Summer safety

NFPA offers the following tips to make your summer safer:

Scooter, bike and pedestrian safety
Scooters, bikes, in-line skates and skateboards are associated with numerous injuries yearly.

Wear a comfortable, properly fitted helmet bearing the label of an independent testing lab. Be sure that the helmet sits level on top of the head–not rocking in any direction–and always fasten the safety strap.
Be sure that safety gear (wrist, elbow and kneepads) fits properly and does not interfere with the rider's movement, vision or hearing. Wrist pads are not recommended for scooter riders as they may affect their ability to maneuver.
Ride scooters and bikes only on smooth, paved surfaces and only ride during daylight hours.
Learn the proper hand signals and use them when you turn or stop.
Come to a complete stop before entering driveways, paths or sidewalks, then look left, right and left again for bikes, cars or pedestrians heading your way.
Teach crossing safety to children by example

Barbecue safety
Beware when you barbecue. In 1999 alone, gas and charcoal grills caused 1,500 structure fires and 4,200 outdoor fires in or on home properties, resulting in a combined direct property loss of $29.8 million, according to NFPA.

When using barbecue grills on decks or patios, be sure to leave sufficient space from siding and eaves.
Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use.
Keep children and pets far away from grills.
With charcoal grills, only use charcoal starter fluids designed for barbecue grills and do not add fluid after coals have been lit.
With gas grills, be sure that the hose connection is tight and check hoses carefully for leaks. Applying soapy water to the hoses will easily and safely reveal any leaks.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and have the grill repaired by a professional, if necessary.

Water safety
Extra caution should be used when around water, for children and adults.

Only swim in approved areas.
Always supervise children near water at all times and make sure that children learn to swim.
Check the depth of the water with a lifeguard before jumping in.
Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD (personal floatation device) when boating, jet-skiing, tubing or water-skiing. Air-filled swimming aids, like water wings or inner tubes, are not substitutes for approved PFDs. An adult should always supervise children using these devices.
Be sure to extinguish all smoking materials and shut down motors, fans and heating devices before fueling a boat. In case of a spill, wipe up fuel immediately and check the bilge for fuel leakage and odors. After fueling and before starting the boat's motor, ventilate with the blower for at least four minutes

Camping safety tips

Always use a flame retardant tent and set up camp far away from the campfire.
Only use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns inside the tent or any other closed space, not liquid-filled heaters or lanterns.
Always build your campfire down wind away from your tent. Clear all vegetation and dig a pit surrounded by rocks before building your campfire.
Store liquid fire starter (not gasoline) away from your tent and campfire and only use dry kindling to freshen a campfire.
Always put out a campfire when going to sleep or leaving the campsite. To extinguish the fire, cover with dirt or pour water over it

Fireworks
Fireworks lead to thousands of injuries requiring emergency room treatment, according to NFPA. These dazzling, but dangerous devices can burn up to 1200 F and can cause burns, lacerations, amputations and blindness. Stay safe by always leaving fireworks to professionals.

Stay back at least 500 feet from professional fireworks displays.
Treat all fireworks, whether legal or illegal for consumers, as suitable only for use by trained professionals.
If you find fireworks, do not touch them but instead direct authorities to them.
Leave any area where amateurs are using fireworks.

NFPA does not test, label or approve any products.

Summer Fire Safety

From the USFA Web site

Every year Americans look forward to summer vacations, camping, family reunions, picnics, and the Fourth of July. Summertime, however, also brings fires and injuries due to fireworks and outdoor grills. Annually just under 10,000 Americans are injured by fireworks and almost 5,000 are injured by charcoal/wood-burning and propane grill fires. In 2007, 64 percent of fireworks injuries occurred between June 22 and July 22.

Families also enjoy camping in the summer. It is important to follow the park's rules for the use and extinguishing of campfires.

Summertime should be a time for fun and making happy memories. Knowing a few fire safety tips and following instructions will help everyone have a safe summer.

Fireworks Safety

The best way to enjoy fireworks is to visit public fireworks displays put on by professionals who know how to safely handle fireworks.
If you plan to use fireworks, make sure they are legal in your area.
Never light fireworks indoors or near dry grass.
Always have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher nearby. Know how to operate the fire extinguisher properly.
Do not wear loose clothing while using fireworks.
Stand several feet away from lit fireworks. If a devise does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it. Put it out with water and dispose of it.
Always read the directions and warning labels on fireworks. If a devise is not marked with the contents, direction and a warning label, do not light it.
Supervise children around fireworks at all times.

