1910.243(e): Power Lawnmower Guarding
Employers must make sure walk-behind, riding-rotary and reel power lawnmowers are guarded under the general machine guarding rules, power-driven chains, belts and gears are guarded from accidental contact, and there is a shutoff device that needs intentional manual reactivation to restart. Controls must be clearly identified, self-propelled mowers must show a caution to put controls in neutral before starting, and rotary mower blades must be enclosed except on the bottom.
Key takeaways
- 1910.243(e) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart P).
- OSHA cited it 30 times in the last 3 years, in 26 inspections, with $70,286 in current penalties.
- 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: IL (6), TX (4), NY (3).
- Related part: 1910.243(e)(1) General requirements (25 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.243(e) ("Power lawnmowers") is one requirement inside 1910.243 Guarding of portable powered tools, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart P). It includes 31 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(e) Power lawnmowers — 30 citations
(1) General requirements. Open (e)(1) 25 citations
(i) Power lawnmowers of the walk-behind, riding-rotary, and reel power lawnmowers shall be guarded in accordance with the machine guarding requirements in 29 CFR 1910.212, General requirements for all machines. 8 citations
(ii) All power-driven chains, belts, and gears shall be so positioned or otherwise guarded to prevent the operator's accidental contact therewith, during normal starting, mounting, and operation of the machine. Open (e)(1)(ii) 14 citations
(iii) A shutoff device shall be provided to stop operation of the motor or engine. This device shall require manual and intentional reactivation to restart the motor or engine. 3 citations
(iv) All positions of the operating controls shall be clearly identified.
(v) The words, “Caution. Be sure the operating control(s) is in neutral before starting the engine,” or similar wording shall be clearly visible at an engine starting control point on self-propelled mowers.
(2) Walk-behind and riding rotary mowers. 4 citations
(i) The mower blade shall be enclosed except on the bottom and the enclosure shall extend to or below the lowest cutting point of the blade in the lowest blade position. 3 citations
(ii) Guards which must be removed to install a catcher assembly shall comply with the following:
(a) Warning instructions shall be affixed to the mower near the opening stating that the mower shall not be used without either the catcher assembly or the guard in place.
(b) The catcher assembly or the guard shall be shipped and sold as part of the mower.
(c) The instruction manual shall state that the mower shall not be used without either the catcher assembly or the guard in place.
(d) The catcher assembly, when properly and completely installed, shall not create a condition which violates the limits given for the guarded opening.
(iii) Openings in the blade enclosure, intended for the discharge of grass, shall be limited to a maximum vertical angle of the opening of 30°. Measurements shall be taken from the lowest blade position. 1 citations
(iv) The total effective opening area of the grass discharge opening(s) shall not exceed 1,000 square degrees on units having a width of cut less than 271⁄2 inches, or 2,000 square degrees on units having a width of cut 271⁄2 inches or over.
(v) The word “Caution.” or stronger wording, shall be placed on the mower at or near each discharge opening.
(vi) [Reserved]
(vii) Blade(s) shall stop rotating from the manufacturer's specified maximum speed within 15 seconds after declutching, or shutting off power.
(viii) In a multipiece blade, the means of fastening the cutting members to the body of the blade or disc shall be so designed that they will not become worn to a hazardous condition before the cutting members themselves are worn beyond use.
(ix) The maximum tip speed of any blade shall be 19,000 feet per minute.
(3) Walk-behind rotary mowers.
(i) The horizontal angle of the opening(s) in the blade enclosure, intended for the discharge of grass, shall not contact the operator area.
(ii) There shall be one of the following at all openings in the blade enclosure intended for the discharge of grass:
(a) A minimum unobstructed horizontal distance of 3 inches from the end of the discharge chute to the blade tip circle.
(b) A rigid bar fastened across the discharge opening, secured to prevent removal without the use of tools. The bottom of the bar shall be no higher than the bottom edge of the blade enclosure.
