Bloomington, Minnesota
— This snow season, trade in that old shovel for the convenience and efficiency
of a Toro® snowblower. Whichever Toro model you choose, be sure to operate it
safely. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates each year
there are approximately 5,700 hospital emergency room-related injuries associated
with snowblowers. The Toro Co. wants you and your family to be safe during the
upcoming snow season and offers the following snowblower safety reminders:
●
Read and understand your operator’s manual before operating the snowblower.
●
For gasoline units, add fuel to the tank (outdoors) before starting the
machine. Do not add gasoline to a running or hot engine, and never leave the
machine running in an enclosed area.
●
If you have an electric snowblower, use an outdoor power cord and an outlet
with ground-fault-circuit interruption protection. Know where your power cord
is at all times, and be sure to replace worn or damaged cords.
●
Inspect the area where the snowblower will be used, and remove any objects that
might be picked up and thrown by the snowblower.
●
Stay behind the handles. Keep your face, hands, feet and any other parts of
your body or clothing away from moving / rotating parts on the machine. Before
leaving the operating position, stop the engine and wait for all moving parts
to stop.
●
If the unit becomes clogged, turn off the engine on a gas machine or unplug the
motor on an electric model. Wait for all moving parts to stop and then use a
snow cleanout tool – never use hands or feet – to remove the clog. Never place
your hands or feet near the auger/impeller or in the discharge chute.
●
Do not touch the engine while it is running or soon after it has stopped
because the engine may be hot enough to cause a burn.
●
Before adjusting, cleaning, inspecting, troubleshooting, or repairing the
machine, stop the engine, remove the key, and wait for all moving parts to
stop. For gasoline units, disconnect the spark plug wire (if accessible) and
keep it away from the spark plug to prevent someone from accidentally starting
the engine.
●
Perform only those maintenance instructions described in the operating manual.
If major repairs are needed, contact your Toro authorized service dealer.
●
Leave all safety features intact. If a shield, safety device, or decal is
damaged, illegible, or lost, repair or replace it.
Look
for Toro’s line of snowblowers at your local authorized Toro dealer and
Amazon.com. Select models can be purchased at The Home Depot® stores. For more
information, contact Toro toll free at 866-336-5205 or visit the Toro website.
Need help
deciding which snowblower is right for you? Click to check out Toro’s online
snowblower selector.
The
Toro Co. is a worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment,
and precision irrigation systems. With sales of nearly $1.7 billion in fiscal
2010, Toro’s global presence extends to more than 80 countries through its
reputation of world-class service, innovation and turf expertise. Since 1914,
the company has built a tradition of excellence around a number of strong
brands to help customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green
spaces, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields. More
information is available at the website.
