mowing....children...safety

[tranum]

this past summer i did some mowing for the local housing authority. 101 units on about 25-30 acres. zillion kids chasing me around, jumping out from behind bushes, even had one hit me with a rotten banana. i asked the kids to stay inside until i finished their house. some would, some wouldn't. talked to a parent if i could find one. most not around. any of you work in similar situations?? it's decent money but not worth the risk of a kid getting injured. how would u handle??

[Twotoros]

I have have had this problem come up and I ask the parents to keep the kids away . But when everyone concerned is to dumb to listen and have my interests of their childrens safety then I walk away from that area and send the full bill. Some people should not breed.
The housing authority has their own crews here.
So the short answer is worn the proper parties. Skip the child infested areas.

[osc]

We do metro housing with the same situation. I talked to the housing director who came up with this plan: we called the sherriff and threatened the parents with child endangerment charges. We also have a written policy that is given to all customers that says we will not mow within 150 ft. of a human being. Any time a person will not get out of our way, we skip that area and send notice to the management verbally and in writing. This seems to work just fine. By the way, adults are about as bad, sometomes they wait untill we startmowing around their apartments to pull up a lawn chair and sit down right in our way.

The most effective thing you can do is mow at 8 a.m. when everyone is still in bed.

[Runner]

I would say go to the management and inform them. They should be able to put a memo out. If it still persists, pack up and go, stopping by the main ofice on your way out. Tell them that due to liability issues beyond your control, the job cannot be completed on this day because of lack of cooperation of the tennants. If this happens once or twice, believe me - the management will get an effective message out to the community. They should be able to understand this since THEY would be held liable for any injury as well. Last year, a good friend of mine mowed a commercial property that had rental units on it. Though warned, the people would always let the kids run wild even when the place was being cut. You see, most people just don't realize that these machines are not like Mr. Jones' Dynamark tractor and don't know the significant power and damage potential of these machines. Anyway, sure enough, one day my friend recieved that bitter call. One of his workers told him he better get over there as fast as he could. A stone was thrown from one of the mowers and put a kid's eye out. The specialists thought they were going to be able to save the eye, but a week later they had to take it. Needless to say, my friend dropped that account but still has to live with this the rest of his life. I wish he was on here himself. He would surely tell you a hazrdous job isn't worth the risk. There is too much other work out there. Sorry for being so long, but it's a message worth conveying.

[Edited by Runner on 11-10-2000 at 12:24 AM]

[jaybee]

Having had an inch and a quarter size nail lodged in my leg and knowing it came out of my mower I can only think of what would have happened if it was stuck in some little kid.I'm not mowing any grass if there is any living thing in the area. Not worth it.

[stick9]

Hey OSC ...

You are my hero. If you were running for president, I would definitely vote for you!! I don't even know where to begin .. People, in general, are complete morons. They can't seem to understand the danger of the job .. (from many different planes ... ) ... Today, I was cutting the backyard of a house, and the guy came outside with his dog and stood in the grass.. HUH?!!?!? What the HELL is wrong with these people!?!? He wasn't out there BEFORE I started cutting .. but .. the SECOND I get back there and throw on the blades .. there he is with the stupid little dog. (seems like the NICEsT people are the biggest offenders of this problem ---> ELDERLY) I neglected to mention that he was there the ENTIRE time I was cutting with the animal running around ... I just don't get it. It doesn't make sense.

stICk-NinE

[tranum]

jaybee, reading thru a thread u made on 10/28 about safety is what prompted me to make this post. we all face situations each day that pose a danger to ourselves, others, & property belonging to each. thanx for the response & suggestions from all. we can't be too safe!!!!

[bob]

My only real contact with kids is a day care that I cut. I usually don't start cutting until after 5. By then most of the kids have been picked up, and the rest are in the building. Now I'm doing it on weekends.

[Ocutter]

Ive had this happen before. I am sending out letters to all customers saying that if ANYONE is outside kids or otherwise and not in a safe area (deck, enclosed porch) then we stop, packup, leave and bill the cust. for the full amt. We'll warn them first but other offenses will be penalized.

[powerreel]

Try this link and make sure to tell them to move out first! This is the best thing I have ever used on weeds and piles of leaves, it will blow away ANY dixie chopper then have breakfast! http://www.vietvet.org/images/vn/deanna/nirk59.gif

[Edited by powerreel on 11-10-2000 at 08:07 AM]

[ljmey]

(Large numbers of children)
I have a contract on a local city school system housing 7800 students. Try to cut and maintain the school grounds with 25 to 75 children running around doing their thing, with the teachers sitting on their cozy chair under a tree pretending to be watching the kids. They run, chase and get in front of the mower (very unsafe). I have a policy never to run ANY equiptment with children or adults within 200 ft. of where I am working. If the staff can't keep the children off the areas the work don't get done. I have made this very clear to all staff members and board members. Some times the grass gets real deep before it gets cut, I get lots of complaints, but I still stick to my policy because of the safty factor. It isn't worth the risk of injury on a child or adult. If I need to prove the danger fact to a staff member I just get 3 or 4 tennis balls and put them on the ground for demenstration purposes and run the mower over then so they can get an idea of the danger and distance I can throw things, useing tennis balls does not damage the blades or mower but it does get the message across. I am very safty concerned and practice it every day. On my jobs I have a 12 month contract so I get paid even when the job is not complete because of the children.

[Edited by ljmey on 11-12-2000 at 02:24 AM]

[lawrence stone]

Wouldn't be easier just to cut the school on Saturday or Sunday?

[T.C.O.B.]

I agree with OSC!!!

[ljmey]

city ordinance doesn't let me do the work on sundays and saturday's the PTA's have programs going, so one can't win ether way. So I make it work the best way I can during the week.

[lawrence stone]

ljmey wrote:

>city ordinance doesn't let me do the work on sundays and saturday's

That sounds like some kind of blue law that should be ignored.

If any local government tried to pull that crap off where I lived I would challenge that law ASAP with the help of the
ACLU. No man or government has the right to tell you what day of the week you may conduct business.

[new-man]

hey runner

dont be sayin nufin about dynamarks

they are good mowers

and i bet u havent used one ever!!

[Nw. Shadesofgreen]

Two Toros
Welcome Back
Mike