltions Dept., 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tmp, FL 33607, or visit the Web site t www.shrinershq.org. Tretmentis provided to children under ge 18 regrdless to rce, religion or reltionship to Shriner. If you know child Shriners cn help, cll 1-800-237-5055 in the United Sttes or 1-800-3617256 in Cnd.
