Young children between two and four years old tend to begin showing more and more independence. While this growing independence is good overall for their development, it can be a problem at times. Children in this age group don’t always know what might be dangerous for them. This is why it’s so important to keep tips on child safety outdoors in mind.
Outdoor Hazards to Watch For
While you know that pools can be an outdoor safety hazard for children, are you aware that your garden hose is another one? High temperatures or heat waves in the Phoenix area can cause water that’s lying in hoses to become dangerously hot. If children turn the water on by themselves and play with the hose, they could end up with serious burns.
This is also something to keep in mind when filling up kiddie pools in summer. You’ll want to make sure that your kids aren’t near the hose when you first turn the water on. Otherwise, any hot water that’s in there could scald them. If possible drain the hose before shutting it off. This helps prevent water from building up and heating up inside it until you’re ready to use it again.
Kids are also known for drinking from garden hoses when it’s hot out. One way to ensure child safety outdoors is by making sure that your kids can’t turn the water on. While the water itself might be safe to drink, it can cause severe mouth and throat burns if it’s too hot. You can prevent these garden hose problems from occurring by watching your kids when they play outside.
Preventing Injuries from Outdoor Hazards
What are the best ways to protect your children when they play outdoors this summer? In addition to not leaving them unattended, consider installing hose bib locks on any garden hoses you have. These locks prevent kids from being able to turn the water on by themselves.
Hose bib locks are devices that allow you to keep your hose secure. These typically come with keys that you use to lock and unlock them. As long as you keep the keys out of your kids’ reach, they won’t be able to turn the hose on. This helps lower the risk of scalding or burns if the water is too hot.
These locks are available in a wide range of sizes to fit most garden hoses. You can install them easily on your garden hose, and keep the hose locked up until it’s time to water the garden or fill up the kiddie pool. They have the added advantage of preventing water from dripping from the hose when it’s locked, which helps conserve water at your home.
Look for hose bib locks that are made to be rust-resistant. This helps ensure that your lock will last for many years without giving you any problems. Having one that won’t rust also means you don’t have to worry about it failing to work.
High water pressure from garden hoses is another problem to be aware of when it comes to child safety outdoors. You can lower the risk of injuries to children caused by high water pressure with a house pressure regulator.
Contact Forrest Anderson for more information about our plumbing services for your home or if you are in need of a pressure regulator for your Phoenix home.
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