Barbecue Safety

Before using a grill, check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line. Make sure the venturi tubes - where the air and gas mix - are not blocked.
Do not overfill the propane tank.
Do not wear loose clothing while cooking at a barbecue.
Be careful when using lighter fluid. Do not add fluid to an already lit fire because the flame can flashback up into the container and explode.
Keep all matches and lighters away from children. Teach your children to report any loose matches or lighters to an adult immediately. Supervise children around outdoor grills.
Dispose of hot coals properly - douse them with plenty of water, and stir them to ensure that the fire is out. Never place them in plastic, paper or wooden containers.
Never grill/barbecue in enclosed areas - carbon monoxide could be produced.
Make sure everyone knows to Stop, Drop and Roll in case a piece of clothing does catch fire. Call 911 or your local emergency number if a burn warrants serious medical attention.

Campfire Safety

Build campfires where they will not spread, away from dry grass and leaves.
Keep campfires small, and don't let them get out of hand.
Keep plenty of water and a shovel around to douse the fire when you're done. Stir it and douse it again with water.
Never leave campfires unattended.

CPSC Warns: Summer Fun Brings More Emergency Room Visits

WASHINGTON, D.C. - For many Americans, summer means fun in the sun. The kids are out of school, adults are on vacation and it's time for outdoor activities like riding bikes and hosting barbecues. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that summer also is the time of year consumers are most likely to be injured.

More than 3.7 million consumers went to hospital emergency rooms with product-related injuries in June, July and August 2001. During that summer, about 836,000 more consumers suffered product-related injuries than in January, February and March 2001. To avoid becoming a 2002 statistic, CPSC advises everyone to enjoy summer activities with safety in mind.

CPSC Summer Safety Tips

¤	One of the best ways to stay safe this summer is to wear a helmet and other safety gear when biking, skating and skateboarding, and when riding scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and horses. Studies on bicycle helmets have shown they can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.

¤	Use layers of protection to prevent a swimming pool tragedy. This includes placing barriers completely around your pool to prevent access, using door and pool alarms, closely supervising your child and being prepared in case of an emergency.

¤	Never bring charcoal grills indoors. Burning charcoal produces deadly carbon monoxide.

When cooking outdoors with a gas grill, check the air tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders, or food grease. Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing. If you ever detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas at the tank and don't attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed. Newer grills and propane tanks have improved safety devices to prevent gas leaks.

¤	Make sure your home playground is safe. Falls cause 60 percent of playground injuries, so having a safe surface is critical. Concrete, asphalt or packed dirt surfaces are too hard. Use at least 9 inches of wood chips or mulch.

¤	Use softer-than standard baseballs, safety-release bases and batting helmets with face guards to reduce baseball-related injuries to children.

¤	If you are a soccer mom or dad, beware that movable soccer goals can fall over and kill children. Make sure the goal is anchored securely at all times and never allow anyone to climb on the net or goal framework or hang from the cross bar. Remove nets when the goals are not in use.

To prevent serious injuries while using a trampoline, allow only one person on at a time, and do not allow somersaults. Use a shock-absorbing pad that completely covers the springs and place the trampoline away from structures and other play areas. Kids under 6-years-old should not use full-size trampolines.

Don't allow a game of hide-n-seek to become deadly. CPSC has received reports of numerous suffocation deaths involving children who crawled inside old cedar chests, latch-type freezers and refrigerators, iceboxes in campers, clothes dryers and picnic coolers. Childproof old appliances, warn children not to play inside them.

If summer plans include camping and you want heat inside your tent or camper, use one of the new portable heaters that are equipped with an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS). If oxygen levels start to fall inside your tent or camper, the ODS automatically shuts down the heater before it can produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide (CO). Do not attempt to use alternative sources of heat or power to warm a tent or camper. Traditional camping heaters, charcoal grills, camping lanterns, and gas generators also can cause CO poisoning.

Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of open windows. Guards should be installed in children's bedrooms, parents' bedrooms, and other rooms where young children spend time. Or, install window stops that permit windows to open no more than 4 inches. Whenever possible, open windows from the top - not the bottom. Also, keep furniture away from windows to discourage children from climbing near windows.

Summer also means yard work. When mowing, keep small children out of the yard, and turn the mower off if children enter the area. If the lawn slopes, mow across the slope with the walk-behind rotary mower, never up and down. With a riding mower, drive up and down the slope, not across it. Never carry children on a riding mower.