Ride-on mowers a danger to garden and greenhouse fans

18:29 23rd November 2009

A recent study published in the Journal of Safety Research has highlighted how garden and greenhouse enthusiasts should take care when operating ride-on mowers.

The research showed that there have been six fatalities caused by the machines in the past five years, BBC News revealed.

Furthermore, as many as 66,000 US citizens have found themselves in accident and emergency (A&E) over the last 60 months as a result of various lawn mower-related injuries.

The most common accidents involve the mower toppling over or people coming into contact with the blades.

"The risk of getting injured is low but we are not completely risk free," College of Emergency Medicine president John Heyworth told the news provider.

"We regularly see patients coming into A&E with a number of injuries as a result of gardening activities."

Brits looking for advice on maintaining a healthy lawn could head to the Royal Horticultural Society website, where there are tips on cutting the grass, as well as planting and feeding it.