Bearingstar's guide to summer outdoor safety

Jun 16 2020

Bearingstar’s guide to summer outdoor safety

June is National Safety Month, an opportunity to help prevent unnecessary injuries on the roads, and in our homes and communities. For many New Englanders, the summertime is all about making the most of the great weather outside.

The great outdoors have never called to us more than during the pandemic lockdown. Use these safety staples to ensure your taste of freedom doesn’t get cut short by illness or injury.

Backyard Safety

With more people staying at home this summer, many families will be enjoying their backyards a lot more than usual. Here are some tips to create a space that is safe and secure for everyone:

Grilling: If you are planning to grill, remember to always keep it at least 10 feet away from your home or any structures, like a shed or garage. Make sure to look up and around when setting up your grill — avoid placing your grill under any low hanging branches or shrubbery. It’s also a good idea to have a designated grilling zone, where pets and children are not allowed.
Heat stroke prevention: Summer temperatures can pose a serious health risk. If you are sitting outside of your home on a hot day, be sure to guard against heat stroke by staying in the shade. Use an umbrella or find a shady tree to sit under and make sure to stay hydrated and drink lots of water.
Keep ticks at bay: Ticks are a threat to you and your four-legged friends. To help reduce the tick population in your yard mow the lawn frequently and keep leaves raked.
Fill backyard holes: Inspect your yard for any holes, loose soil, and other trouble spots that can cause trips and twisted ankles.

Pool Safety

While pools are a great way for people to cool off, they also come with many risks. We encourage you to follow these tips:

Avoid swimming by yourself, and if you have children under the age of 18, be sure they are supervised by an adult at all times.
Secure the area: Maintain secure fencing and entrances around the pool and deck area to prevent access by anyone when adequate supervision is not available.
Alarms: Equip your door, gate, or pool with an audible alarm to warn you if someone enters the pool area or falls into the pool while it is unattended.
Teach children to stay away from drains. Children’s hair, limbs, jewelry, or bathing suits can get stuck in a drain or suction opening.

Outdoor Activity Safety

Whether you are gearing up for a big hike or a long bike ride, it’s important to make sure you are prepared. Here are a few safety tips when it comes to outdoor activities

Sunscreen: The American Academy of Dermatology recommends everyone use a water-resistant sunscreen of at least 30 SPF that offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays. This can help in avoiding a painful sunburn that could later lead to skin cancer.
Hydrate: The hotter it is and the higher the activity level, the faster fluids are lost. Make sure you bring plenty of drinking water with you.
Use Protective Gear: Whether you are rollerblading, bicycling, scuba diving or canoeing, you need to wear the appropriate protective gear. Make sure everyone in your family has the right equipment for your activity.

Check In On Your Insurance

If you don’t already have one, an umbrella policy is also a great coverage to consider for homeowners with a pool. This additional policy offers extra liability coverage that would extend the liability limits offered by your home insurance policy. If someone is injured while using your pool, you could be held liable for any medical expenses or potential legal fees, which may exceed the limits of your homeowners policy. If these limits are exceeded, your umbrella coverage would kick-in, so you wouldn’t have to pay these bills out of pocket yourself.

And remember, accidents don’t just happen in your backyard. Most umbrella policies follow you wherever you go—in your car, even internationally. All this peace of mind for a surprisingly affordable price!

Our Bearingstar Insurance agents have a great deal of experience evaluating the personal risk profile of homeowners like you. Our team will help you determine what level of protection is right for you as well as guide you to the best policy for you at a competitive price.

Sources:

“June is National Safety Month” – National Safety Council: https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/get-involved/national-safety-month
“Preventing Ticks in the Yard” – Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/in_the_yard.html
“Safety Tips” – Pool Safely: https://www.poolsafely.gov/parents/safety-tips/
“Sunscreen FAQ” – American Academy of Dermatology: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen-patients/sunscreen-faqs

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