Summer is starting to wind down. While it’s easy to get caught up trying to enjoy the final summer activities, it’s important to do a quick yard and pool safety check. Especially as you start cleaning up and getting ready for fall. Here are some things you should be looking for.
Outdoor Electrical Connections
Spending more time outside in the summer often means more electronic devices are making their way outside too. Before you set up lights, speakers, projectors, and other electrical devices outside, make sure you have a plan for keeping your outdoor extension cord connections together and dry. Nothing kills a party like having an outlet trip when the sprinklers come on.
The Twist and Seal Cord Protect is a great way to keep outdoor cord connections dry and safe. The Cord Protect can be used to enclose the connection for your pool pump, your outdoor lighting, or anything else that you have connected to an outdoor extension cord. And if you have multiple outdoor connections or a power strip, the Twist and Seal Cord Dome can keep all your connections dry and away from little hands!
Clutter
Do you have a bunch of rafts and hoses laying around the pool? Balls, toys, and tools sprinkled throughout the yard? Create a routine for making sure they get picked up and put in a specific place every night. By having everything organized and put away, you’ll reduce the chance of accidents, increase the lifespan of your stuff, and make your yard and pool look neat and tidy. There are great outdoor organizational systems available at your local hardware stores and a plethora of inspirational ideas on Pinterest and Houzz.
Uneven or Slippery Surfaces
It’s easy to grow accustomed to being careful on the last step or treading lightly on a slippery incline in your own yard, but your guests and kids friends won’t have the same fore site. Before someone gets hurt, go through your yard and fix any uneven or slippery surfaces. In most cases, the fix will be a basic DIY fix. Even if you need to hire a professional, it’ll be a small price to pay vs a potential injury or lawsuit. There are also some really cool products out there like Outdoor Tread Tape and an endless amount of inspiration for keeping stairs and outdoor surfaces safe.
Dangerous Tools or Chemicals
Summer is project time - which often means tools, paints, and chemicals are out of the garage and shed. Always make sure that dangerous tools and chemicals are safely stored and out of reach of children. On multi-day projects, it’s tempting to leave tools and paint out but 5 minutes of cleanup can save you a lot of headache. Even if no one gets hurt, cleaning up a spilled can of paint off your new patio isn’t going to make anyone happy. So rather than risk it, make a point to safely store all tools, paint, and chemicals that are not in use.