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June 16. 2012 11:39PM

From grilling to mowing, summer rituals pose risks

Home may be where the heart is, but when it comes to summertime injuries, it’s also where some risks lie.

According to government statistics, 80,000 people nationwide were hurt mowing their lawns last year. Most suffered eye injuries when they were hit by debris launched by the mower; others injured hands and fingers while attempting to free up jammed blades.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) gathers injury data from 96 hospitals across the country, including two in New Hampshire. More than 100,000 visited their local emergency rooms after failing to stick the landing off a backyard trampoline. In 2010, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 8,800 people for home fireworks-related injuries, 52 percent of which were burns. Of those injured, 39 percent were younger than 15; pyrotechnic fountains, sparklers and novelty fireworks accounted for 43 percent of the injuries.

In 2010, there were 115,000 emergency room trips generated by injuries suffered while riding ATVs, and 317 deaths, according to the CPSC. Of those, 25 percent of all injuries, and 17 percent of fatalities, were suffered by children younger than 16. In New Hampshire, there were 63 reported deaths related to ATV use from 1982 to 2010, including 12 children. Under New Hampshire law, anyone younger than 14 operating an ATV must be supervised by an adult when off their own property.

Backyard grilling can also be a hazard. U.S. fire departments responded to an average 8,200 home fires each year from 2005 to 2009 involving grills, hibachis, or barbecues. Five out of every six grills involved in home fires (84 percent) were fueled by gas, while 13 percent used charcoal or other solid fuel.

July is the peak month for grill fires, accounting for 18 percent of all home fires — structure and outdoor fires. June and May follow closely with 14 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

New Hampshire state law prohibits having a gas or charcoal grill within 10 feet of a multifamily or commercial building.

Some consider motorcycle riding a dangerous hobby, but New Hampshire State Police statistics show that motorcycle-related fatalities in the Granite State dropped by 50 percent last year, from 28 to 14.

Compare home-related injuries and damage figures with the number of injuries suffered at the state’s zip-line locations, and it appears to be safer high above ground than on it.

“We’ve never had an equipment-related injury since we opened — not one,” said Heather McKendry, canopy tour director at the Mount Washington Hotel and Resort at Bretton Woods. “The perception is the risk is high, but the reality is it’s low.”

“The lines are inspected every day by two of our guides,” said Katherine Betts, who works in the reservation office at Alpine Adventures in Lincoln. “It’s the first thing they do, before anyone heads out on the lines.”

“We have two of our guides inspect our equipment every day,” said McKendry. “Every morning, which takes about two hours. Then once a month, we do a periodic inspection where we take a full day and go over every piece of equipment. And twice a year we have inspectors from the installing company to inspect it, as well.

“When someone asks (about zip-line safety), I ask them how they got here. If they came by car, I say: ‘You were a million times more at risk of getting hurt doing that than you are zip-lining.”

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Paul Feely may be reached at pfeely@unionleader.com.

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