Be Prepared

There are many items that can be listed when it comes to safety around your home, but here are a few worth your consideration.

Yard Safety

• If you have small children, prevent them from running into the street as they play.
• If you have pets, be mindful that when children play, pets may become protective of those children in their "family" and may try to protect these children from others with whom they are not familiar.
• When doing yard work, consider where garden tools are left unattended. A rake, for instance should not be left on the ground, especially with the pointed side up.
• Sharp garden tools should be kept out of the reach of small children.
• Ladders should be supervised by adults at all times. It is easy for larger children to climb them and fall.
• Be mindful, especially in the summer months, of the critters that roam your front and back yards. Everything from ticks bites to bee or ant stings can be dangerous if an individual suffers from allergic reactions to such bites.
• Always say away from wild animals in the daytime that should only be out at night. Included are opossums, foxes, raccoons since they have a significant incidence of rabies. Snakes should be respected and children should be warned to keep their distance.
• In the summer, outside burning can be very risky especially when there has been a lack of rain. Most importantly, do not let children get close to fires of any sort. If the wind comes up, be prepared to douse the fire or take other appropriate action. Wild fires are easily started.

Water Safety

• Small, plastic pools for little children can be great fun, but even very shallow water can be fatal to toddlers. Supervision at ALL times is a must. Time gets away even for simple distractions. Children should never be left alone when they are in water.
• Yard water slides, such as putting a sheet of plastic on the grass, keeping it wet and allowing children and adults to slide over the plastic can result in injuries, especially when the plastic runs out. Supervision is important.
• Allowing children or adults to dive into the shallow end of a swimming pool can cause serious injury or even death. Pool safety rules should always be enforced.

Electrical Safety

• When using extension cords for electrically powered yard tools, make sure that only properly grounded outdoor extension cords are used.
• Do not allow children to play with electrical yard tools. Even plastic weed removal equipment can cause serious damage to the skin.
• When work is completed, make sure all electrical cords are unplugged at the wall, not just between the tool and the extension cord.

Do you have additional safety tips you would like to see added to this list? E-mail us now at GIIS.

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