Defog It Blog

Snow blower Safety Tips: Work with care, wear proper clothing, footwear and anti-fog safety glasses

Winter snows have Americans powering up their snow blowers to clear the drifts. Safety starts with dressing for the job, including proper clothes, footwear and anti-fog safety glasses. Practice these smart tips from snow blower manufacturers, safety experts and safety products makers, including Defog It anti-fog.

• Wear warm clothes, but nothing loose. Be warmly dressed to protect yourself from exposure and to help keep the chills from distracting you from your job. Avoid loose-fitting clothing or clothing with strings. Don’t let scarves dangle. You’ll even want to keep long hair tied up or under a hat. Try to eliminate anything that could get caught in moving parts
• Wear footwear that gives you good traction. Choose boots or shoes that’ll help you keep your grip on slippery surfaces.
• Wear protective eyewear. Safety glasses are recommended by virtually every snow blower manufacturer in their products’ owner’s manuals. In addition, The Vision Council, an organization of optical professionals, offers this warning: “When working in the yard, equipment such as lawn or tractor mowers, leaf and snow blowers places homeowner at risk for eye injury from stones, grass, ice and other debris that can be thrown up by powered yard equipment.”
• Help keep safety glasses, eyeglasses and vision clear with an anti-fog treatment. Glasses can easily fog up when you’re working in the cold. Impaired vision is a safety hazard a high-performance anti-fog treatment can help remedy.

Once you’re ready to start the snow-clearing job, check your snow blower’s owner’s manual for additional safety advice, and consider these tips from the Consumer Products Safety Commission:

• Stop the engine and use a long stick to remove clogs or debris. Never use your hands.
• Keep hands and feet away moving parts.
• Never add fuel to a running or hot snow thrower.