Summer is the time for kids to be active and have more time for fun and games. With the increase in activity comes an increase in the chance for an accidental injury. Keep your summer fun from turning into a summer fiasco with the following tips for preventing childhood injuries.
- Keep your children safe while traveling around the city this summer. When riding a bicycle, all riders should follow the basic rules of the road and always wear a bicycle helmet. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute suggests that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head and brain injury by up to 88% for both adults and children. Teach your child the proper way to get on and off a bus starting with standing three large steps from the curb and to always remain visible to the bus driver. Teach your child pedestrian safety and to always look right, look left, look then right again when crossing the street.
- Play it safe at the local park. Playground falls are inevitable, but the goal is to reduce the risk of serious injury with falls from monkey bars, slides, and swings. Look for playgrounds situated on soft surfaces like rubber or wood chips as opposed to concrete or gravel. Supervise children on playgrounds to ensure they are using the equipment properly and not engaging in risky behavior.
- Give young children your full attention around water of any kind. Accidental drownings can occur in even a few inches of water. Teach children to never go near or in water without adult permission. Keep gates around back-yard pools and hot tubs locked, empty containers like buckets and wading pools when not in use, and make sure your children wear life jackets when boating and engaging in other water sports.
- Anchor the furniture in your home. Use fasteners and brackets to ensure bookshelves, dressers and cabinets will not fall over. An afternoon of summer boredom can turn your children into little climbing monkeys. You can’t tell simply by looking at a piece of furniture whether it’s stable, so if your furniture isn’t already anchored to the wall, now is the time to do so.
- Never leave small children unattended around open windows. To help prevent children from climbing up to an open window, don’t place furniture near windows. Properly installed window guards are your best defense in preventing window falls.
- Be aware of the dangers associated with summer grilling and campfires. Children are at risk of severe burns caused by getting too close to a hot grill or fire and should never be left unattended around these hot surfaces. Both campfires and grills should be placed in an open area away from anything that could be flammable and all grill equipment should be properly inspected and maintained to prevent any malfunction.
We hope these tips will help you lead by example to make your summer a safe one for your children. For more information regarding our window guard products and our experience and leadership in understanding NYC safety requirements, contact us today!
