The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has revealed that it has paid more than $20 million for lawn mowing-related injuries in the past five years.
Figures provided to the NZ Herald showed that more than 21,000 people injured themselves or others while mowing the lawn from January 2015 to October 2019 – with almost 140 of them needing amputations.
The most common type of injury was soft tissue injuries, including damaging muscles, tendons, or ligaments – amounting to 15,848 claims. Other injuries included infected wounds, burns, or dislocation. Auckland had the highest number of injury claims at 9,210, followed by Waikato with 3,766, Canterbury with 3,200, and Wellington with 1,717.
Kirsten Malpas, injury prevention specialist at ACC, warned that people couldn’t afford to be complacent about safety.
“Thousands of Kiwis are injured every year using power tools and many of those injuries involve lawnmowers,” Malpas told NZ Herald.
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Men in their 50s accounted for most injury claims at 3,075, but the number of men in their 40s and 60s who filed a lawn mowing-related claim was also high. Children below 10 have also needed ACC payouts in the same period because of lawn mower-related injuries – with some thought to be a result of someone else mowing the lawn.
ACC advised Kiwis to always wear non-slip close shoes, protective eyewear, and hearing protection when mowing lawns.
“Make sure any safety guards are in place before mowing and store your lawnmower safely out of reach of children when you’re finished,” Malpas said.
She added that children below 12 should not use a lawnmower, while those who operate the equipment should read the instructions to prevent disaster and should pick up garden debris before starting.
