Enjoying an active—and safe summer
When the weather is warm we naturally want to take advantage and spend more time enjoying outdoor activities. But with many activities come injury risks for children and adults.
But with many of those activities come injury risks for children as well as adults. For example, consider that each year nationwide: 
- 10 children die and more than 200,000 are treated in emergency departments from injuries involving playground equipment,
- more than 7,000 children are treated for injuries suffered on amusement park attractions, and
- drowning claims the lives of more than 900 children between ages 1-14, making it the leading accidental cause of death for that age group.
Most of these injuries are avoidable when children understand safety rules and adults adhere to them, says Courtney Barry, Coordinator of Safe Kids Lancaster County.
“Summer activities also require active watching by responsible adults,” Courtney says. “Parents are the safety role models. So whatever you do, make sure you do it safely.”
Reviewing the rules with children beforehand – and monitoring them at all times is a parent’s best defense against many injuries.
Wearing a helmet while biking, for example, lowers the chance of serious injury by 80%. It can be the difference between a minor injury and one requiring medical treatment.
“Safety equipment can often prevent that trip to the emergency room,” says William Adams, MD, Medical Director of Lancaster General Hospital Emergency Department.
Swimming & boating safety
Before jumping into the water or setting sail on a boat, make sure everyone knows and follows the safety rules.
“Parents need to be actively watching their child,” Courtney says. “Not on the phone, not reading a book, but watching what their child is doing.”
“Drownings occur because people are not appropriately supervised,” adds Dr. Adams. But that is true for adults as well, who should also never swim alone or while intoxicated.
“Diving into unfamiliar water can also result in serious injury,” he adds, so only dive in areas designated for safe diving. 
When kids are playing in water, Safe Kids suggests “tagging” a responsible adult with a badge that identifies him or her as the designated watcher.
“If you have to leave the area, you give that tag to another adult so everyone knows that a responsible person is watching at all times,” Courtney says.
Water safety tags are available through Safe Kids, but adults can create their own for use.
Parents are strongly urged to watch out for drain entrapment and entanglement in pools. “A child is no match for the powerful suction of a drain,” she says. “Parents should warn their children to stay away from drains and install safety devices if they own a pool or a spa.”
On a boat, all passengers—including adults—should wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices (PFDs). And boat operators should first complete a safe boating course. Sixty-five percent of operators involved in reported accidents never took a safe boating course.
Playground & amusement park safety
While most modern community playgrounds are built with safety in mind, it’s still not a substitute for close parental supervision.
Responsible adults should also remember to:
- check that playground equipment is in good repair
- remove jewelry or clothing that might get caught in equipment
- keep kids within earshot
- control horseplay or activities not appropriate for the equipment, and
- keep toddlers under age 5 in a separate area, away from older kids.
When heading off to amusement parks, be sure to follow all of the posted rules, including height restrictions for children and warnings for adults who are pregnant or have a medical condition. Also:
- keep body parts inside the ride at all times
- use all safety equipment provided, and make sure it’s inspected by the ride operator before the ride begins
- remain in the ride until it stops completely, and
- if you are tired, stop riding.
Car seat/transportation safety
Summer means family vacation trips, and parents need to be sure that safety seats are installed and used properly.
Safe Kids and Lancaster General sponsor free child safety fitting stations at four county locations where a certified technician will check for proper installation, help you correct errors, check for recalls and review installation techniques. Fitting stations are offered each month at:
- Pa. State Police Barracks, 2099 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, fourth Wednesday, 9 a.m. – noon
- Faulkner Chevrolet, Rohrerstown Road and Route 30, Lancaster, second Saturday, 9 a.m. – noon
- Pa. State Police Barracks, 21 Springhouse Road, Ephrata, third Wednesday, 8 a.m. – noon
- Lancaster City Fire Bureau, 333 E. King St., Lancaster, fourth Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Lawn care safety
This is the time of year when the Emergency Department sees injuries caused by lawn equipment, Dr. Adams says, often the result of operators attempting to unclog a lawn mower or hedge clippers.
“It’s important to unplug electrical equipment, not just turn it off,” Dr. Adams says. Many injuries occur when the person thinks the power is off, but the equipment is just stalled by the clog.
Child safety is also important to remember when doing outdoor lawn and garden work.
“There is one seat on a lawnmower for a reason,” Courtney says. Also, designate another adult to watch younger children while mowing. “The person mowing can’t hear a child,” she says.
Objects thrown by lawn mowers can cause injuries. Adults should first remove toys, sticks and rocks that can become projectiles, and make sure no children are playing nearby.
Avoid the ED
The ED will see a number of heat stroke cases, particularly in late summer where people overexert themselves in the hot weather.
“Hot weather can often require that we do some of our activities in the early morning or early evening, while there’s still sunlight, but the heat is not so powerful,” Dr. Adams says.
The ED will also see a number of serious injuries caused by improper handling of fireworks, which are illegal in Pennsylvania. His advice?
“Enjoy the shows our communities provide, and let the pros handle the fireworks,” he says.
For more information about summer safety tips, or for materials available for your family or community organization, call Safe Kids at 544-3282 or visit www.SafeKids.org.
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