Backyard Summer Fun & Safety
After a cold winter, it’s a great feeling to finally be able to spend your spare time outside in the warm air and there’s no better place than your very own backyard. It’s the perfect spot for the kids to play, to host BBQ’s and to relax all summer long.
Just remember to keep safety in mind when enjoying your outdoor time. Here are a few tips to help make sure you and your family and friends have a safe and fun summer in your backyard.
Pools
There’s nothing more refreshing than a dip in the pool on a hot day and nothing more fun than a game of Marco Polo with the kids. Pools are a great addition to a backyard but can also present some serious safety hazards.
To keep your pool safe from uninvited guests and unsupervised children, enclose it with a fence that is a minimum of 5ft tall. The fence should have a latching feature on the gate that provides access to the pool. Also, when not in use, a pool cover can help to keep the pool clean and safe.
Children (and anyone who is not a skilled swimmer) should be supervised at all times around the pool.
Fire Pits
S’mores anyone? When the long summer day turns to night, a fire pit is the perfect place to continue the fun with family and friends. However, where there’s fire, there’s always a potential hazard.
Fire pits should be placed in a spot away from the house, on a non-flammable surface away from any flammable materials like grass or tree branches.
When using the fire pit, don’t leave it unattended and ensure that the fire is completely extinguished (sand is great for this) before heading inside.
Playsets
Playsets are a great place for your children to swing and play on summer days but accidents do happen and you want to make sure your playset is in good condition to avoid any harm.
The playset should be on level ground and it is best to surround it with soft material such as sand or wood chips that can cushion a fall.
Check the playset regularly for any damage or rusted parts that may need repair, look for any small areas where children might accidentally get stuck and make sure children are always supervised.
Trampolines
There are few backyard activities that kids (and adults) love more than jumping on the trampoline but injuries on trampolines are quite common, resulting in approximately 100,000 injuries per year.
To keep your jumpers as safe as possible, make sure your trampoline is anchored to the ground and check it regularly for worn equipment. Trampoline enclosures and padded covers for all springs, edges and hooks are also recommended to keep jumpers from injuring themselves on the equipment or falling off the trampoline.
Restricting access to the trampoline by removing the ladder when not in use is a good way to make sure that children are not able to access the trampoline unsupervised. Setting ground rules for the number of jumpers at one time and the types of jumping allowed can also go a long way in preventing injuries.
No matter how safe your backyard equipment is, accidents do happen. Contact us today to make sure that you have proper liability coverage for all of your backyard equipment should an accident occur.
