Now that temperatures have dropped and the immediate demands of turf and lawn maintenance have decreased, homeowners and lawn and landscape professionals have time to revisit their lawn care routine, and along with that, safety measures that are necessary with working with chemicals and lawn equipment.
Chemical Safety
Lawn fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides all feature active ingredients that have specific purposes and instructions. It is essential that anyone using these items take the following steps:
- Understand exactly what your lawn needs. Many products are labeled only for certain grasses or may only be used in specific situations. Make sure you’re using the right product, at the right time, in the right way.
- Protect your skin by wearing any protective items listed on product labels. Eye and skin protection and mouth/nose coverings can prevent products from contacting sensitive body parts.
- Always follow label instructions for application methods and rates. With lawn products, more is not more! Label rates and application directions are there for the healthy of your lawn AND your family and pets.
Remember—with all chemical lawn treatments, THE LABEL IS THE LAW!
Equipment
Lawn mowers, weed eaters, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers… all of these items can be dangerous if not used properly. While each piece of equipment has its own unique instructions, here are some general guidelines to follow, but ALWAYS be sure to read the user’s manual carefully for any lawn care equipment you use!
- Clear the lawn of any debris, limbs, rocks before mowing.
- Do not remove protective guards or other safety features from your equipment.
- Become familiar with operating instructions before using the equipment.
- Always be aware of your surroundings — make sure children and bystanders are out of the way before mowing/trimming.
- With electric equipment (trimmers/blowers), inspect cords and outlets for exposed wires or other damage.
- Do not operate electric equipment when conditions are wet or around puddles.