How to Safely Operate Your Hedge Trimmer
26 May 2020If your goal is to have the best yard in the neighbourhood, you had best get familiar with your hedge trimmer. Everybody knows that landscaping your yard is a year-round job. If you want your property to pop off of the curb, you have to pay attention to every little detail. Tools like your hedge trimmer can help to dramatically ease the burden of your work while improving the overall appearance of your yard. Unfortunately, power tools can be complicated and potentially dangerous to use when you don’t know what you are doing. Today, we are going to walk you through the safe operation of your hedge trimmer.
Safely Operating Your Hedge Trimmer
Hedge trimmers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles. You can purchase hedge trimmers that are fueled by gasoline, or you can opt for battery-powered electric hedge trimmers. No matter what type you choose, operating your hedge trimmer in a safe manner should be your priority. In order to safely trim your hedges, you are going to have to follow a few simple safety tips.
1) Dress Appropriately – Even the best hedge trimmer will be dangerous if you aren’t dressed appropriately for the work. Every time that you operate your hedge trimmer, you should be wearing safety glasses, long pants, work gloves, boots, and hearing protection. Your hedge trimmer can throw the debris in any direction, so make sure that you are always aware of your trimmer blades and what you are trimming.
2) Safe Engine Ignition – The most dangerous moment when using your hedge trimmer comes during start-up. In order to safely start your trimmer, set your power tool on the ground. Hold the trimmer tight with your left hand while using your free hand to start the trimmer. Do not lift the hedge trimmer from the ground while you turn the ignition. Using the ground for stability will allow you to control the entire machine.
3) Clear the Area – Before you start sweeping your hedges with your trimmer, take a moment to clear out any major sources of debris. You’ll want to move rocks, hoses, sticks, cables, and yard equipment out of the way. If you strike any of the aforementioned obstacles with your hedge trimmer, immediately cut power to the machine.
4) Appropriate Space – While you are operating your hedge trimmer, you need to have your eyes up for potential dangers. You do not want anyone to come within 40 feet of you while you are operating your trimmer. The safety of yourself and the people around you are of the utmost importance.
Having an amazing look yard is always desirable. Making sure that you accomplish your yard work in a safe manner is even more important. Follow our safety guide, and you won’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt while you operate your new hedge trimmer.
