Almost lost a finger! PSA about lawn mower safety gear

Hey folks, had a close call yesterday with my riding mower. Blade guard was slightly misaligned (I measured - off by 1/8") and a rock shot out like a bullet. Wearing my usual safety glasses saved my eyes, but it got me thinking - what PPE do you all ALWAYS use for lawn care? I'm precision obsessed, but maybe I'm missing something obvious.

Pete, glad you're okay! Roofing teaches you to respect flying debris. For mowing: ANSI Z87.1 safety glasses (not sunglasses!), hearing protection (mowers hit 85-90dB easy), steel-toe boots (hidden roots will get ya), and long pants. Add gloves if you're handling blades. My 2 cents: treat lawn tools like construction tools - they don't forgive mistakes.

Precision buddy here - second the glasses. I actually use a laser-measured zone system: red zone (mower/trimmer active) = full PPE including respirator if dust/dry. Yellow zone (raking/cleanup) = glasses+gloves. Green zone (planning) = just sun hat. Overkill? Maybe, but my ER visit count is zero. What's your blade guard alignment method, Pete? I use a digital angle finder.

Professional perspective: Steve's list is solid. Adding: check local regs - some require face shields for commercial ops. Client sued a competitor last year when a nail hidden in grass hit their leg. Also, NEVER mow in sandals - seen two toe amputations. Pete, align that guard properly or replace it. $20 part vs. medical bills isn't a debate.

Thanks all! Larry - I use dial calipers on the guard bolts, but maybe I need your zone system. Chris - ordering new guard tonight. Steve - adding earmuffs to my kit. Follow-up: anyone have experience with those anti-vibration gloves for string trimmers? My hands go numb after an hour on my Stihl.