Seasonal Safety

Seasons change and so do safety hazards. Help protect your family by staying one step ahead. Take time to review your Home Safety Plan and involve your kids in learning all year round.

Summer Safety Tips to Keep Your Family Safe

Summer is the time for outdoor cookouts, pool parties and backyard play dates – not a time for bandaging scrapes, nursing burns – or worse. These important summer safety tips willhelp make sure everyone in your family can recognize these potential hazards and know how to prevent them. That way, it will be a summer to remember, for all the right reasons.

Pool Safety

  1. Supervise constantly: Good supervision means you are able to scan the pool area every 20 seconds and be able to reach the pool in 10 seconds.
  2. Put multiple safety barriers between children and the pool: Install a four-foot fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate that has a locking mechanism beyond a child’s reach. Also cut overhanging tree limbs and remove chairs or ladders from the pool area to prevent children from climbing over the fence surrounding the pool.
  3. Empty small wading pools and remove all toys after children are through playing: Infants can drown in just a few inches of water. Floats, balls and other toys may attract children to the pool when it is unattended.
  4. Keep grates and drain covers in good repair and secured in place. Alert your family and guests to stay away from these devices, as the suction from drain outlets can be strong enough to cause entrapment of hair or body parts, which can potentially cause a person to drown.
  5. Always have rescue devices, such as UL-LISTED life preservers, nearby.

Backyard 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. Have a spray bottle or fire extinguisher handy: An unexpected flare up can burn more than your burgers. Use a spray bottle to avoid flare ups and have a fire extinguisher nearby. Also, coals get hot – in some cases up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit – so dispose of charcoal away from kids and pets and cool it down with a hose.
  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.
  4. Check gas grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes and leaks: If the tank valve or grill needs repair, do not attempt to do it yourself. Take it to your local home improvement store or qualified appliance repair person.
  5. Inspect outdoor decorative lights carefully: Some families add backyard ambience with outdoor decorative lighting. Do not connect more than three midget light string sets together. Light strings with screw-in bulbs should have a maximum of 50 bulbs connected together. Be sure to use light strings bearing the UL Mark, which means UL has tested samples of the product for risk of fire, electric shock and other hazards.

Playground Safety

  1. Carefully inspect backyard playground equipment: According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 70 percent of all playground-related deaths occur on home 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.

Bicycle Safety

  1. Protect your head: Wear the helmet that fits snugly atop your head. Do not wear the helmet tilted back at an angle. Make sure the helmet fits snugly and does not obstruct your vision. Always wear the helmet with the chin strap firmly buckled. Make sure the chin strap fits securely and that the buckle stays fastened to provide impact protection.
  2. Check the helmet’s condition: Damage to the helmet may not be visible to an untrained eye. Even very small cracks in the helmet may greatly reduce a helmet’s effectiveness in preventing injury. If necessary, have it inspected by a professional.
  3. See and been seen: Wear bright fluorescent colors during the day. Stay alert and keep a lookout for obstacles in your path. Be aware of traffic around you and ride with the traffic. Learn the rules of the road and obey traffic laws.
  4. Avoid biking at night: If riding a night, equip your bicycle with head and tail lights and wear reflective clothing.
  5. Assure bicycle readiness: Inspect your bicycle and make sure it is properly adjusted. Check your brakes before riding. Check your wheels to make sure they are securely fastened.
  6. Bicycle Guidelines: Ride to the right if you are moving slower that other traffic, unless you are turning left, passing another bicycle or vehicle, or avoiding hazards. Use proper hand signals when turning, stopping, or changing lanes. Walk your bike through a crosswalk or railroad track.

Hiking Safety

  1. Child Safety: Give your child a plastic whistle to carry (to blow if lost). Have each child carry their own personal backpack with safety items (i.e., rain gear, jacket, water, extra socks, hat, sunglasses, nutritious snack, etc.).
  2. Wear comfortable supportive shoes: Expensive hiking boots aren’t necessary, but a well-built leather sneaker with ankle support is recommended to help avoid falls and twisted ankles.
  3. Consider establishing rules: Some suggestions could be traveling at a slow pace, keeping together, assigning hiking buddies, stopping for frequently water breaks, etc. Adjust to the group’s ages and abilities.
  4. Stay Alert: Be careful and watch for signs of exhaustion, hypothermia (chilling), and hyperthermia (overheating). Be prepared to respond to any symptoms. Wear layers of clothing that can be easily removed and kept dry.
  5. Carry a First-Aid kit: Equip your kit with basic first-aid supplies (i.e., bandages, gauze, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, burn cream, instant cold pack, latex gloves, scissors, tweezers, sting relief wipes, etc. Other items you might include are matches, candles, insect repellent, toilet paper, plastic bags, blankets, pen and paper to record long hikes, map, and flashlight.

In summary, keep in mind that the above activities are outdoor activities and when prolonged can result in illnesses and injuries associated with heat stress conditions such as sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat rash, fainting, and heat stroke. Be careful to recognize theses symptoms and take steps to prevent them. The following chart should assist you recognizing weather conditions that can contribute to heat stress.

The Heat Index is the temperature the body feels when heat and humidity are combined. The chart below shows the Heat Index that corresponds to the actual air temperature and relative humidity. Exposure to direct sunlight can increase the Heat Index by up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Relative Humidity(%)
40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90 / 95 / 100
/ 110 / 136 / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
108 / 130 / 137 / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
106 / 124 / 130 / 137 / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
104 / 119 / 124 / 131 / 137 / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
102 / 114 / 119 / 124 / 130 / 137 / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
100 / 109 / 114 / 118 / 124 / 129 / 136 / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
98 / 105 / 109 / 113 / 117 / 123 / 128 / 134 / - / - / - / - / - / -
96 / 101 / 104 / 108 / 112 / 116 / 121 / 126 / 132 / - / - / - / - / -
94 / 97 / 100 / 102 / 106 / 110 / 114 / 119 / 124 / 129 / 135 / - / - / -
92 / 94 / 96 / 99 / 101 / 105 / 108 / 112 / 116 / 121 / 126 / 131 / - / -
90 / 91 / 93 / 95 / 97 / 100 / 103 / 106 / 109 / 113 / 117 / 122 / 127 / 132
88 / 88 / 89 / 91 / 93 / 95 / 98 / 100 / 103 / 106 / 110 / 113 / 117 / 121
86 / 85 / 87 / 88 / 89 / 91 / 93 / 95 / 97 / 100 / 102 / 105 / 108 / 112
84 / 83 / 84 / 85 / 86 / 88 / 89 / 90 / 92 / 94 / 96 / 98 / 100 / 103
82 / 81 / 82 / 83 / 84 / 84 / 85 / 86 / 88 / 89 / 90 / 91 / 93 / 95
80 / 80 / 80 / 81 / 81 / 82 / 82 / 83 / 84 / 84 / 85 / 86 / 86 / 87
With Prolonged Exposure and/or Physical Activity:
Caution:
Fatigue possible / Extreme Caution:
Sunstroke, muscle cramps, and/or heat exhaustion possible / Danger:
Sunstroke, muscle cramps, and/or heat exhaustion likely / Extreme Danger:
Heat Stroke or Sunstroke likely