Contents

Introduction What's Inside?
Training Techniques
Tractor Safety Training Guide
Motor Vehicle Safety Training Guide
Chipper/Shredder Safety Training Guide
Skid Steer Safety Training Guide
Tree Trimming Safety Training Guide
Aerial Lift Safety Training Guide
Mowing and Trimming Safety Training Guide

Mowing and Trimming Safety Training Guide

Suggested Materials

• Mowing and Trimming Safety Manuals (English, Spanish)
• Sign-in Sheet
• Pencils
• Instructor Guide
• Training Overheads/Slides/Projector
• Blank Overheads/Flipchart/Blackboard/Pen for listing participant responses and outlining important concepts
• Trailer for loading mower for Hands-on Exercises
• Mowing and trimming equipment for Hands-on Exercises
• Power cords and electrical tools appropriate for Hands-on Exercises
• Traffic control devices for Hands-on Exercises
• Ear plugs and other protective equipment for Hands-on Exercises
• First aid kits for Hands-on Exercises

Sources of Background Information
Mowing and Trimming, Tractor Safety and Motor Vehicle Manuals available for download: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/agsafe/training/OSHA_training.htm
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute safety brochures:
http://www.opei.org/
Operator's manuals for mowing and trimming equipment (available from dealer)

Length of Time Needed for Training
Review and select the learning activities that are most appropriate. If all of the discussion and hands-on exercises are included in the training it may take up to a full work day. Without the hands-on exercises, the classroom portion will take about two hours.

Welcome and Introduction

• Introduce yourself.
• Remind participants of the topic of the training.
• Discuss breaks, locations of restrooms, ending time and any tests or evaluations.
• Tell participants you expect them to play an active role by relating their experiences and knowledge.

Participant Introductions
Find out:

• Who are they?
• What is their experience with mowing and trimming?
• What do they hope to learn from the training?

Questioning/Discussion
Before beginning Lesson 1:

• What do participants think are the most common types of accidents that happen when mowing and trimming? List ideas on an overhead or flipchart.
• Have any participants known someone who has been killed or seriously injured while mowing or trimming? Would anyone care to share what happened?

Lesson 1 Take Control of Your Own Safety

Suggested Objectives

• Name the most common types of serious accidents involving mowers and trimmers.
• Interpret the meaning of common warning signs and labels.
• Identify appropriate protective equipment.

Discuss Accident Reports on page 4 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

• How well did participants' ideas for the most common cause of accidents match those in the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual? (Refer to the overhead or flipchart list made during the introduction.)
• Which of these hazards represents the greatest risk in your workplace?

Hands-on Exercise

• Break the class into groups of three to five participants. Have each group look for safety messages and signs on the mowing and trimming equipment they commonly use. Bring the class together and ask each group to report on what they saw.
• Have participants inspect and wear any protective equipment that is required for their work. Discuss the importance of each item.

Try on hearing protection:

• follow manufacturer's procedure or use the general procedure below.
• demonstrate technique.
• provide feedback as participants practice.

Inserting Ear Plugs

Types of Hearing Protection

Ear Plugs
	Clean hands. Roll ear plug between fingers to compress it. Grasp ear from behind your head with opposite hand and pull up to straighten ear canal. Insert ear plug until it blocks sound, then hold in place while it expands. (Count out loud to 20 while it expands.) Ear plug must completely fill ear canal. Test fit by cupping hands over ears and then releasing. There should not be much difference in sound. Wash reusable plugs in warm soapy water after use/throw away disposable after each use.
Hearing Bands
	Grasp ear from behind your head with opposite hand and pull up to straighten ear canal. Use your hands to press the ear pads into the ear canals. Test fit in a noisy environment: Lightly press band inward and you should not notice much reduction in noise level.
Ear Muffs
	Make sure the cushions fully cover the ear and seal tightly against the head. Hold the headband at the crown of the head and adjust each cup. Test fit in a noisy environment: Gently push the cups toward your head and release. There should not be much difference in noise level.

Discuss Accident Reports on page 7 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

Evaluation
As a group, answer the quiz items on page 8 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. Be sure to discuss each item.

Questioning
Before beginning Lesson 2:

• What specific safety items do participants check in regard to their equipment and worksite before beginning each job?
• What precautions do they take when they shut down their mowing equipment and leave it unattended?

Lesson 2 Prepare for Safe Operation

Suggested Objectives

• Indicate mower parts to be inspected before operation.
• Identify steps to prepare the area for safe mowing.
• Recognize safe start up and shut down procedures.

