If the grass and weeds are steadily growing at your house, it’s likely you’ve already fired up your lawn mower or weed trimmer at least once this spring season.

If you’re never been injured while maintaining your lawn, consider yourself lucky. A study authored last year by scientists at Johns Hopkins University found about 6,400 lawn mower-related injuries are reported each year.

The study examined the period between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2013. The most common injury was lacerations at 46.7 percent, followed by fractures at 22.4 percent and amputations at 21.5 percent. The study concluded “changes to nationwide industry safety standards are needed to reduce the frequency and severity of these preventable injuries.”

Chris Becker, regional Extension coordinator, said “a little common sense goes a long way” when working around lawn mowers and weed trimmers. He explained mowers have fast-moving blades designed to cut grass, sticks or anything else that gets in the way.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a finger or toe, the mower’s going to win,” he said.

Riding mower lovers appreciate the convenience, but Becker explained they can easily overturn. A man in Longview, Texas, was killed after his mower turned over on top of him after he came to a ditch.

Becker said if you’re mowing on a slope and have to lean to the other side to keep the mower from overturning, it may be time to look at a new way of doing things.

It’s not uncommon to see parents and grandparents on a mower with a youngster in their laps, but Becker said extra riders on a mower is not safe.

“As long as you purchase a mower with a back seat, you’re fine, but I haven’t seen one of those yet,” Becker said.

According to the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, more than 8,490 children younger than 18 are treated for mower-related injuries each year. One in 4 victims is younger than 6.

A 27-year-old North Carolina mother, Ashley Stacey Holt, was arrested April 2 because police say her 8-year-old son, who was riding on the deck of a zero-turn mower, fell off and was severely injured by the blades. Holt also had a small child in her lap, according to published media reports.

Holt was charged with felony negligent child abuse and serious bodily injury.

Lawn mower injuries are generally the most serious, but weed trimmer injuries can be just as devastating. Rocks and debris can fly up and cause eye injuries to anyone not wearing goggles or eye protection.

Becker said some people may not think about ear protection, either. According to the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration, the standard push mower has a noise level of 90 decibels, compared to 60 for normal speech and 130 for a jackhammer. Weed trimmers and gas-powered blowers can have a decibel rating of between 90 and 100.

Those wanting to block out the din of their equipment may choose to wear earbuds or headphones and listen to music, which Becker said could be more detrimental than the sounds of the equipment. He advised opting for standard hearing protection instead.

He also stressed the importance of wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated when working outdoors. Lastly, he warned against the dangers of using herbicides and pesticides, especially without skin or eye protection.

“They can absorb through your skin and cause chemical burns,” he said.

Those using chemicals are also advised to read labels and not mix them haphazardly.

“Regardless of what you’re using, you need to make sure whatever it is you’re trying to kill is on the label,” Becker said. “If you use (pesticides or fungicides) against the label, you could be harming beneficial (plants) or yourself.”