Afterhours
Accident
BY LAUREN HEARTSILL DOWDLE
Avoid mowing steep areas, especially at night.
THE ACCIDENT: A lawn maintenance crewmember is cutting the grass in a drainage ditch
at 10:45 p.m. with limited visibility because
of the darkness. The ground is at a 45-degree
angle. While mowing, he hits the concrete drain
tile. The mower flips over, lands on the operator
and crushes him. He dies of chest injuries.
THE BOTTOM LINE: If the worker had
worn a seatbelt or used a mower with a rollover
protection structure (ROPS), his death could have
been prevented. Before attempting to mow a
steep area, crewmembers should first look at the
equipment's manual to see the maximum slope
allowed for that specific machine. Here are more
tips for preventing rollovers.
• Avoid sudden moves: Abrupt stops and starts
can cause the equipment to flip.
• Slow down when turning. Turning quickly
and sharply can cause the mower to overturn.
Don't make a turn on a slope unless absolutely
necessary. If turning is required, turn slowly
and downhill.
• Do not mow at night. Even with streetlights,
vision is limited when it is dark outside,
increasing the danger level of the project.
ILLUSTRATION BY DON LOMAX
• For riding mowers, mow up and down slopes
– not across – and keep the heavy end uphill.
With walk-behind mowers, mow across slopes
to keep from sliding underneath the mower.
• If the angle is too steep, use a trimmer to cut
the area.
• Do not mow over anything other than grass.
Mow around objects that can't be removed and
follow up with a trimmer. tlc
presented by:
www.toro.com
m.toro.com/LCE
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S E P T E M B E R 2013
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