Whistle While You (Yard) Work & Avoid Preventable Injuries

July 22, 2022

Did you know the average lawn mower injury can cost a patient $37,000 in medical bills in the United States (Johns Hopkins, 2018)? Moreover, hospital emergency rooms see an average of 875 visits per day related to yardwork injuries (LawnStarter.com, 2020).

As we move into the thick of summer, we’re offering up insight into common yardwork injuries, how to avoid them, and what to do in the event of sustaining one.

Safety Tips for Working in the Yard

Before embarking on any physical activity, it’s important to warm up — especially as adults. Strenuous work demands it. Loosen muscles and get the blood flowing to prevent minor muscle strains or worse. The following includes a few more tips for staying safe in the yard:

Focus: Don’t get distracted while doing yardwork. It’s easy to be nonchalant or lose focus while trimming hedges, weed-eating, or doing a myriad of things, but that’s when accidents are most likely to happen.
Wear Proper Gear: Depending on what you’re doing in the yard, it’s important to skip the flip-flops. Wear closed-toe shoes, slip-resistant footwear, long pants, and gloves. Make sure you also invest in ergonomic tools and use proper mechanics when lifting.
Reach Machine Manuals: Yes, we’re sure you can figure it out, but don’t risk a slip or unnecessary injury by just finding your way with the chainsaw.

5 Common Yardwork Injuries

Many accidents related to working around the house are easily preventable. Common sense goes a long way — particularly when using power equipment. From splinters and blisters to nerve and tendon damage, taking proper care in advance can keep you safe all the way through your honey-do list. That proper care includes wearing pants, heavy leather gloves, and cleaning out wounds as soon as they happen. The following are five common yardwork injuries to avoid:

Splinters, infections, and blisters
Fingers and other extremities exposed to the dangers of wood chippers/splitting/hydraulic machines and even hedge trimmers.
Ladder and roof falls
Lawnmower burns or cuts
Muscle pulls and strains

When Yardwork Injuries Happen…

Inevitably accidents happen, so it’s good to have a plan for what to do in the event of one. First and foremost, stop working, clean your wound and bandage it (if applicable), apply ice, and take the appropriate over-the-counter pain relief medication.

Many people will push through the pain of whatever injury they sustained to get the job done, but that can result in worse problems down the road. If your injury is severe, don’t hesitate to seek urgent medical attention at an emergency room. The specialists at Beacon are ready to treat your strains, sprains, tears and breaks with multiple urgent care centers at our Anderson, Crestview Hills, and Erlanger locations. If you have a non-emergent orthopedic injury, you can also schedule an online appointment for a time that best fits your schedule. We specialize in everything from orthopedic surgery to knee replacement surgery and pain management throughout the Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky region.