Discuss the Pre-Start Inspection and Prepare the Mowing Area on pages 9-11 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

• How do participants' current pre-operation inspections compare to the one listed in their manual? (Refer to the overhead or flipchart list made during the Lesson 1.)
• What is the company's policy for recording pre-start equipment checks?
• Are appropriate safety guards and interlocks present and functional on all of your company's mowing and trimming equipment? What is your company's procedure for reporting and repairing damaged equipment?
• Discuss the company's policy for using safety belts on riding mowers and tractors.

Discuss the Accident Report on page 12 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

Analysis
Ask participants to silently read "Safe Start Up and Shut Down" on page 12 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. For each item, ask participants to write in the margin to indicate if the item mainly protects them from "being caught in or struck by moving parts," "being run over," or "other hazards." When everyone has finished, have each participant read an item in turn and briefly tell what type of accident it will prevent and why. Be sure to discuss items that participants find surprising or hard to comply with.

Visual Aid

• Discuss the overhead/slide entitled, "Is This a Good Idea?" on page 212 of the Instructor Guide. Ask participants to identify all safety problems indicated in the story.
• Discuss how the worker could have handled the situation in a better manner.
• Discuss any points from "Safe Fueling Procedures" that haven't been mentioned.

Discuss the Accident Reports on page 13 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

• Discuss the company's policy for ventilating the repair shop while working on equipment with the engine running.

Evaluation
Ask participants to answer the quiz items on page 13 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. Be sure to discuss each item.

Hands-on Exercises
Demonstrate and have participants practice the following skills:

• Inspect mowing/trimming equipment using the Daily Pre-Operation Inspection on page 225 of the Instructor Guide or other checklist used by the company (can be done as a group or individually).
• Safely start and shut down mowing/trimming equipment observing the precautions in Lesson 2 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. Before beginning instruct all participants about important operating controls and keep other participants out of the way.
• Discuss startup and shutdown procedures that are relevant for other types of equipment.

Lesson 3 Preventing Rollover Accidents

Suggested Objectives

• Recognize safe operating procedures to prevent a rollover accident.
• Identify issues of concern when mowing on slopes.

Discuss Accident Report on page 15 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

Case Studies
Break the class into small groups of three to five participants. Provide each group with one of the scenarios on pages 213-215 of this Instructor Guide. Ask each group to discuss their scenario, using the information from Lesson 3 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. If there are more than three groups, more than one group can work on the same scenario. Monitor the progress of each group. Bring the class back together and ask for a representative from each group to read their problem and explain their solution. Display case study overheads as each group takes turns. Ask other groups what they think of the proposed solution.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz items on page 17 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Lesson 4 Avoid Being Caught in Moving Parts

Suggested Objectives

• Recognize safe operating procedures to avoid being caught in moving parts.
• Identify hazards associated with equipment parts.

Discuss Accident Reports on pages 18-20 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

• Have participants known of workers who have been seriously hurt by moving parts in any other ways? Would anyone care to share what happened?

Analysis
Ask each participant to silently read the recommendations from the Accident Reports and circle the item that s/he believes would prevent the most injuries in your company given the equipment that is used, the jobs that are performed and any problems that have occurred in the past. Ask a few volunteers to discuss their selections.

Discussion
Discuss your company's policies regarding the following:

• maintaining guards and shields.
• adding blades and chains that are not recommended by the manufacturer.
• shutting down equipment before unclogging or making adjustments.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz items on page 21 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Hands-on Exercise
Break the class into groups of three to five participants. Ask each group to evaluate one item of mowing or trimming equipment and report back to the class regarding whether guards are in place and operating properly, and any precautions that are necessary in order to prevent contact with hazardous parts.

Lesson 5 Other Common Dangers

Suggested Objectives

• Identify steps to avoid being run over.
• Become aware of hitching and unhitching procedures.
• List precautions to avoid hitting obstacles.
• Recognize how to prevent objects from being thrown during equipment operation.
• Evaluate how to safely operate equipment in and around traffic.
• Become aware of electrical hazards.

Discuss Accident Reports on page 23 and 24 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

Analysis
For each item listed in "Runovers" on page 22, read the item and ask a participant to briefly describe:

• How could someone be killed or injured if they don't follow the recommendations?
• Given the kinds of projects participants work on, when is a runover most likely to occur?

