Follow these tips to prevent a lawn mower accident

Waterloo, Iowa; June 23, 2023 – Each year, nearly 9,000 children go to the emergency department for lawn mower-related injuries. Lawn mowers cause a wide variety of injuries, including burns, cuts and even amputations to fingers, hands, toes or feet. In fact, lawn mowers are among the most common causes of amputations in children.

In 2017, 3-year-old Tate Manahl sustained severe and life-threatening injuries in a lawn mower accident. He was stabilized at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center before being airlifted to a facility with a higher level of care. Now, six years and more than 30 surgeries later, Tate and his father, Ryan, are working to educate the public on lawn mower safety.

“We don’t want another family to have to go through something like this,” said Ryan Manahl. “We’re working with MercyOne and other area organizations to get this information to as many people as possible to try to prevent these kinds of injuries.”

A lawn mower is far more likely to injure a bystander or passenger than the operator. Children, especially, are more likely to be hit by a riding lawn mower or fall off a riding lawn mower. That’s why you should always be aware of your surroundings before mowing the lawn.

• Never allow a child to play outside while a lawn mower is in use.
• Never ride with a child on a lawn mower, even if the blades are off.
• Never mow in reverse.
• Never fill the gas tank while the mower is running.
• Turn off the mower and let the blades completely stop before removing anything.
• Pick up objects in the lawn before mowing, such as rocks and sticks.

Most importantly, if your child has been in a mower-related accident, call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency department.

For more lawn mower safety resources, visit Tate’s Army.