Operator Observance of
Safety Instructions for Gas Powered Leaf Blowers
and of Time of Use of Blowers.
Of 100 yard maintenance workers who were observed from August to October, 1997:
- None (0%) wore hearing protection.
- One (1%) wore a dust mask for breathing protection.
- Twenty-two (22%) wore eye protection of some kind (not necessarily the recommended wrap-around goggles)
Of the twenty-seven who were also interviewed:
- Seven claimed hearing impairment as a result of using leaf blowers.
- Two claimed to have breathing problems that they attributed to using leaf blowers.
- Ten (37%) said they were aware of manufacturers’ safety instructions, but did not feel it was necessary to follow them.
- Seventeen (63%) were unaware of manufacturers’ safety instructions.
