Sign In
Spending time outdoors with friends and family is one of the joys of summer. Most Americans play it fairly safe when it comes to entertaining outdoors, according to a recent nationally representative Consumer Reports survey of homeowners with yards. But we did spot several danger zones where attitudes are more lax. So before your next backyard barbecue, pool party, or fireside fete, use these tips to do a safety check.
Close to nature and within easy access of the kitchen, decks are ideal open-air gathering spaces. More than half of people in our survey have one. But 40 million decks in the U.S. are more than 20 years old, according to the North American Deck and Railing Association. So it’s no wonder the structures, together with porches, cause an average of 45,000 injuries each year.
What you can do
The rise in outdoor fireplaces has resulted in more nighttime entertaining and an extension of the season into darker months of the year. Prevent trips and falls by ensuring adequate landscape lighting on paths and stairways. Exterior lighting can also deter burglars, especially if it’s equipped with motion sensors.
What you can do
We’ve come a long way from the days of lawn darts, which were banned in 1988. But almost a quarter of survey respondents who were hurt outdoors in their yards said the cause was sporting or gaming equipment. Pool owners take note: Almost 300 children younger than 5 drown each year in pools, and thousands more are injured.
What you can do
Whether it’s a built-in fire pit or a freestanding chiminea, an outdoor fireplace brings campsite magic to your backyard. Almost a third of our survey respondents said they own one. But this backyard amenity, along with patio heaters, caused an estimated 2,900 injuries in 2011, based on emergency-room-treated injuries reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That’s almost triple the number of similar injuries in 2006.
What you can do
Almost 90 percent of our survey respondents said they barbecue at home, making it the most popular outdoor activity. But with increased grilling comes a greater frequency of unintended blazes. In fact, fire departments now respond to approximately 8,600 home fires each year involving grills, barbecues, and hibachis.
What you can do
The best outdoor spaces offer a combination of sun and shade. More than 85 percent of respondents provided sun protection in the form of umbrellas, awnings, or trees. Also be on the lookout for dead or sick tree branches that could fall on people in your yard.
What you can do
If you have a swing set or other play structure in your yard, make sure it meets safety standards, especially if the equipment was there when you moved in. About 51,000 injuries occur each year on home play equipment. And 148,000 injuries happen on public playgrounds, mostly involving falls from equipment.
What you can do
Swimming is synonymous with summer. The good news is that 90 percent of pool owners in our survey said they never let kids swim unsupervised. Among respondents with kiddie pools, an encouraging 84 percent ensure constant supervision, and 69 percent drain the pool after each use. Nonetheless, among children ages 1 to 4, drowning is the second leading cause of death behind birth defects. And most drownings for that age group occur in home swimming pools, not lakes and oceans.
What you can do
69% Drain kiddie pools after each use.
68% Always remove gaming or sporting equipment when not in use.
63% Always make sure charcoals are fully extinguished.
58% Always light steps and paths adequately.
32% Equip pool with an emergency flotation device.
20% Use a nonflammable pad under a grill at all times.
Source: Consumer Reports National Research Center. Based on percentage of homeowners with these types of equipment in their yards.
Build & Buy Car Buying Service
Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience.
Get Ratings on the go and compare
while you shop
