17 Back to School Safety Tips to Help Prevent Injuries

For Elementary and Middle School-Bound Students:

1. Lighter Backpacks: Make sure backpacks for students are not too heavy. From 2019 to 2021, there were an estimated annual average of 1,200 backpack-related injuries to children under 19 years old treated in emergency rooms.

On the Playground-

1. No Sharp Edges: Check for sharp points or edges on playground equipment.
2. Airway Hazards: Remove neck or waist drawstrings from sweatshirts and jackets and remove necklaces to prevent strangulation hazards.
3. Playground Temperatures: Check the temperature of playground equipment before letting kids play on it, as plastic and metal equipment can get dangerously hot. From 2019 to 2021, there were an estimated annual average of 155,900 playground-related injuries to children under the age of 16.

For High School-Bound Students:

Classroom Chemistry Experiments-

1. Ask About Precautions: Parents, please attend back-to-school night and/or contact the teacher and ask about precautions that will be taken during experiments using fuels and flames.
2. Wear Appropriate Clothing: On days your student is working with open flames, have them wear appropriate clothing that will not easily catch fire.
3. Proper Safety Precautions: Schools and teachers, please be sure to conduct a hazard analysis and take proper precautions. Consider safer demonstrations, such as a flame test instead of a rainbow experiment. If pouring flammable liquids, use the smallest beakers possible, and keep larger containers out of the classroom. Do not use flasks.

Bicycles and E-Scooters-

1. Protections: Wear a helmet to help protect your head in falls and collisions. Knee and elbow pads can also help to prevent injury.
2. Follow Directions: Follow all manufacturer directions and check the e-scooter’s safety information, such as weight and age limits.
3. Ride Undamaged Vehicles: Check for damage before riding e-scooters, ensure that handlebars, brakes, throttle, bell, lights, tires, cables, and frame are in good condition. Damage to the e-scooter can cause loss of control and crashes.
4. Test the Brakes: Always test the brakes for how long it takes to stop the e-scooter, and to be prepared for emergency stops. Stopping distance can vary significantly, depending on the scooter.
5. See and be Seen: Wear reflective clothing! E-scooters are small, quick and silent, making it difficult for others to spot operators. Expect vehicle drivers and pedestrians not to see you.
6. Use Your Horn: Use the bell/horn to alert others and do not make abrupt, unpredictable movements.

For College-Bound Students:

Fire Safety-

1. Fire Alarms: Check that there are smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in the student’s housing and make sure the alarms are working.
2. Smoke Alarm Locations: CPSC recommends having smoke alarms on every level of a home, inside each bedroom and outside sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide alarms should be on every level and outside sleeping areas.
3. Note Exits: Make sure there are two ways out of each room and a clear path to the outdoors from each exit point.
4. Extension Cords: Keep combustibles away from heat sources and do not overload electrical outlets, extension cords and power strips. Report any dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.

Back-to-school should be an exciting time for parents and kids. Hopefully, these tips can help your kids enjoy a safe school year.

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission