Safety First

When installing a swing set, follow all manufacturer guidelines. Pick an appropriate location for the equipment. Keep in mind that direct sunlight can cause the equipment to become hot. Picking a shady spot will assist in keeping the equipment surface cool and safe.

To assure safe placement between structures, furniture, fences, motor vehicles and pets provide at least 6 ft of clearance between these objects and the swing set equipment.

An important safety tip for securing a swing set to the ground is to insert and fasten the legs into concrete footings. Footer holes should be deep enough for the footings to be buried below ground level. Following these safety tips will prevent dangerous tripping hazards.

For safety underfoot, use pea gravel or sand. Rubber play mulch is also available; all of these substances will absorb the impact of children at play. This safety tip is important to provide a safe fall zone, which has less occurrences of serious injury compared to grass or dirt.

When installing swings, the height of the rope or chain should be elevated so the swing seat is at least 2 ft off the ground. This important safety tip will prevent toddlers from climbing on the equipment unattended.

Do not use toddler swings for infants. Infants can slip down into the seat, there is a risk of slipping and an infants head may get caught in the leg hole of the seat.

Prior to using the swing set, check all hardware for sharp edges, this should also be done at the beginning of each season and at a minimum, once every two weeks during the season.

Most swing set equipment include plastic safety caps for covering nuts and bolts, if these items become damaged or go missing, replace them to prevent unwanted injury.

Be aware of spaces within the swing set equipment to prevent children from becoming trapped or tangled.

With each new season, inspect the equipment for cracks or breaks, if any part of the swing set becomes damaged, an important safety tip is to replace it at once. Also be aware of equipment sturdiness, weather will erode the materials surrounding the structure over time; proper inspection of the equipment is an important safety tip.

Do not allow children to use the equipment if it is wet. All materials in play area become slippery when wet. Fill in any potholes or trenches dug into the playground surface. These holes may accumulate water and cause a slip hazard.

Climbing ropes should be secure on both ends to prevent a choking hazard or a possible collision.

Follow the recommended age and weight limits for all swing set equipment to prevent bodily injury or damage to the equipment.

If a slide is attached to the swing set there is a danger of tipping, so instruct users to stay off the very top ladder step of the slide when swings are in motion.

Do not attach any foreign items such as jump ropes, pet leashes, chains and clothes lines to the swing set equipment. These items cause both choking and tripping hazards and are not recommended.

Do not allow children to hang on the frame of the swing set or push an unmanned swing, rope or glider. Do not twist or tie chains or ropes, this will reduce the strength of equipment and can cause serious injury.

Dress your children properly; well fitting clothing and shoes will assure safe play. Loose fitting clothing with drawstrings and scarves should be avoided when playing on a swing set.

Avoid walking close to, in front of, or behind equipment when it is in use. Do not get off of equipment while in motion.

The most important safety tip is adult supervision. Parents, remind children to take turns and not to push or be pushed on swing set equipment by other children, this will aid in collision prevention.

When safety tips are followed correctly, the swing set will provide years of safe enjoyment.

Wherever you may be celebrating New Year's Eve, there are certain safety precautions anybody should follow in order to assure a safe and happy celebration for everyone involved.

If you are staying home with family and friends don't assume safety is a given. There are many precautions that need to be taken at home to assure the safety of your family friends and pets.

Small children that will be attending New Year's Eve functions sometimes get overlooked. Be sure to keep all stairways closed off to toddlers to help prevent unwanted falls and children from wandering into areas that are not child friendly, such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Make sure all alcoholic beverages are in one place and that there is an adult monitoring the usage of said beverages. If you plan on providing a bowl of punch that has alcohol in the mixture, be sure to provide a non alcoholic punch for guests and children that will not be drinking.

Make the non alcoholic and alcoholic punches different colors, to assure that the non alcoholic punch does not get confused with the alcoholic punch. This is an easy way to monitor the alcohol and to be sure that minors and non alcohol drinkers do not ingest alcohol.

