More than 21,000 people injured themselves or others while mowing the lawns between January 2015 and October 2019.
Nearly 140 of them needed amputations.
Soft tissue injuries - including damaging muscles, tendons or ligaments - were the most common type of injury, making up 15,848 claims.
But thousands of victims also suffered infected wounds, and hundreds had burns or dislocated limbs.
ACC injury prevention specialist Kirsten Malpas said most New Zealanders would be looking forward to relaxing over the summer break, but when it came to chores like mowing the lawns, people couldn't afford to be complacent about safety.
"Thousands of Kiwis are injured every year using power tools and many of those injuries involve lawnmowers."
ACC's advice when mowing lawns was to always wear closed shoes, preferably non-slip boots, protective eyewear and hearing protection that fitted comfortably.
"Make sure any safety guards are in place before mowing and store your lawnmower safely out of reach of children when you're finished," Ms Malpas said.
Men in their 50s accounted for the most injury claims during the five-year period at 3075. Numbers for men in their 40s and 60s were also high.
Though authorities advise against children under the age of 12 operating a push lawnmower, 467 children under 10 have needed an ACC payout because of lawnmower-related injuries in the past five years. ACC says some of those claims could be as a result of someone else mowing the lawn.
Auckland has the highest number of injury claims (9210), followed by Waikato (3766), then Canterbury (3200) and Wellington (1717). However, ACC says population will be a contributing factor to these numbers.
ACC payouts have included cover for medical treatment, support for independence, rehabilitation and weekly compensation for loss of income.
Safety tips:
• Children under the age of 12 should not operate a lawnmower.
• Wear eye and hearing protection as stones and twigs in the garden can become missiles.
• Pick up garden debris before mowing.
• Read the mower instructions to prevent disaster.
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Comments
OK ... so it looks like the government should be looking at passing a bill that makes it illegal for males between the ages of 18 and 99 to operate lawn mowing machinery.
Furthermore, there should also be a law making it mandatory for women to be trained in the safe use of said machinery with a licence issued after a final proficiency test is completed.
That said, I believe the women should have to complete a probationary period of 2 years with a male overseeing the lawn mowing proceedure in case of emergencies. The male should be trained in observation tecniques and be provided with a comfortable deck chair, mobile phone with ambulance on speed dial, ear & eye protection, along with a adequate supply of cold beer for the duration of the mowing process.
Please note:- Those males with lifestyle blocks over 5000 square meters, should probably get get a few mates to assist with overseeing the process so that toilet breaks, lighting the babeque and replenishing beer supplies, do not require the female lawn mower to stop while these tasks are in progress, knowing that she is always being watched and help is available should they sustain an injury.