For Release August 13, 2006

Think Safety First When Doing Yard Work

AGRI-VIEWS

     by Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent

            As I travel around town this time of year, I see a lot of people out working in their yards. I see people mowing, trimming, spraying pesticides on weeds or insects, and homeowners working in their gardens. As we move into late summer and early fall, we’ll be seeing even more people out working in their yards, especially if it will just cool down. One thing that I can almost always count on, is that most of these homeowners will not be taking the proper measures to make sure that whatever job they are doing, is being done as safely as possible.

            Pesticides are chemicals that are designed to kill weeds or insects or to protect plants from diseases. These chemicals are potentially dangerous IF they are not used correctly. Fortunately, the chemicals are most likely to harm you if you come into contact with an excessive amount of them. If you read the label on any of these products, they will all say, “Do not get on skin, eyes, or clothing. If on skin or clothing remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse. Wash skin with soap and water.” Pretty straight forward easy to understand instructions.

            If you don’t want to get any of the spray on your skin, it makes sense to wear long sleeves, long pants, socks and shoes that cover your feet. But what do I see as I drive around town? People in shorts, flip flops and tank tops spraying when the wind is blowing. Folks, this is not a smart thing to do! Sure it might be hot out there, but you’re only going to be spraying for a few minutes. Put on the proper clothing, do your spraying, then throw all those clothes, by themselves, into the washing machine and you can put your shorts and tank top back on. Avoid any risk and protect yourself.

            Powered equipment has sure made lawn care easier, if not down right fun at times. Riding lawn mowers, line trimmers (Weed Eaters if you please), chain saws and rototillers have all put the internal combustion engine to good use. But they are loud and they are powerful. Those gas engines are deceivingly powerful and dangerous. Do you know what one horsepower is? It’s a standard measure of energy and is the amount of energy required to move 550 pounds one foot in one second. That’s more power than I have and probably you too. So let’s start treating those devices with a little more respect.

            Secondly, they are loud. You should wear hearing protection any time you are using a small gas engine or working near one. It doesn’t take long before the noise starts to take a toll. A lot of these devices are cutting through vegetation with high speed blades or stout synthetic lines. They can propel items at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour. That shrapnel can penetrate skin and be devastating to eyes. Make sure you are wearing approved eye protection. Those cool new sunglasses may make you look good, but unless they are approved as safety eye wear, they could be making the risk even greater. You also need to be wearing shoes that cover your feet and are fastened securely to you. Flip flops don’t cut it, nor do the airwalks or crocs! Wear long pants and long sleeves.

            Finally, protect your skin from the sun. Those UV rays do more than just give you a great tan, they can also give you skin cancer. Protect yourself with clothing and sun block. You have an amazing body. Technology has given us amazing tools. But the combination of the two can be dangerous if you don’t take proper precautions!

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