Summer Safety Tips For Parents

Fireworks safety

• Fireworks can result in severe burns, scars and disfigurement that can last a lifetime.
• Fireworks that are often thought to be safe, such as sparklers, can reach temperatures above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, and can burn users and bystanders.
• Families should attend community fireworks displays run by professionals rather than using fireworks at home.
• The AAP recommends prohibiting public sale of all fireworks, including those by mail or the Internet.

Boating safety

• Children should wear life jackets at all times when on boats or near bodies of water.
• Make sure the life jacket is the right size for your child. The jacket should not be loose. It should always be worn as instructed with all straps belted.
• Blow-up water wings, toys, rafts and air mattresses should not be used as life jackets or personal flotation devices.
• Adults should wear life jackets for their own protection, and to set a good example.
• Adolescents and adults should be warned of the dangers of boating when under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and even some prescription medications.

Open water swimming

• Never swim alone. Even good swimmers need buddies!
• A lifeguard (or another adult who knows about water rescue) needs to be watching children whenever they are in or near the water. Younger children should be closely supervised while in or near the water - use "touch supervision," keeping no more than an arm's length away.
• Make sure your child knows never to dive into water except when permitted by an adult who knows the depth of the water and who has checked for underwater objects.
• Never let your child swim in canals or any fast moving water.
• Ocean swimming should only be allowed when a lifeguard is on duty.

All-terrain vehicles

• Children who are not licensed to drive a car should not be allowed to operate off-road vehicles.
• Because their nervous systems and judgment have not fully developed, off-road vehicles are particularly dangerous for children younger than 16 years.
• Don't ride double. Passengers are frequently injured when riding ATVs.
• All riders should wear helmets, eye protection and protective reflective clothing. Appropriate helmets are those designed for motorcycle (not bicycle) use, and should include safety visors/face shields for eye protection.
• ATVs lack the common safety equipment found on all cars and trucks that are designed for street use. Parents should never permit nighttime riding or street use of off-road vehicles.
• Flags, reflectors and lights should be used to make vehicles more visible.
• Drivers of recreational vehicles should not drive while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or even some prescription medicines. Parents should set an example for their children in this regard.
• Young drivers should be discouraged from on-road riding of any 2-wheeled motorized cycle, even when they are able to be licensed to do so, because they are inherently more dangerous than passenger cars.

Lightning safety

1. Postpone activities promptly. Don't wait for rain. Many people take shelter from the rain, but most people struck by lightning are not in the rain! Go quickly inside a completely enclosed building, not a carport, open garage or covered patio. If no enclosed building is convenient, get inside a hard-topped all-metal vehicle. A cave is a good option outside but move as far as possible from the cave entrance.
2. Take shelter at the lowest point. Lightning hits the tallest object. In the mountains if you are above tree line, you ARE the highest object around. Quickly get below tree line and get into a grove of small trees. Don't be the second tallest object during a lightning storm! Crouch down if you are in an exposed area on the balls of your feet with your arms covering your heat. Lying flat makes you more vulnerable to a strike.
3. Keep an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasing wind, which may be signs of an approaching thunderstorm.
4. Listen for the sound of thunder. If you can hear thunder, go to a safe shelter immediately.
5. Suspend games or practices. If you see or hear a thunderstorm coming or your hair stands on end, the game or practice should be immediately suspended for 30 minutes and everyone instructed to go inside to a sturdy building or car. Sturdy buildings are the safest place to be. Avoid sheds, picnic shelters, baseball dugouts, and bleachers. If no sturdy building is nearby, a hardtop vehicle with windows and doors closed will offer some protection. The steel frame of the vehicle provides some protection if you are not touching metal.
6. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio. Coaches and other leaders should listen for a tone-alert feature during practice sessions and games.
7. If you can't get to a shelter, stay away from trees. If there is no shelter, crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall.
8. Avoid leaning against vehicles. Get off bicycles and motorcycles.
9. Get out of the water. It's a great conductor of electricity. Stay off the beach and out of small boats or canoes. If caught in a boat, crouch down in the center of the boat away from metal hardware. Swimming, wading, snorkeling and scuba diving are NOT safe. Lightning can strike the water and travel some distance beneath and away from its point of contact. Don't stand in puddles of water, even if wearing rubber boots.
10. Avoid metal! Drop metal backpacks, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, rakes, etc. stay away from clotheslines, fences, exposed sheds and electrically conductive elevated objects. Don't hold on to metal items such golf clubs, fishing rods, tennis rackets, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks or tools. Large metal objects can conduct lightning. Small metal objects can cause burns.
11. Move away from a group of people. Stay several yards away from other people. Don't share a bleacher bench or huddle in a group

Revised May 11, 2011