June is Home Safety Month

The summer season marks the time for families to enjoy some of America’s traditional summer pastimes – barbecues, pool parties and backyard gatherings. However, family festivities could be interrupted by a trip to the emergency room if you don’t follow simple steps to safeguard your family and friends against summer hazards.
“Kids and their friends are home more during summer so you want to make sure that your home is prepared for the increase in activity and guests,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “By being alert and prepared to summertime threats, families are  reducing their chances of injuries for their loved ones.”
The Home Safety Council recommends following these guidelines to keep your family safe in the summer:

Home Safety Month

Previous Health Topics

• Grilling Safety
• Swimming Safety & Pool Safety
• Backyard Safety

• Designate the grilling area a “No Play Zone” keeping kids and pets well away until grill
  equipment is completely cool.
• Before using, position your grill at least 3 feet away from other objects, including the
  house and any shrubs or bushes.
• Only use starter fluid made for barbecue grills when starting a fire in a charcoal grill.
• Before using a gas grill, check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line to be sure it is working properly and not leaking.
• Never use a match to check for leaks. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas
  and don't attempt to light the grill again until the leak is fixed.
• Never bring a barbecue grill indoors, or into any unventilated space. This is both a fire
  and carbon monoxide poisoning hazard.

Many drowning incidents involve swimming pools and spas. Drowning is a silent and sudden
event, and Home Safety Council research found that many drowning deaths at home are related to swimming pools. Adopt the following guidelines from the Home Safety Council to help keep your pool area safe:

• Always practice constant adult supervision around any body of water. Older children
  should not be left in charge of younger children in the pool area.

• Install four-sided fencing that isolates the pool from the home. Four-sided pool fencing is proven to be an effective drowning prevention intervention. While many communities
  have codes or regulations that require some form of pool fencing, there is not a
  consistent national standard.

• Pool fencing should be at least five feet high and have self locking and self closing gates.

• Position gate latches out of the reach of young children.

• Never prop the gate open or disable the latch.

• Clear debris, clutter and pool toys from the pool deck and adjoining pathways to prevent and falls.

• Keep a cordless, water resistant telephone in the pool area and post emergency numbers near the pool area.

• Enroll non-swimmers in swimming lessons taught by a qualified instructor. Pediatricians recommend that children ages 5 and older learn how to swim.

• Never swim alone. Even adults should always swim with a buddy.

• Learn and practice the basic lifesaving techniques, including First Aid and CPR. Insist
  that anyone who cares for your children learn CPR.

• Keep poolside rescue equipment and a cordless, water resistant telephone close to the pool area.

• Post emergency numbers and CPR instructions near the pool area.

Lawn mowing and landscaping top the list of household chores when it comes to preparing for
backyard parties and barbecues. The simple act of yard work can be riddled with opportunities
for injuries if you’re not careful. The Home Safety Council recommends the following tips to make sure your backyard doesn’t become an injury trap:

• Wear protective goggles and ear protection while using outdoor machinery to prevent
  sight and hearing-loss injuries.

• Keep all garden tools out of children’s reach and store them with tines, blades or spikes pointing downward.

• Fuel mowers outside and only when the motor is completely cool. If necessary, store
  small quantities of gasoline outside the home in a detached garage or shed, tightly
  sealed in an approved safety container and out of the sight and reach of children.

• Start the mower outdoors to avoid raising carbon monoxide levels inside the home or
  garage.

• Store pesticides in their original containers and out of the reach of children, and only mix and store pesticides in containers not used for eating or drinking.

• Clear sidewalks and pathways of any toys and clutter to avoid and falls.

• Make sure all play areas are equipped with proper shock-absorbing materials, such as 9 inches of wood chips, mulch or shredded rubber.*

*Consumer Product Safety Commission
For additional information and resources to help you learn more and stay safe in and around your home, please visit Home Safety Council.

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