Summer is here and it’s time to play! Long summer days, beautiful sunny weather and no more school. It’s easy to forget how dangerous summer can be, even in our own backyards. Here are a few guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help make pools and playground equipment a little safer for your children and a little less stressful for you.
Pool Safety
- Never leave your children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment.
- You must put up a fence to separate your house from the pool. Most young children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool. Install a fence at least 4 feet high around all 4 sides of the pool. This fence will completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard. Use gates that self-close and self-latch, with latches higher than your children’s reach.
- Keep rescue equipment (such as a shepherd’s hook or life preserver) and a telephone by the pool.
- Anyone watching young children around a pool should learn CPR and be able to rescue a child if needed. Stay within an arm’s length of your child.
- Remove all toys from the pool after use so children aren’t tempted to reach for them.
- After the children are done swimming, secure the pool so they can’t get back into it.
Playground Equipment Safety
- Put home playground equipment together correctly. It should sit on a level surface and be anchored firmly to the ground.
- Swing seats should be made of something soft, not wood or metal.
- Cap all screws and bolts. Check periodically for loose nuts and bolts and broken, rusty, or sharp parts.
- Install playground equipment at least 6 feet from fences or walls.
- Check for hot metal surfaces on equipment such as those on slides, which could cause burns.
