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“As the snowfall increases, the number of snow blower injuries rise. Fully understanding the equipment and never touching the machine while it is in operation will help prevent injuries and amputations,” said Kendra Calhoun, president & CEO of the Amputee Coalition of America. “These machines, like lawn mowers, make our lives easier, but they both involve fast-moving mechanical parts, and they can cause serious injuries.”
The CPSC reports that each year, approximately 5,740 hospital emergency room-related injuries are associated with snow blowers. The agency has received reports of 19 deaths since 1992. Fatalities include people becoming caught in the machine as well as carbon monoxide poisoning.
The CPSC offers the following safety tips for the safe operation of snow blowers:
· Stop the engine and use a long stick to unclog the wet snow and debris form the machine. Do NOT use your hands to unclog a snow blower.
· Always keep hands and feet away from all moving parts.
· Never leave the machine running in an enclosed area.
· Add fuel to the tank outdoors before starting the machine; don’t add gasoline to a running or hot engine. Always keep the gasoline can capped and store gasoline out of the house and away from ignition sources.
· If you have an electric-powered snow blower, be aware of where the power cord is at all times.
The Amputee Coalition of America adds one more safety tip:
NEVER let a child under the age of 18 operate a snow blower. While statistics aren’t available for child-related snow blower injuries, we do know that 600 children each year lose an arm or hand to lawn mowers each year.
NOTE: A study of the CPSC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas’ Department of Public Health showed that, between 2002 and 2008, there were an estimated 32,307 emergency department visits for injuries related to snow blower use in the United States. Most of these injuries affected the user’s hand, with 20 percent resulting in the amputation of either part or all of the hand. (Source: Hammig B, Jones C. “Injuries related to snow blowers in the United States: 2002 to 2008.” Academic Emergency Medicine. 17(5): 566-9. 2010.)
About the Amputee Coalition of America
The Amputee Coalition, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is “to reach out to and empower people affected by limb loss to achieve their full potential through education, support and advocacy, and to promote limb loss prevention.” For more information about limb loss, please visit the Amputee Coalition Web site at amputee-coalition.org or call 888/267-5669.
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