Another way to be aware of what drinks are alcoholic and non alcoholic is to be sure to designate specific cups for drinks with alcohol, this can be done by using different color drinking cups or by serving only drinks that come in their own container.

Glass bottles can pose a danger, but if you are sure to keep all empty bottles from cluttering the party zone by putting them in a designated receptacle for recycling the danger will be minimized.

Be sure to keep the recycling bin close to the kitchen sink so any remnants of liquid may be poured out before disposal, this will also assist in preventing any residual beverage waste from making a wet mess that pets can get into which can cause alcohol poisoning, this will also prevent unwanted odors from circulating in your home.

Decorations can pose a threat to everyone, so be sure their placement is in conjunction with all the safety rules. Be aware of open flames around decorations made of paper and any aerosol streamers, they are highly flammable do not use any aerosol streamers near an open flame. Be careful about smoking, designate one place for your guests to smoke, preferably outside, either on a porch or in the yard. If you have no access to the outside for smoking, keep the smoking limited to the kitchen, it is much safer to have smokers in the kitchen then in any other area of your home.

Be sure not to hang decorations in doorways where they can become loose and block off an entryway or exit, closets are a place where coats will be placed and young children playing hide and seek might get locked inside so be aware of any possible scenario that can pose a threat. Remember if a space is small enough to store a regular sized bed pillow a child can fit and be trapped.

Decorations can also pose a choking threat to just about anyone, a good rule of thumb is, if an object can be passed through an empty toilet paper roll it can be swallowed and become a choking hazard. Some decorations such as deflated balloons, party snappers, even tissue paper piñatas can be accidently swallowed.

If you choose to use noise makers that have bells and whistles or are made out of metal or bean shakers, be aware that sometimes these items get dropped and may become damaged, if this happens and they are metal, they may have sharp edges and if the bells or beans that are inside fall out they may pose a threat of choking or cause someone to trip or fall, so be aware of your party favors.

Children and animals do not have the ability to safeguard themselves when being curious of the cool new stuff that is all over the house. Be sure to provide responsible safety measures when purchasing favors when throwing a party.

Pets need to be safeguarded too, you don't want your pet coming in contact with alcoholic beverages, these tasty treats smell sweet and if mixed drinks have any cream or milk bases it will be almost impossible for a pet to resist.

Pets love to play with decorations so don't leave any fallen or broken decorations laying around, pick them up and dispose of them as soon as they become astray.

If your guests will be opening and closing doors that lead to the outside, be sure that your pets do not have access to these areas, they may get loose and wander outside. If this happens it is very dangerous, they may wander into the street and possibly get hit by moving traffic, or they may get lost.

Remember, children and pets go hand in hand, so be aware of keeping them both safe by monitoring their interactions. Many accidents between children and pets can be avoided just by separation.

Both Pets and children become excited when brought together, mix in a New Year's Eve party and the excitement is even more intense. Don't put your pet in a situation of loud noises and confusion, to be safe, designate a place for the pets to be kept for the majority of the party and when the festivities are on the quiet side let the pets mingle.

Be sure that your pet has all the recommended shots if they are to be around people. Just like you get dressed for a party, so should your pet, so be sure to put on their collar that has an identification tag on it so if your pet does go missing, you will be able to get them back.

Some people celebrate New Year's Eve with fireworks and firearms, if you intend to be around any flammable items during your celebration be aware that explosives are very unstable and unpredictable, they are only as good as the person who makes them and how many pyrotechnics do you know personally.

They are also dangerous if in the wrong hands or in no hands at all. For safety reasons I suggest you don't use explosives of any kind to celebrate New Year's Eve.

Firearms pose an even larger threat, Children are very curious and if they have a chance to hold a firearm, they will take that chance. Firearms of any kind do not mix at all with adults that have been drinking alcohol. It is not wise to have firearms attainable during a party. If there are firearms in the home or lodge, be sure they are locked and secured out of reach of unauthorized users. Be responsible and aware of your surroundings.