• Ask participants to silently read "Hitching and Unhitching Attachments" on page 22 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. For each item, ask participants to write "rollover," "runover," "moving parts," or "multiple hazards" in the margin next to each item to identify the type of accident that could happen if they don't follow the recommendation. When everyone has finished, have each participant read an item, briefly tell what type of accident it will prevent and why. Be sure to discuss items that participants find surprising or hard to comply with.
• Ask participants to silently read "Obstacles" on page 23 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. In the margin next to each item, ask participants to write an example they have recently seen or experienced. When finished, ask volunteers to quickly describe one of the examples they recorded and discuss how they would deal with it.
• As a group, read "Thrown Objects" on page 24 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. For each item, call on a participant to describe a situation when it is a hard to comply with the recommendation. What can be done to make compliance easier?

Hands-on Exercise

• In a safe area such as a private road or parking lot on your company's property, have participants set up a roadside work area using traffic cones and flaggers, as appropriate. Make sure all participants wear brightly-colored reflective vests and any other safety equipment that your company requires for this type of work. Guidelines for roadside work areas are detailed in the Motor Vehicle Safety Manual for Landscaping and Horticultural Services (http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/agsafe/ training/OSHA_training.htm)
• In a safe area with adequate supervision, have participants practice loading mowers safely onto a trailer.
• Break the class into groups of three to five participants. Ask each group to inspect familiar power cords and electrical tools. Is there any damage to the item? Is it rated for outdoor use? Is it safe to use in a damp or wet area? Ask each group to report on one or more items. Do other groups agree with their assessment? Should any items be taken out of service?
• Ask participants to look at the electrical outlets on the outside of the building. Are there any GFCIs? If not, how can GFCI protection be obtained? Discuss the benefits and limitations of GFCIs.
• Take the class outdoors and point out several distinct areas for mowing and trimming nearby. Break the class into groups of three to five participants. Ask each group to evaluate one of the areas and report back to the class regarding any hazards they observed and precautions that are necessary in order to prevent accidents involving rollovers, runovers, collisions, power lines, thrown objects and traffic.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz items on page 26 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Lesson 6 Environmental Hazards

Suggested Objectives

• Identify environmental hazards.
• Recognize treatment and first aid for exposure to environmental hazards.

Discuss Accident Reports on pages 29 and 32 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual

Contest
Divide the class into groups. Display the contest items provided on pages 216-220 of the Instructor Guide. In turn, ask each group a multiple choice or true/false question. Each group gets one point for every correct answer. If a group misses a question, allow the next group to answer it for a point. Keep track of points and recognize the winning group. Use the questions as opportunities to discuss the training material. If possible, use an overhead or slide projector to display each question as you ask it. Answer key is provided on page 221 of the Instructor Guide.

Hands-on Exercise
Using the company's first aid kits, demonstrate and have participants practice first aid for cuts, burns, heat exhaustion, cold injury and lightning strike.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz items on page 33 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual either individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Conclusion

Case Studies
Break the class into small groups of three to five participants. Provide each group with one of the scenarios on pages 222-224 of this Instructor Guide. Ask each group to discuss their scenario, using the information in the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual. If there are more than three groups, more than one group can work on the same scenario. Monitor the progress of each group. Bring the class back together and ask for a representative from each group to read their problem and explain their solution. Display case study overheads as each group takes turns. Ask other groups what they think of the proposed solution.

Discussion
Ask participants to share any questions or concerns they may still have or want to discuss further.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz questions on page 35 of the Mowing and Trimming Safety Manual individually or as a group. Be sure to discuss each item.

Hands-on Performance Evaluation
In a safe area with adequate supervision, have each participant complete a hands-on performance evaluation. The evaluation may include the use of the Pre-Operation Inspection provided on page 225 of the Instructor Guide and proper use of mowing and trimming equipment.

A checklist for the performance evaluation is provided on page 226 of the Instructor Guide.

Visual Aid (Mowing and Trimming Safety Lesson 2)

Is This a Good Idea?
It was getting late and a worker was hurrying to finish his mowing job. His fuel was low, so he stopped his riding mower and hopped off with the engine still running. With a lit cigar clenched between his teeth, he opened the cap on the mower's fuel tank. He grabbed the gas can and took off the lid. He didn't have time to attach the fill spout, so he poured the gasoline "free-hand" into the tank.

