Safety Tips for our Kids

By Safekids
August 13, 2009

 

Washington, D.C. – In the injury prevention community, summer is known as “trauma season” because of the dramatic increase in the number of children injured from May through August.

Sadly, by the end of this summer, more than 2,000 children will die because of injuries that could have been prevented, and children ages 14 and under will be rushed to emergency rooms nearly 3 million times for serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes, drownings, bike crashes, pedestrian incidents, falls and other hazards.

Summer safety tips from Safe Kids USA:

At home

• If you have a pool or a spa, it should be surrounded on all four sides by a fence at least four feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, and it should be equipped with an anti-entrapment drain cover and safety vacuum release system. An inflatable pool needs to be surrounded by a fence, just like any other pool, and parents need to empty these pools when not in use.

• Make sure your home playground is safe. Keep 12 inches safe surfacing, such as mulch, shredded rubber or fine sand, extending at least six feet in all directions around the equipment. Remove hood and neck drawstrings from your child’s clothing.

• Keep children away from the grill area while preheating and cooking, and while the grill is cooling.

• Remove potential poisons from your yard, including poisonous plants, pesticides and pool chemicals.

At play

• Actively supervise your child when engaging in summertime activities, such as swimming and playing on playgrounds and backyards.

• Use the appropriate safety gear for your child’s activities, such as a helmet for wheeled sports and sporting activities, a car seat or booster seat as appropriate, and a life jacket for open water swimming and boating.

• Make sure your child drinks plenty of water. A child who seems tired or achy should rest in the shade or go inside for a while. Get immediate medical help any time a child’s skin is hot to the touch (with or without perspiration), if a child has a seizure, or if they become disoriented in hot weather.

On the way

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open. Place something that you’ll need at your next stop – such as your phone or a briefcase – on the floor of the backseat where the child is sitting to help prevent you from accidentally forgetting a child.

• Parents should properly restrain their children in the child safety seat that is appropriate for their height and weight in the back seat of the car. Keep unused seat belt straps out of reach of children riding in a back seat.

• Role model proper safety behavior. Children are more likely to follow safety rules when they see their parents doing so.

• Walk all the way around a parked vehicle to check for children before entering a car and starting the motor. Don’t let children play in driveways, streets, parking lots or unfenced yards adjacent to busy streets.

• Apply sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher to your child’s exposed skin 15 to 30 minutes before going out, and reapply frequently.

Active supervision, proper protective gear, and other simple prevention steps will help your child avoid danger. For more information about summer safety, call 202.662.0600

Source: USA Safekids

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