Prevention

PREVENTION OF SNOWBLOWER INJURIES

Each year hundreds of people suffer maiming or amputations
of their fingers or hands from the improper handling of a snowblower.
It is the purpose of the Hand and Upper Extremity Center and the
American Society for Surgery of the Hand to provide you with patient
information to help you avoid these injuries during the winter season.

Injury Profile
Average age — 44 years
Sex — Male
Dominant hand — 90% of injuries
Amputations of tips of fingers
Middle finger most commonly injured

Common Weather Conditions
Heavy, wet snow
Large snow accumulation, greater than 6 inches
Temperature 28°F or greater

Injury Causes
Snow clogging the exit chute of the machine
Not noticing that the impeller blades are still rotating even though the machine is off
Attempting to clean the clogged exit chute by hand

Snowblowers are safe if used properly. Remember, if your snowblower jams:

Turn snowblower OFF.
Disengage clutch.
Wait 5 seconds after shutting machine off to allow impeller blades to stop rotating.
ALWAYS use a stick or broom handle to clear impacted snow.
NEVER put your hand down chute or around blades.
Keep all safety shields in place. DO NOT remove safety devices on machine.
Keep hands and feet away from all moving parts.
Keep a clear head, concentrate, and DO NOT DRINK before using your snowblower

PREVENTION OF LAWN MOWER INJURIES

Each year more than 74,000 small children, adolescents, and adults are injured by rotary, hand, and riding power mowers from the improper handling of lawn mowers.

It is the purpose of the Hand and Upper Extremity Center and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand to provide you with patient information to help you avoid these injuries.

Kinetics of Rotary Power Lawn Mowers:

Kinetic (motion) energy imparted by the standard mower blade is comparable to the energy generated by dropping a 21 pound weight from a height of 100 feet or equal to three times the muzzle energy of a .357 Magnum pistol.

Blade speed can eject a piece of wire or object up to 100 miles per hour.

Injury Profile
Adults 25-64 years
Children under age 5
22% involve wrist, hand, or finger
14% involve foot, ankle, or toes
25% of all hand and foot injuries result in amputation
Deaths occurred in children under 6 years of age

Common Injury Patterns
Direct contact with rotating or jammed blade
Serious avulsion (tearing/separating) injuries to soft tissue and bones
Gross contamination from contact with grass and soil harboring pathogens
Injuries requiring multiple staged surgeries to cleanse wounds and provide soft tissue coverage (to regenerate healthy tissue/skin)
Common Weather Conditions
Wet grass
Damp ground

Injury Causes
Passengers (adult/child) on riding mowers or in cart towed behind mower
Mower being pulled backward
Sloping lawn mowed by power mower up and down slope, instead of across
Sloping lawn mowed by riding mower across slope, instead of up and down
Wearing sandals or open-toed shoes
Attempting to unclog blades with a hand or foot

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PREVENTION OF FIRECRACKER INJURIES

Common consumer fireworks injure approximately 8,800 people every year.

The Hand and Upper Extremity Center of Northeast Wisconsin and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand is dedicated to providing the information you need to create a safer environment when using backyard fireworks.

Injury Profile
Ages 0-4—10% of all reported injuries
Ages 5-14—35% of all reported injuries
Ages 15 to 24—25% of all reported injuries
Ages 25 to 44—25% of all reported injuries
Males are three times more likely to be injured than females.

Common Injuries
Burns
Lacerations
Fractures
Traumatic amputation to the fingers, hands, or arms
*Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Injury Causes
Premature explosion
Delayed explosion
Errant flight path of rockets
Debris from aerial fireworks
Mishandling of sparklers

Prevention of firecracker injuries

Never use illegal fireworks.
Keep sparklers away from children. A lit sparkler may reach a temperature of 2,000 degrees.
When using sparklers put them in the ground. Don’t hold or run around with them.
Keep everybody—especially children and pets—out of range before lighting fireworks.
When setting off fireworks, keep a bucket of water and a running hose nearby.
Only ignite one firework at a time.
Never attempt to relight a “dud”. If a firework fails to ignite, wait 15 minutes then place it in a bucket of water.
Soak spent fireworks in a bucket of water before disposing of them in an outdoor trash can.
If an accident occurs call 911 immediately.