SUMMER SAFETY TIPS

Summer means one thing—the kids are out of school. It’s time for outdoor activities like riding bikes, playing in the park and going to the beach.

According to Jenn Hoff, injury prevention coordinator for St. Mary’s trauma program, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in children ages 1 through 14.

“A Web site I like to recommend filled with safety tips for parents on all sorts of topics is Safe Kids Worldwide,” said Jenn.

In order to keep your active kids safe this summer, she recommends following these safety tips.

Car Safety
• The temperature inside a vehicle can reach potentially deadly levels within minutes. When left in a hot vehicle, a young child’s core body temperature can increase three to five times as fast as an adult.
• Never leave your child alone in a vehicle.
• Always lock the doors and trunk and keep keys out of children’s reach.
• Watch children closely around cars, especially when loading and unloading.
• Children have been trapped and strangled by power windows. Make sure your child is in the appropriate child restraint to prevent him or her from accidentally activating the power windows.
• Teach your child to never play in or around the car. Children can accidentally put the car in gear, causing it to roll.

Bike Safety
• Helmets are up to 85% effective in preventing serious brain injury. Insist your child wears 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.
• When purchasing a helmet, look for a label or sticker that says it meets Consumer Product Safety Commission standards.
• Make sure your child’s helmet fits properly. It 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.
• Buy a bike that is the right size, not one your child has to “grow into.” Oversized bikes are especially dangerous.
• Bikes are like vehicles, so as your child gets older teach him or her the rules of the road. Teach them to use hand signals when turning and to ride with traffic.

Playground Safety
• Always supervise your child on play equipment.
• Check equipment for protruding bolts or “S” hooks they can get caught on.
• Make sure your child cannot reach any moving parts that might pinch or trap any body parts.
• Never allow your child to attach jump ropes, leashes or similar items to play equipment—they can strangle on these.
• Make sure medal slides are cool to prevent child’s legs from getting burned.
• Take your child to playgrounds with appropriate-sized equipment.

Sun Safety

• Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes

before going outside, even on cloudy days.
• Use sunscreen with a sun

protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
• Reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
• Protect babies by dressing them in lightweight long pants, long-sleeved shirts and brimmed hats. Apply a small amount of sunscreen to little one’s faces and the back of their hands.

Water Safety

• Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages one through four.
• Never leave your child alone in or near water—even for a minute.
• Always appoint one person in your group to be the active watcher.
• Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as “floaties.” They give children a false sense of security.
• Use life vests for boating and while swimming. Many states require children under 10 to wear life vests when in any moving watercraft.
• Swimming lessons are recommended for every child. Your child can start lessons as early as age four.
• Teach your child to never swim alone and to test the water before diving by going in feet first the first time he or she enters the water.

Bug Stings and Ticks

• Check eaves and under decks for bee or wasp nests. Teach children not to touch or throw things at nests.
• Use repellent that contains no more than 30 percent DEET and use it on clothing instead of skin. Avoid using repellent on the face, hands or on cuts.
• Do not use repellent on infants.
• Avoid dressing children in brightly colored and floral print clothing.
• Avoid using scented soups, perfumes and hair products.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Tuck clothes into pants and pant cuffs into socks.
• At the end of the day, check your child’s whole body for ticks.