Safety Tips

Water and Drowning Safety

• Always watch children near water. Don't leave, even for a moment.
• Make sure children wear an appropriately sized life jacket approved by the U.S. Coast Guard when on a boat, near open bodies of water, or when participating in water sports.
• Use a barrier like a fence to keep children away from pools or other bodies of water.
• Empty and turn over all water containers after you use them.
• Teach children to swim when they're ready, usually after age 4.
• Teach children to never run, push or jump on others around water.
• Teach children never to swim alone.
• Teach children not to dive into water less than nine feet deep

Fire and Burns Safety

• Do not leave children alone around open flames, stoves or candles.
• Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and other flammable materials out of children's reach.
• Teach children a plan for escaping your home in a fire and practice it.
• Install smoke alarms in your home on every level and in every sleeping area.
• Test them once a month.
• Replace the batteries once a year.
• Replace alarms every 10 years.
• Before bathing children in heated water, always run your open hand through the water to check its temperature.
• Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges. Never carry children and hot foods or liquids at the same time.
• Keep things that easily catch fire (such as papers) away from heat sources like stoves, heaters and fireplaces.

Motor Vehicle Safety

• Every person riding in a car or truck needs his or her own seat belt. Do not let passengers ride in storage areas or on other people's laps.
• Children should always ride in a back seat restrained in a car seat or safety belt.
• Infants should ride in rear-facing car seats until they weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg) and are at least 1 year old. Do not put a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger air bag.
• Children over 1 year old and weighing between 20 lbs (9kg) and 40 lbs (18 kg) should ride in forward-facing car seats.
• Children ages 4 to 8 weighing between 40 lbs (18 kg) and 80 lbs (36 kg) should ride in booster seats restrained with lap and shoulder belts. A regular safety belt won't fully protect a child this size in a crash.
• Children and adults weighing over 80 lbs (36kg) should use a safety belt for every ride.
• Properly restrain all children ages 12 and under in a back seat on every ride.
• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open.  A child's body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult's. It only takes a few minutes before a child can become dangerously overheated. In just 10 minutes, a car's temperature can increase by 19 degrees - and it continues to rise. Therefore, place a cell phone, purse or gym bag on the floor in front of a child in a backseat. This triggers adults to see children when they open the rear door and reach for their belongings.
• Walk all the way around a parked vehicle to check for children before entering a car and starting the motor.

Click here for more information on the new booster seat law. (PDF)

Click here for more information and facts on hyperthermia. (PDF)

Click here for information on how to help prevent hyperthermia:  Never leave a child alone in a car - even for a minute! (PDF)

Bike Safety

Teach children the following bicycle and motorbike safety rules:

• Wear a bicycle or motorcycle helmet and other protective gear on every ride including biking, skating or riding a scooter. Check to see if your helmet should have a safety certification.
• Ride so drivers and cyclists can see you.
• Look both ways for oncoming vehicles before turning or crossing a street. Go only when it is clear.
• Watch out for potholes, cracks, rocks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks or anything that could make you lose control of your bike.
• Make sure your bike fits your height, weight and age.
• Inflate tires properly.
• Check brakes before riding.
• Bikers should ride behind one another and with the flow of traffic.

Grilling Safety

• Grills should only be used outdoors and at least 10 feet away from a house or any building.
• Do not use the grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, or under a surface that can catch fire.
• The grill should be placed well away from deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
• Children and pets should stay away from the grill area.
• Grills should be kept clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grill itself and in the trays below the grill.
• Never leave a grill unattended.
• Keep lighted cigarettes, matches, or open flames away from the grill.
  
  Charcoal grill
• If you use a starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the lit fire.
• Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents, or campers. Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.
• When you are finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing in a metal container.
• Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.
• Store charcoal fluid out of the reach of children and away from heat sources.
  
  Gas Grill
• Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when operating a gas grill
• If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don't attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed

Additional Child Safety

• Practice sun safety.  On both sunny and cloudy days, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater that protects against UVB and UVA rays.
• Keep chairs, cribs, and other furniture away from windows and install window guards on all windows above the first floor.
• Do not allow children under 10 years of age to cross the street alone.
• Instruct children to look left, right and left again when crossing a street and to continue looking as they cross.