Don’t use your hands! Heavy, wet snow increases snowblower injury risk

Don’t use your hands!

(Joy Fera)

When your snowblower gets clogged with heavy, wet snow, don’t use your hands to clear it, say experts. That’s true even if the equipment is switched off because once you clear the blades, the torque built up by pushing on the blades could spin them and cause injuries to your hand or fingers, according to Mark Zebora, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation in Meriden, Conn. “The protocol is to turn off your machine, and use some sort of wooden pole to clear out the blockage. That’s not going to damage the machine, but it will clear the snow,” he advises.

Please read the full article here:  Record-Journal (Meriden, Conn.) (2/5)

This guy was lucky. He gets to keep his fingers!

If your snow blower jams:

Turn it OFF!

Disengage clutch.

Wait five seconds after shutting machine off to allow impeller blades to stop rotating.

ALWAYS use the clean out tool, a stick or broom handle to clear impacted snow.

NEVER put your hand down chute or around blades.

Keep all shields in place. DO NOT REMOVE the safety devices on the machine.

Keep hands and feet away from all moving parts.

Keep a clear head, concentrate, and

DO NOT DRINK before using your snowblower.

Source: American Society for Surgery of the Hand