5 Snow Blower Safety Tips You Can’t Ignore

Winter is well upon us, meaning it’s time to retire the snow shovel and get yourself a snow blower.

Sure, shoveling snow is a great way to get some exercise as well as staying warm while being outside. However, you cannot overlook the convenience of a snow blower, especially if you live in an area that consistently gets heavy snow each year.

Snow blowers are especially beneficial if you have long stretches of driveway to clear after each snowfall. Depending on how much area you need to clear, you might choose an electric snowblower over a gas-powered one.

If you do purchase a snowblower, you need to know these key snow blower safety tips.

Cut the Engine

Between 2003 and 2013, over 9,000 people lost a finger because they didn’t turn the engine off on their snow blowers before cleaning out a clog.

Getting clogged is a frequent problem with snow blowers. Whenever your snow blower gets clogged up with a twig or dense snow, turn off the engine. The reasons for doing so are that once you clean out a clog, the auger will fire up immediately and suck up anything it can, including your fingers.

In simple terms, never put your hands near moving parts of the snow blower until they stop completely. That’s snow blower safety 101.

Wear Protection

Whenever you operate any kind of machinery, you should always wear eye protection. That goes for snow blowers, too.

When you use your snow blower, snow and debris will fly everywhere. That means there’s a higher chance of something flying into your eyes and potentially damaging them.

To mitigate the chance of this happening, you should always wear eye protection when snow blowing.

If you have sensitive ears, you would also benefit from wearing ear protection while you’re snow blowing. A snow blower can be just as loud as a chainsaw.

Start the Engine in Open Air

Just as you wouldn’t start your car in a closed garage, you shouldn’t start your snow blower in a closed garage. While it might be tempting to warm the snow blower engine up in the garage, resist this temptation or else risk carbon monoxide poisoning.

Don’t Wear Loose Clothing

Loose pants, jackets, and sleeves can all get sucked into your snow blower. An underrated snow blower safety tip is to wear tight-fitting clothes when you head out to clear your driveway.

Be sure to tuck scarves well into your jacket and tie up shoe laces tight.

Stay in Plain Sight

The days are shorter in winter. This means decreased visibility, particularly during the times of day when you might use your snow blower.

Be sure to wear a jacket with reflective patches to make sure you reflect in oncoming headlights.

Snow Blower Safety Tips to Keep You Safe

Whenever you operate motor-operated machinery, you should take extra precautions.

Wearing eye and ear protection and keeping clothes and body parts away from moving parts are all part of standard snow blower safety.

If you’re ready to safely operate a snow blower and purchase one for your home, check out our selection of snow blowers for sale!