Personal Injury News

Outdoor Injury Prevention Starts In Your Own Back Yard

Each of five major child injury hazards — motor vehicles, drowning, burns, falls and poison — can be found in the back yard during the summer. Riding mowers, inflatable pools, home playground equipment and even natural vegetation and sunlight require a few simple precautions.

“All of the safety guidelines that you apply to sports, playgrounds and swimming should also apply to those activities in your own back yard,” says Jan Stegelman, Safe Kids Kansas coordinator. “An inflatable pool needs to be surrounded by a fence, just like any other pool. A home playground needs to be anchored on an appropriate surface just like equipment on a public playground.”

Kiddie pools should be emptied when not in use. “Kiddie pools are just as dangerous to a small child as full-size pools — a child can drown in just a few inches of water,” says Stegelman. “Make sure that you store the pool upside down so that it cannot fill with rainwater.”

Safe Kids Kansas recommends these precautions for activities in the back yard:

• Treat a riding mower like any other motor vehicle; keep ignition keys out of reach and look around before backing up. Never carry children as passengers on a lawnmower; children should stay in the house whenever a mower or other power equipment is being used.
• Remove potential poisons from your yard, including poisonous plants, pesticides and pool chemicals. Teach kids not to handle or eat any part of a plant unless you know it is safe.
• Keep children away from the grill area while preheating and cooking and while the grill is cooling.
• Following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, apply insect repellent to a child’s clothing and exposed skin. (Check with your pediatrician if you have any questions about the instructions.)
• Teach children not to disturb or feed any wild animals, no matter how harmless the animals may seem.
• Apply sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher to your child’s exposed skin 15 to 30 minutes before going out, and reapply frequently. (It is possible to get a sunburn in cloudy conditions.)
• Make sure your child drinks plenty of water. A child who seems tired or achy should rest in the shade or go inside for a while. Get immediate medical help any time a child’s skin is hot to the touch (with or without perspiration) or if a child has a seizure or becomes disoriented in hot weather.

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