Start the summer safely with these tips for grilling, spending time at the beach and in the pool
As you fire up the grills, visit the beach or swim in pools this summer, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging everyone to be vigilant about safety and prevent injuries before they happen.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers these tips:
Grills: Gas or charcoal grills can present a risk of fire and/or carbon monoxide poisoning. From 2016 through 2018, there were an estimated average of 12 deaths per year involving gas and charcoal grills. Last year, there were an estimated 6,300 gas and charcoal grill-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments.
- Safety Tip: Check www.cpsc.gov to see if the grill has been recalled. If recalled, stop using it until it is repaired or replaced by the manufacturer.
- Look over the grill and any gas hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Replace, if necessary.
- Never use grills indoors. Only use grills outside, in well-ventilated areas, and never indoors, in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch or under a surface that will burn.
- Never leave a hot grill unattended and keep children away from the grill area.
- Clean your grill with a ball of aluminum foil or nylon brushes, instead of wire grill brushes, to prevent stray wire brush strands from ending up in the food.
Beach Umbrellas: Airborne beach umbrellas can be dangerous, even deadly. From 2013 through 2018, there were two deaths associated with beach umbrellas.
- Safety Tip: Spike your beach umbrella pole into the sand, bury it about two feet into the sand, and tilt it into the wind.
- Anchor the base of the pole with some form of anchor or weight.
- Ensure the sand is packed well around the base. These steps help to keep it from blowing away and injuring someone.
Pool Safety: Child drownings continue to be the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 years old. Across 2017 through 2019, on average, there were 389 pool- or spa-related, fatal drownings reported per year involving children younger than 15 years of age. Pool- or spa-related, hospital emergency department-treated, nonfatal drowning injuries involving children younger than 15 years of age rose 17 percent in 2021 to an estimated 6,800 injuries.
- Safety Tip: Never leave a child unattended in or near water.
- Install proper barriers, covers and alarms on and around your pool and spa.
- Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults. Many communities offer online CPR training.
- Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
- Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.
- Ensure all pools and spas–both in your backyard and any public pool you may visit–have anti-entrapment drain covers.
Mask Up: COVID-19 is still a concern, keep safe and follow local, state and federal guidance on face mask wearing wherever you are this summer.
