Safety Works Safe, courteous, and efficient leaf blower operation

Protecting your employees and the environment

Safe, courteous, and efficient leaf blower operation

Information compiled from OPEI, OSHA, and UGA Center for Urban Ag

Business owners want clean parking lots and

landscapes, communities want neat and clean parks free of debris that can harbor insects and pests, and homeowners want attractive front yards. Leaf blowers are often the best equipment to achieve those goals. Leaf blowers are an essential time and labor-saving tool on the job, but landscape contractors are facing increasing pressure from homeowners’ associations, municipalities and other government agencies about equipment sound. Blowers are especially targeted due not only to the sound level at which they operate but also their sound frequency. We encourage landscapers and homeowners who use leaf blowers to follow these industry best practices for safe and courteous use.

Do

• Read your owner’s manual and familiarize yourself with your equipment’s operation. • Dress for safety. Long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, boots, and a good pair of gloves will help protect your body from debris. Ear and eye protection (safety goggles or glasses) should be worn, and long hair secured to shoulder length. • Check your leaf blower. Inspect the blower before and during use to make sure controls, parts, and safety devices are not damaged and are working

properly. Review your safety manual if needed. Never modify a blower in a way not authorized by the manufacturer. • Keep it outside. Never use a blower indoors or in poorly ventilated areas. • Blow with care. Do not use your blower on gravel driveways, mulch, or bare dirt, which can stir up dust. • Pay attention. Focus on the task at hand. • Keep it to yourself. Never point an operating leaf blower in the direction of people or pets. • Maintain space around you. Make sure bystanders, including other people using leaf blowers, are at least 50 feet away before you turn on your leaf blower.

Stop blowing if you are approached by someone. • Be polite to others. Be aware of local restrictions on equipment operation, and don’t use your blower during neighborhood quiet hours. Limit the number of blowers on small residential sites to reduce noise.

Do not

• Blow debris into streets or storm sewers. • Leave blower running while unattended. • Use blower to spread or mist fertilizers, chemicals or other toxic substances, unless it is designed for these purposes and in an appropriate area.

Reduce noise

• Use lowest throttle speed (this also saves on fuel). • Use nozzle attachments that help reduce sound. • Avoid using more than one blower at a time whenever possible—especially in neighborhoods or around buildings where sound can be intensified. • Pay attention to sound levels when shopping for your next blower. Also, consider battery-powered options, as many of today’s models boast improved power and reduced noise levels.

Reduce dust

• Start with nozzle close to the ground at first and then raise it to a height where it doesn’t generate dust. • Use the full lower nozzle extensions to control sound and minimize dust.

• Practice by moving grass clippings or a paper cup without moving dust. • Wet dusty areas down before using. • Leaf blowers should not be used to clean up gravel, construction dirt, plaster dust, cement and concrete dust and dry garden topsoil.

Learn efficient operation

Follow these simple instructions, along with the manufacturer’s instruction manual: • Learn to control air velocity at the end of the nozzle to lift leaves without lifting dust. • Practice leaf blower nozzle movement/throttle control. • Practice up/down and left/right motions starting close to the ground and the debris but not close enough to lift excess dust.

By adhering to these courtesies and guidelines not only do you protect yourself, your employees and the environment around you, but you help avoid controversy surrounding blower use, keep your clients happy, add to your bottom line and maximize efficiency.

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