According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over 68,000 people are treated in emergency rooms with lawn mower-related injuries. More than 9,000 of those hurt are under the age of 18.

Many injuries involve the loss of fingers, toes or eyes, deep cuts, burns or broken bones. Some lawn mower accidents result in permanent brain injury or death. Most deaths to children occur when a child falls off the mower and is run over, or when a child is in the mower's path.

In nearly every situation, these tragedies can be prevented if parents or guardians take a few simple precautions:

• Keep children out of the yard when mowing the lawn
• Never allow young children to mow the lawn
• Never allow passengers on the riding lawnmower

Mower operator safety

Always prepare your lawn for mowing

Check your lawn for items such as rocks, toys, sports equipment, dog bones, wires or equipment parts. make sure all miscellaneous items are not hidden in tall grass--the debris could be thrown while mowing, possibly hitting the mower operator or bystanders.

Handle fuel with care

Always use care when filing the tank with gasoline and clean up any spills immediately. Never fill a tank while the engine is running or while hot and never smoke or use a flame around gasoline.

Wear appropriate clothing and shoes

Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, close-fitting clothing, eye protection, and heavy gloves. Never wear jewelry, which can get caught in moving parts. Never mow when barefoot or while wearing open sandals--wear sturdy shoes with slip-resistant rubber soles.

Check guards & shields

Be sure you know how to operate the mowing equipment, where the controls are and what they do. Don't remove or disable guards or other safety devices.

Use mower with automatic blade cut-off

Use only a mower with an automatic blade cut-off on the handle. Never reach underneath a mower while it is still operating, even if the blade is not spinning. If you need to remove debris or check the blade, disconnect the wire from the spark plug.