Snow blowers (otherwise known as snow throwers) can throw a lot of snow, but it can be dangerous and risky to use if you do not follow a few basic safety guidelines.
Snow blowers have moving parts that might pose a threat to life and limb if you are really careless while using the machine. For example, you should never use your hands to remove snow that is clogging the auger blades or the discharge chute, seeing as the auger might still be under mechanical tension even after it has stopped rotating. Furthermore, do not wear loose clothing that could get trapped and twisted into the auger or wheels. In addition, you should wear proper shoes that will reduce the risk of slipping and falling. Snow blowers are noisy, so consider wearing something that will protect your ears, such as ear plugs. Keep your attention on the task at hand, and rest now and then if your heart rate or breathing becomes too fast.
How dangerous are snow blowers?
Snow blowers are involved in thousands of injuries every year: for that reason, they should be treated with the necessary caution. The most common injuries involve the fingers and hands of people who used their hands to try and clear snow from the discharge chute or auger. Always use a chute cleaning tool, or at the very least a long broom handle, but never stick your hand or foot into the chute, impeller or auger blades.
Children and pets can also be harmed by snow blowers while an adult is busy clearing snow from the driveway or garden paths. Children and pets should be kept out of the way when a snow blower is being used so that they do not get injured by flying snow or rotating auger blades. They should never be allowed to play in the snow while a snow blower is throwing snow. Accidents can happen in a heartbeat, specifically when dealing with icy, slippery conditions and a noisy snow blower.
Snow blowers appear to have an unnecessary high rate of injury when compared to other household and garden tools. Therefore, you should observe a few basic safety rules when you want to use a snow blower safely.
Snow Blower Safety Tips
- Always use the correct gauge outdoor electric extension cord, plugged into an outdoor GFCI outlet, when using an electric snow blower.
- Avoid pointing the discharge chute in the direction of houses, windows, vehicles, people and animals.
- Gas-powered snow blowers can be quite noisy, so consider wearing hearing protection to protect your ears.
- Keep the snow blower and gasoline cans under lock and key so that children do not have access to it.
- Please keep children and pets inside the house where they cannot get injured by the snow blower.
- Refuel a gas-powered snow blower before you use it, and do not run it in an enclosed space due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- The dead man’s switch is there to prevent you from becoming a dead man, so do not disable it, or it might disable you.
- The exhaust muffler of a two stage snow blower engine is exposed and can cause a burn injury when it is hot, so do not touch it.
- The rotating auger blades will not only pull in snow, but also any loose clothing that crosses its path.
- Wear warm clothing that fits properly, wear shoes that have good grip in snowy conditions, and warm work gloves.
Can using a snow blower cause heart problems?
It seems like it might be associated with a risk of heart attack. If you have heart problems, then you should talk to your doctor about whether you should use a snow shovel or a snow blower to clear snow from your property. Of course, using a snow shovel to shove snow out of the way requires more physical effort compared to using a self-propelled snow blower. Therefore, if you are a smoker, have heart disease, or are in poor physical shape, then you should be very careful about rushing outside and flinging snow around. You might end up making snow angels in the snow, and not in a good way.
Can a woman handle a snow blower?
A woman can do most things that men can do, and some things that men cannot do. The same snow blower safety rules apply, regardless of whether it is operated by a man or a woman. Be that as it may, a woman might prefer to use a smaller self-propelled snow blower model, possibly with power steering, that is easier to handle, while men would probably want to use the biggest snow blower that they can find. A woman might also find that an electric snow blower, or even a cordless snow thrower, is easier to use and maintain.
Are snow blowers bad for the environment?
Snow blowers that are powered by gasoline engines release gasses such as carbon monoxide that might not be friendly to the environment. Of course, 4-stroke gasoline engines are cleaner when compared to two-stroke engines. Therefore, avoid buying a snow blower with a 2-stroke engine.
Furthermore, gasoline engines require oil for lubrication and regular oil changes. You need to recycle used oil in an environmentally responsible manner, so that it does not end up polluting the planet.
Corded electric snow blowers use neither gasoline nor oil: as a result, they cause no immediate pollution of the air. However, they still have to be plugged into the national power grid.
Cordless snow blowers get their power from batteries, which are plugged into a household outlet for charging. These batteries contain metals such as lithium that have to be mined out of the earth, causing environmental damage. Obviously, a battery that has reached the end of its life also needs to be disposed of in an environmentally safe way. Still, an electric snow blower will probably cause a lot less air pollution when compared to a gas-powered snow blower.
In brief, the most environmentally friendly snow removal system might actually be a snow shovel powered by a human being that is both healthy and strong.
Are snow blowers worth the danger and risk?
There is a risk of injury if you are careless and do not observe basic safety rules when working with a snow blower. The risk of injury can be reduced by keeping children and pets away from the snow blower, and by wearing the right clothing and personal protection equipment. Always treat gasoline and electric cords with the necessary respect if you want to avoid burns and shocks. Never use your hands or feet to clear accumulated snow from either the auger or the impeller. To conclude, using a snow blower to remove snow is worth the risk as long as you are careful, and you do not exceed your physical fitness limits.
Photo by Nazym Jumadilova on Unsplash