Home Safety Council’s “Hot” Topics for Summer: Backyard Safety and Home Security

The Home Safety Council® Provides Tips to Keep Homes Safe AND Secure this Summer

From outdoor celebrations to out-of-town vacations, summer activities bring new and familiar risks for families. According to the national nonprofit Home Safety Council, popular summer activities like backyard grilling and using playground equipment and pools bring especially important home hazards to consider. The Council points out there are also security risks to keep in mind for those leaving home for vacation.

“No one wants a trip to the emergency room or a home burglary to be the topic of the annual ‘How I Spent My Summer Vacation’ essay, yet many families experience these traumas every summer. Prevention is the key to making summertime a safe time,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “Whether you are enjoying your backyard or going away on a vacation, taking a few extra moments now to make simple home safety changes can keep you from spending time at the hospital or police station later.”

Outdoor – Summer Backyard Safety Tips:
According to a national survey conducted by the Home Safety Council, more than one-third of U.S. adults reported that they worry the most about injuries in and around the home during summer months. To help ease this concern and keep families safe, the Home Safety Council recommends taking the following precautions:

Grilling Safety:
•Designate the grilling area a "No Play Zone" and keep kids and pets well away until grill equipment is completely cool.
•Before using, position your grill at least three feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.
•Only use starter fluid made for barbecue grills when starting a fire in a charcoal grill.
•Before using a gas grill, check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line to be sure it is working properly and not leaking.
•Never use a match to check for leaks. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don't attempt to light the grill again until the leak is fixed.
•Never bring a barbecue grill indoors, or into any unventilated space (such as a screened porch or garage). This is both a fire and carbon monoxide poisoning hazard.
•Use barbeque mitts and long-handled tools to prevent a contact burn.

Pool Safety:
•Practice constant, adult supervision around any body of water, including pools and spas.
•Never leave a child alone or in the care of another child.
•When hosting a pool party, designate one adult at a time to be the “water watcher,” with the sole responsibility of supervising the children in the water for a 20-30 minute period of dedicated time. Rotate the responsibility among the adults at the party to ensure one adult is always solely responsible for watching the children around water.
•Learn and practice basic lifesaving techniques, including First Aid and CPR. Insist that anyone who cares for your children learn CPR.
•Keep poolside rescue equipment and a cordless, water resistant telephone close to the pool area.
•Install four-sided fencing with self-locking and self-closing gates around pools. Fencing should completely isolate the pool from the home and be least five feet high.

Playground Safety:
•Closely supervise children when they are using playground equipment.
•Cover areas under and around play equipment with soft materials such as hardwood chips, mulch, pea gravel and sand (materials should be nine to 12 inches deep and extend six feet from all sides of play equipment).
•Avoid putting play equipment close together. For example, stationary climbing equipment should have an uncluttered fall zone of at least six feet in all directions of equipment.
•Slides and platforms for climbing equipment should not exceed heights of six feet for school-age children or four feet for pre-school children.
•Beware of entrapment or entanglement hazards. A child's head can be trapped in openings between 3.5 and nine inches wide. Remove strings and draw-cords from young children’s jackets to prevent strangulation.

Out-of-Town – Home Security Tips:
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), more burglaries occur in July and August than in any other months of the year*. Before leaving for a summer vacation, review the security of your home and make improvements to reduce its vulnerability to break-ins:
•Put bright lights over porches and walkways in the front and back.
•All doors to the outside should have working locks.
•Garage and shed doors need working locks too.
•All windows should have working locks.
•Before you leave, walk through each room of your home to make sure all doors to the outside, sliding doors, and windows are securely locked.
•If you have an automatic garage door, always, look over your shoulder before leaving the driveway to ensure the garage door has completely closed behind you.
•Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed under windows so burglars can’t hide in them.
•Keep ladders stored in a locked shed or garage so they can’t be used to climb into your home.
•Keep shades or curtains closed over garage and shed windows.
•Keep shades or curtains closed over your home windows after dark.
•Don’t leave toys, tools and equipment in the yard.
•Make your home look like someone is there. Consider using timers to turn selected lights on and off automatically. Timers are also available for outdoor water sprinklers.
•Do yard work before you leave.
•Have a family member or friend bring in your mail and newspaper while you are gone. Give them a key to keep at their home; do not leave a key in a hiding place.
•If you use an answering machine, do not record a message that indicates you are out of town.

*FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program (2004)

About Home Safety Council
The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization located in Washington, DC.