Case Study # 1 (Mowing and Trimming Safety Lesson 3)

You are in charge of a work crew assigned to mow a large park. Your equipment includes riding mowers, push mowers and string trimmers. Your crew consists of two experienced workers and a new 18-year-old employee. This is the first time your crew has been to this park. In regard to rollovers, what hazardous areas do you expect to find when you get there? How will you assign your equipment and crew in light of those hazards?

Case Study # 2 (Mowing and Trimming Safety Lesson 3)

You are assigned to mow a large commercial property. The area includes a large grassy area with an artificial pond and fountain. It also includes an asphalt parking lot with many grassy islands. Finally, there is a steep roadside ditch. What issues do you need to consider, what equipment will you use, and what precautions should you take to avoid rollover accidents while operating here?

Case Study # 3 (Mowing and Trimming Safety Lesson 3)

You are visiting an old cemetery to prepare a bid for mowing it. As you estimate the time and equipment you will need, what hazards should you look for, and what issues should you consider regarding rollover accidents?

Contest (Mowing and Trimming Safety Lesson 6)

1. Use direct pressure to:
   1. stop bleeding from minor cuts.
   2. treat a burn.
   3. neither A nor B.
      
2. Use cool water to treat:
   1. hypothermia.
   2. a minor burn.
   3. neither A nor B.
      
3. Seek medical attention if:
   1. direct pressure will not stop a cut from bleeding.
   2. burns occur on the face or genitals.
   3. both A and B.
      
4. Light headedness, dizziness, and clammy, moist skin are most likely to be signs of:
   1. heat stroke.
   2. heat exhaustion.
   3. heat rash.
      
5. Disorientation, confusion, and hot, dry, red skin are likely signs of:
   1. heat stroke.
   2. heat exhaustion.
   3. neither A nor B.
      
6. Which of the following is a medical emergency that can quickly result in death:
   1. heat stroke.
   2. heat exhaustion.
   3. heat rash.
      
7. Which of the following is the best practice for avoiding heat illness?
   1. Drink plenty of soda, tea or coffee.
   2. Eat large meals before working.
   3. Drink at least a quart of water per hour.
      
8. Treat heat exhaustion by:
   1. covering the person with a warm blanket.
   2. moving the person to a cool area and giving them fluids to drink.
   3. giving the person salt tablets.
      
9. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause:
   1. skin cancer.
   2. cataracts.
   3. both A and B.
      
10. You can help prevent skin cancer by using a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 . A broad spectrum sunscreen will help protect you from:
    1. UVA rays.
    2. UVB rays.
    3. both A and B.
       
11. Frozen skin and tissue is known as:
    1. hypothermia.
    2. frostbite.
    3. neither A nor B.
       
12. When a person's core body temperature drops to 95 degrees F or below, the condition is known as:
    1. hypothermia.
    2. frostbite.
    3. neither A nor B.
       
13. Treat a cold-induced injury by:
    1. making the person warm and dry, and seeing medical attention immediately.
    2. rubbing any numb, white skin.
    3. giving the person alcoholic beverages to drink.
       
14. Which of the following is the best practice?
    1. Treat a poisonous snake bite by cutting an X on each fang mark and sucking out the poison.
    2. Treat a minor insect sting by removing the stinger and applying ice.
    3. Treat minor cuts by applying a tourniquet.
       
15. Which of the following provides the BEST protection against lightning?
    1. Crouch in a ditch.
    2. Get inside an enclosed vehicle.
    3. Get inside a sturdy building

Contest Answer Key (Mowing and Trimming Safety Lesson 6)

1. a
2. b
3. c
4. b
5. a
6. a
7. c
8. b
9. c
10. c
11. b
12. a
13. a
14. b
15. c

Case Study # 1 (Mowing and Trimming Safety Conclusion)

You have been assigned to mow a public playground. Describe all of the hazards you will consider as you plan your work. What precautions will you take to protect yourself and others?

Case Study # 2 (Mowing and Trimming Safety Conclusion)

You have been assigned to mow a ditch along a busy road. Describe all of the hazards you will consider as you plan your work. What precautions will you take to protect yourself and others?

Case Study # 3 (Mowing and Trimming Safety Conclusion)

You have been assigned to mow a popular camping and picnic area at a lake during the summer. Describe all of the hazards you will consider as you plan your work. What precautions will you take to protect yourself and others?

Forms (PDF)
Daily Pre-Operation Inspection: Mower/Trimmer
Operator Performance Evaluation: Mower/Trimmer

Publication #: MF2716

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