Lawnmowers and Garden Tools (Check off each correct answer.)

Kids love to watch machines like lawnmowers. When it comes to lawnmowers or other garden tools like leaf blowers, you should:

1. If you're watching, be far enough away so that debris can't hit you.

2. Wear safety goggles if you are close to, or if you are using the lawnmower.

3. Watch from any distance. It's only grass.

The answers are:

1. If you're watching be far enough away so that debris can't hit you. WRONG.
Even if you think you're a safe distance away, the lawnmower can propel objects far distances. Lawnmowers and leafblowers can pick up small objects like rocks, gravel, or bits of glass and shoot them out with a lot of force. Every year many children get eye injuries just by being near running lawnmowers.

2. Wear safety goggles if you are close to, or if you are using the lawnmower. RIGHT.
Wearing safety goggles is always the best thing to do when using any kind of power equipment. Frequently there are things in the lawn that you can't see and that can get picked up by the blade and shot out at you. Play it safe. Wear safety goggles. That goes for adults, too!

3. Watch from any distance, it's only grass. WRONG.
Even though lawnmowers mow grass, lawnmowers can pick up anything they go over. Often mixed in with the grass there can be bits of things like rocks or glass or even plastic from toys, and the blade can shoot them out at a high speed. Play it safe. Wear goggles if you or an adult are mowing the lawn, and stay far away if you want to watch.