Backyard Safety

As winter says its goodbyes and gives spring a warm welcome, many people across the United States begin to spend more time in the great outdoors.

By preparing the backyard for some safe fun in the sun you are taking the first step to keeping your family injury free this season. During this time, is important to learn how to prepare and maintain the backyard properly. Maintaining the backyard safely will help keep your family free from outdoor dangers related to mowing the lawn, gardening and poisonous plants, and grilling. 

As school lets out for the summer, it is time to prepare the backyard for your kids (and maybe the neighbor’s kids, too!). Our information materials about playing the backyard safely will allow everyone to enjoy playing in the backyard while preventing injuries related to home play sets and trampolines, backyard pools, and fire pits.

No matter what activity you take part in, remember the first line of defense against injury is always adult supervision!

Did You Know?

• Emergency rooms treat more than 230,000 people for fatal and nonfatal injuries relating to power lawn and garden tools in the United States. (Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center)
• July is the peak month for grill fires, followed by May, June, and August. (NFPA)
• Injuries caused by fire pits tripled between 2006 and 2012. (NFPA)
• During the summer, a child drowns every five days in a portable pool in the United States. (Child Injury Prevention Alliance)
• About 80% of injuries from backyard play sets occur when children fall from the equipment. (US Consumer Product Safety Commission)