Many people will be celebrating New Year's Eve on a boat or ship; there are many things to be aware of when boating. Be sure that everyone aboard has a life vest, even pets on a boat need to ware a vest. Drinking and boating do not mix at all, so if you intend on drinking alcoholic beverages while you are boating be aware that it is illegal to drink and operate a boat.

The coast guard will be on full staff New Year's Eve and can at any time request a safety inspection of your boat. If you are boating know your course, don't travel in places that you do not know. Keep land in sight, storms can pop up at any time and you don't want to get stuck out at sea with family and friends.

Make sure you have lights on your boat if you intend to be on the water after dark. Be aware that carrying explosives on a boat is very dangerous and illegal almost everywhere so don't bring fireworks on your boat ride.

If you are a boater you should know the rules and laws of the water, the most important thing to remember is that you need to keep yourself, your family, friends and pets safe. Use special care when boating during New Year's Eve.

If you are going out for New Year's Eve don't drink alcohol and drive, there are so many reasons not to do this, the first being, it's against the law and if you thought you paid a lot of money for that bottle of wine think again. A DWI can add up to a cost of over twenty thousand dollars not to mention the possible loss of life that can in strew. Not a good idea to drink and drive, if you are traveling, make arrangements with your hotel or a cab company to pick you up at a designated time and place assuring your safe return to your area of lodging.

Maybe you can go to the party with a designated driver; this will assure that all the people who travel together will have a safe ride to and from the party. This also frees you up to attend multiple parties that same evening, so if you plan on jumping from one party to the next, be sure to have a designated driver.

When you get to your destination be aware of your surroundings, be aware of the people you are with and the new people you may meet. Never leave a party with someone you don't know. Stay with the group. It is wise to go out with a group of friends rather than go out alone. It's a safe way to assure you will not end up in a bad situation. The more the merrier and its safer.

Don't leave your food or beverages unattended, it is very easy for someone to slip something into your drink while you are holding it in your hand, imagine how easy it would be for someone to slip something into your drink when you aren't paying attention to it. So if you plan on taking a bathroom break or hitting the dance floor, don't leave your drink where someone could access it, finish drinking it or throw it away, but never leave a drink unattended and go back to it later and take a sip.

Don't accept any drinks from a stranger, if someone wants to purchase you a beverage of any kind be sure to get it directly from the bartender waiter or waitress. If someone passes you a drink and you don't know them don't accept it. Be aware of what is going on around you, especially if you are in a place where there are more strangers than friends.

Don't share any beverages with people make sure you get your own drink and if there is a punch bowl be aware that anyone can spike a punch bowl, so be aware of what you are drinking at all times.

If you find yourself getting drunk faster than normal be sure to ask for help, you may have been slipped something in your drink and if you don't get help fast you might end up being molested in the hospital or worse. So if you feel like something is wrong go to a manager or a group of friends that you can trust, tell them what is going on and get to a safe place.

Monitor how much alcohol you ingest, remember sometimes food if prepared with alcohol so if you don't intend on ingesting alcohol be aware of the food you eat, ask questions, people love to talk about their recipes and I'm sure if they use alcohol they will be happy to tell you. Also be aware of deserts made with cannabis sometimes people put drugs in their recipes so be aware of what you are ingesting on New Year's Eve.

Locate all the possible exits in your surroundings in case you need to evacuate the premises you will know where to go in a safe manner. Don't get into a car with anyone who has been drinking.

If you are attending an outdoor function where there will be adults drinking and children attending be aware that baby strollers, wheelchairs and walkers can be a hazard in very populated areas so be safe when venturing into a crowd of people with these items.

We can't predict what could go wrong in every situation, but what we can do, is anticipate the worst case scenario and provide enough caution in our party planning to keep ourselves, our family, friends, guests and pets as safe as possible.

Remember to drink responsibly and be aware of your surroundings. Only you can keep yourself safe but with a few precautions you can keep everyone safe.

Have a Happy and safe New Year's Eve.