Summer Safety Tips
Keep your family safe this summer by following these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
HEAT STRESS IN EXERCISING CHILDREN
- The intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more should be reduced whenever high heat and humidity reach critical levels.
- At the beginning of a strenuous exercise program or after traveling to a warmer climate, the intensity and duration of exercise should be limited initially and then gradually increased during a period of 10 to 14 days to accomplish acclimatization to the heat.
- Before prolonged physical activity, the child should be well-hydrated. During the activity, periodic drinking should be enforced, for example, each 20 minutes, 5 oz of cold tap water or a flavored sports drink for a child weighting 90 lbs, and 9 oz for an adolescent weighing 130 lbs, even if the child does not feel thirsty.
- Clothing should be light-colored and lightweight and limited to one layer of absorbent material to facilitate evaporation of sweat. Sweat-saturated shirts should be replaced by dry clothing.
POOL SAFETY 
- Install a fence at least four-feet high around all four sides of the pool. The fence
should not have opening or protrusions that a young child could use to get over,
under, or through.
- Make sure the pool gates open out from the pool, and self-close and self-latch at a height children can’t reach.
- Never leave children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment.
- Keep rescue equipment (a shepherd’s hook—a long pole with a hook on the end–
and life preserver) and a portable telephone near the pool. Choose a shepherd’s
hook and other rescue equipments made of fiberglass or other materials that do not conduct electricity.
- Children may not be developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday. Swim lessons for children under 4 should not be seen as a way to decrease the risk of drowning.
- Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision.”
PLAYGROUND SAFETY
- The playground should have safety-tested mats or loose-fill materials (shredded rubber, sand, wood chips, or bark) maintained to a depth of at least 9 inches. The protective surface should be installed at least 6 feet (more for swings and slides) in all directions from the equipment.
- Equipment should be carefully maintained. Open “s” hooks or protruding bolt ends can be hazardous.
- Swing seats should be made of soft materials such as rubber, plastic or canvas.
- Make sure children cannot reach any moving parts that might pinch or trap any
body part.
- Never attach-or allow children to attach-ropes, jump ropes, leashes, or similar items to play equipment; children can strangle on these.
- Make sure metal slides are cool to prevent children’s legs from getting burned.
- Parents should never purchase a home trampoline or allow children to use home trampolines.
BICYCLE SAFETY
- Do not push your child to ride a 2-wheeled bike until he or she is ready, at about age 5 or 6. Consider the child’s coordination and desire to learn to ride. Stick with coaster (foot) brakes until your child is older and more experienced for hand brakes.
- Take your child with you when you shop for the bike, so that he or she can try it out. The value of a properly fitting bike far outweighs the value of surprising your child with a new one.
- Buy a bike that is the right size, not one your child has to “grow into.” Oversized bikes are especially dangerous.
- Your child needs to wear a helmet on every bike ride, no matter how short or how close to home. Many accidents happen in driveways, on sidewalks, and on bike paths, not just on streets. Children learn best by observing you. Whenever you ride,put on
your helmet.
- When purchasing a helmet, look for a label or sticker that says the helmet meets the CBSC safety standard.
- A helmet should be worn so that it is level on the head, not tipped forwards or backwards. The strap should be securely fastened, and you should not be able to move the helmet in any direction. If needed, the helmet’s sizing pads can help improve the fit.
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