Landscaping chores raise risk of accidents.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

More than 200,000 people a year are injured in accidents related to lawn and garden tools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. Of that total, about 16,000 are younger than 19 years of age. The U.S. Amputee Coalition reports that lawn mower accidents remain the No. 1 cause of amputations for children under 10.

"If people concentrate on the task at hand and use common sense when operating machinery, many of these injuries can be prevented," notes Maureen Finnegan, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

Start by wearing sturdy shoes rather than sandals or flip-flops. Before mowing, check the yard for...