Summer Safety

During the summer kids will have a lot of time to play outside. Trips to the playground and to the neighborhood pool can be fun for the entire family, but you need to keep your children safe while doing it. Pamela Brawer, R.N., CCE, and founder of Save-a-Tot CPR, gives us tips on how to keep your family safe while playing outdoors this summer. Check out her tips below.

Playground Safety

More than 205,000 kids visit emergency rooms with playground-related injuries every year. Check the playground equipment before letting kids play on it. Many surfaces that are too hot can cause burns, such as slides. Loose ropes that aren’t secured on both ends can cause accidental strangulation. The ground should be covered in a protective surface such as rubber mats, wood, rubber mulch, or wood chips. The ground should never be covered in grass, asphalt or concrete. Before you leave the house check to make sure your child’s clothing is playground-friendly. Remove any loose strings from clothing, such as hoodies and avoid clothing that is loose as it will get caught on the equipment.

Pool Safety

Swimming and wading can be fun, active, and healthy ways to spend time and cool off this summer. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy as you head for the water!

Water safety awareness is something everyone should be concerned about all year long. It takes only inches of water for a small child to drown. Taking extra safety steps at home and around pools, spas, and all bodies of water can prevent drowning incidents. Each year, an average of 390 children from age 1-14 die in swimming pools and spas from drowning. Approximately 5,200 are treated in emergency rooms each year.

The AAP now states you can start giving swimming lessons around the age of one. Studies conducted by the AAP have found that the earlier you introduce your children to water and swim lessons, the less chance they have of drowning. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury from the age of 1 to 19 years of age. Young children drown quickly and silently.

Parents need to be very careful with inflatable pools. They are just as hazardous as big pools. All it takes is for your little one to put there hands in the water and because the inflatable pools are so soft, they can tumble in and can drown.

Prevention is key. Pools should be enclosed by a minimum of a four foot fence. Have a door or gate that is self-closing and latches. Pool alarms and covers are added protection but is not enough. Parents play a key role in preventing accidental drownings.

You always want to be at arms reach while your child is in the water. Most drowning occur when there is a lapse in concentration or disruption, such as answering your phone, texting, or talking to others around you. As your child gets older and can swim, you can move farther away, but still in site.

You want to make sure you know what to do in case of drowning or other related water emergencies. Learn CPR & First Aid. Every second counts to save a life.