With the arrival of spring rains, chances are your lawn is growing like gangbusters. Unfortunately, emergency room visits due to lawn mower mishaps also start to grow this time of year.

The Annals of Emergency Medicine, an online journal, says hospitals saw an average of 74,000 emergency visits related to lawn mowers between 1996 and 2004.

The injuries were most common among children and older adults. For children under 15, the most common injuries were getting hit by projectiles, burns from hot surfaces and running over an extremity. For adults over 60, the most common injuries were projectiles and falling on slippery surfaces.

The most common injury among all patients was getting hit with debris thrown from under the mower.

The journal offers this tips for safe mower operation:

¢ Use safety goggles.

¢ Wear protective gloves when changing mower blades.

¢ Wear pants and close-toed shoes with gripping soles.

¢ Keep others out of the yard while it is being mowed.

¢ Be mindful of the physical stress of mowing the lawn, especially if you have a history of pain onset by intense labor.

¢ Do not mow wet grass.

¢ Do not service the mower while it is running.

¢ Keep children under the age of 15 from riding and playing near lawn mowers.