(iii) The highest point(s) of the front of the blade enclosure, except discharge openings, shall be such that any line extending a maximum of 15° downward from the horizontal toward the blade shaft axis (axes) shall not intersect the horizontal plane within the blade tip circle. The highest point(s) on the blade enclosure front, except discharge-openings, shall not exceed 11⁄4 inches above the lowest cutting point of the blade in the lowest blade position. Mowers with a swingover handle are to be considered as having no front in the blade enclosure and therefore shall comply with paragraph (e)(2)(i) of this section.
(iv) The mower handle shall be fastened to the mower so as to prevent loss of control by unintentional uncoupling while in operation.
(v) A positive upstop or latch shall be provided for the mower handle in the normal operating position(s). The upstop shall not be subject to unintentional disengagement during normal operation of the mower. The upstop or latch shall not allow the center or the handle grips to come closer than 17 inches horizontally behind the closest path of the mower blade(s) unless manually disengaged.
(vi) A swing-over handle, which complies with the above requirements, will be permitted.
(vii) Wheel drive disengaging controls, except deadman controls, shall move opposite to the direction of the vehicle motion in order to disengage the drive. Deadman controls shall automatically interrupt power to a drive when the operator's actuating force is removed, and may operate in any direction to disengage the drive.
(4) Riding rotary mowers. 1 citations
(i) The highest point(s) of all openings in the blade enclosure, front shall be limited by a vertical angle of opening of 15° and a maximum distance of 11⁄4 inches above the lowest cutting point of the blade in the lowest blade position.
(ii) Opening(s) shall be placed so that grass or debris will not discharge directly toward any part of an operator seated in a normal operator position.
(iii) There shall be one of the following at all openings in the blade enclosure intended for the discharge of grass: 1 citations
(a) A minimum unobstructed horizontal distance of 6 inches from the end of the discharge chute to the blade tip circle.
(b) A rigid bar fastened across the discharge opening, secured to prevent removal without the use of tools. The bottom of the bar shall be no higher than the bottom edge of the blade enclosure.
(iv) Mowers shall be provided with stops to prevent jackknifing or locking of the steering mechanism.
(v) Vehicle stopping means shall be provided.
(vi) Hand-operated wheel drive disengaging controls shall move opposite to the direction of vehicle motion in order to disengage the drive. Foot-operated wheel drive disengaging controls shall be depressed to disengage the drive. Deadman controls, both hand and foot operated, shall automatically interrupt power to a drive when the operator's actuating force is removed, and may operate in any direction to disengage the drive.
[39 FR 23502, June 27, 1974, as amended at 43 FR 49750, Oct. 24, 1978; 49 FR 5323, Feb. 10, 1984; 50 FR 4649, Feb. 1, 1985; 61 FR 9240, Mar. 7, 1996; 70 FR 53929, Sept. 13, 2005; 72 FR 71070, Dec. 14, 2007]
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.243.
Export the list: 26 inspections cited 1910.243(e) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.243(e).
At 7:00 a.m. on June 2, 2024, an employee working for a landscaping service was tasked with mowing the side of a public land with a Gravely Pro-Turn 260 KAW lawnmower. The mower lost traction and fell into a retention pond pinning the employee under…
Where and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 | 11 |
Top states: IL (6), TX (4), NY (3), ME (3), TN (3)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $14,895 |
| TEXASCAPES INC. | AUSTIN, TX | $14,000 |
| GOOD EARTH INC | DALLAS, TX | $8,275 |
| H & O INVESTMENTS, LLC | ELMWOOD, LA | $7,467 |
| ATLANTIC CITY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ | $7,000 |
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.243(e).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.243(e)(1) General requirements 25 citations
- 1910.243(e)(1)(ii) 14 citations
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Frequently asked questions
What shutoff is required on a power mower?
A device to stop the motor or engine that requires manual and intentional reactivation to restart.
Must rotary mower blades be enclosed?
Yes, except on the bottom, and the enclosure must extend to or below the lowest cutting point of the blade in the lowest blade position.
What warning must self-propelled mowers have?
"Caution. Be sure the operating control(s) is in neutral before starting the engine," or similar wording, clearly visible at an engine starting control point.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.243 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.