Underwriters Laboratories' Summer Safety Tips
"School's out for summer" is music to every child's ears. They've got three blissful months ahead of them to play with friends, hang out at the pool, and enjoy picnics and barbeques with their families. But what's NOT music to moms' ears is learning that more than 2.7 million kids visit the ER every summer from accidents in or around the home. This summer, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), one of the world's leading product safety testing organization, is providing useful tips to help families stay safe, not sorry, while they have fun in the sun.
Grilling Safety
1. Keep grills at least 10 feet from any structure. Grilling mishaps cause more than 8,300 fires and send 3,000 people to the emergency room each year. Never grill indoors or near garages or porches, even if it's raining.
2. Never leave the grill unattended, especially when young children or pets are nearby.
3. Never use gasoline or kerosene to light a charcoal fire. Both can cause an explosion. When grilling, use insulated, flame retardant mitts and long handled barbeque tongs and utensils to handle food and coals.
Pool Safety
4. If you have a pool at home, install a fence. The fence should be at least four-feet high and have a self-closing, self-latching gate that has a locking mechanism beyond a child's reach.
5. Supervision is a must. Follow the 10/20 rule when you're at the pool. The 10/20 rule states the supervising adult needs to position themselves to be able to scan the pool within 10 seconds and reach the water within 20 seconds
6. Always check the pool first if a child is missing. Child drowning is often a silent death that alerts no one with splashes or yells for help. Many drowning accidents happen when children have been missing for less than five minutes.
7. Empty small wading pools after children are done playing and remove all toys. Infants can drown in just a few inches of water. Pool toys may attract children to the pool when it is unattended.
Playground Safety
8. Carefully inspect backyard playground equipment. Make sure equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed, and bolts are not protruding.
9. Check for spaces that could trap children like openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs. These spaces should measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.
10. Do a sandbox check. Before letting your child dig in, rake through the sand to check for debris or sharp objects as well as inspect for any animal contamination or insect problems.
