ITASCA, IL — The National Safety Council, Toro and Exmark have developed a bilingual Commercial Equipment Operators Training Program to promote safe zero-turn mowing techniques. The companies have developed a new online animated presentation that shows how the kit can be used to benefit companies and their workers.

Doug Clark, landscape maintenance manager at Lawrence Landscape in Lawrence, Kansas, recently purchased the CEO training program to help promote safe ZRT mowing techniques among his workers.

"We thought it was important to be proactive and emphasize safety by conducting a training session using this program," Clark said. "We have a lot of Spanish-speaking workers on our crew, and it’s effective because the training materials are offered in both English and Spanish."

Designed for field or classroom use, the CEO training package includes laminated "tailgate" training flip charts with a trainer's script on the back of every page, an instructional DVD to guide trainers, plus participant handouts to help reinforce the lessons learned in each module.

The flipcharts include both English and Spanish text and are enclosed in a durable, weather-resistant carrying case that doubles as a presentation easel. Each page uses large photos and text to illustrate proper ZRT operation and explain the risks of operating the mowers improperly.

Visit Toro's Product Safety page for more details. The training kit can be ordered on the NSC's Web site,for the special price of $249.95.

Related stories:

"Medical researchers: 80,000 injuries a year attributed to mower accidents," LM Week in Review, May 10, 2006
Between 1996 and 2004, more than 660,000 people went to the ER with lawn mower injuries

"Newburgh (NY) man killed in lawn mower accident," Record Online, June 6, 2006
The 25-year-old man had apparently been cutting grass on a slope when the mower rolled over and fell into a pond. Co-workers found him about 30 minutes later.

Google News Search for "mower accident"
Find the latest tragic news about the careless use of zero-turn and other mowers.