11 summer safety hazards every parent needs to know about

If you're spending more time in the garden or travelling to see friends and relatives this summer, it's important not to let your guard down when it comes to your baby or toddler's safety. 

Supervision is vital but you can't always account for tiredness, distractions or a child wandering out of sight - that's why safety measures are essential too.

Find out the key hazards that every parent, guardian and grandparent needs to be aware of, plus what you can do to help keep your kids out of harm's way now the weather is getting warmer.

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1. Fit a stair gate on your back door

Stair or baby gates can add an extra level of safety - not just to internal doors but to external ones, too. 

Even if you have childproofed your garden or outside space, there are bound to be times when you'll want your child inside so you can keep a proper eye on them, or to prevent them going unsupervised from the back of your property to the front via a side return.

There are different types of stair gate available - pressure, screw, roll-up mesh and travel gates - that have different features, advantages and disadvantages. RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) recommends installation before your child starts crawling, which can be from around six months of age.

See our guide on how to buy the best stair gate and familiarise yourself with our Don't Buy stair gates to help you avoid a bad purchase

2. Check your baby monitor works when outdoors

A baby monitor can be an essential bit of kit if you're in the garden hanging washing or checking on older children playing and need to listen out for your slumbering tot. 

However, if you're planning to use a baby monitor you need to know if it has the spec to allow you to use it in this way - in other words, if it has the range, signal and battery life suitable for the type of property you live in.

Our Which? testing found that while some allow you to move more than 80 metres away from the baby (or nursery) unit without losing the signal, others won't let you get much further than 20 metres away.

Remember to keep the base unit at least three metres away from your baby to avoid any strangulation risk from wires.

Take a look at our Best Buy baby monitors including video, audio and smart wi-fi monitors

3. Apply high factor sunscreen

Babies under six months old should be kept out of direct sunlight, according to the NHS, and the skin of young children should be protected from the sun when UV levels are high.

Although they offer the same protection as adult ones, formulations for infants and children tend to be fragrance-free to reduce the number of potential allergens because their skin tends to be more sensitive.

Look for a short ingredients list, the words 'fragrance-free' and 'hypoallergenic' on the container, and steer clear of our Don't Buy sunscreens.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 35ml of sun cream (seven teaspoons) to cover an adult, so use a quarter to a half of this, depending on the size of your child. Use more if you're using spray rather than cream in order to get good coverage.

Read about baby and child sun creams, including how popular sun cream brands compare

4. Don't let your pushchair get too hot

You may be tempted to drape some fabric over your little one's buggy to shade them from the sun, but Which? research revealed that whether it was a muslin, towel, fleece blanket, Koo-di sun/sleep cover or a SnoozeShade - temperatures still spiked within the pushchair.

In some cases this was by 6°C more after 60 minutes in hot temperatures, than when just the hood was up. 

When temperatures soar, it may cause your baby to overheat, increasing the chance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). On a hot day:

• Get into the shade if possible. And avoid staying out in the warm weather for too long.
• Use a sunshade designed to block UVA and UVB safely. You can get either branded or generic ones specifically designed to clip on to the pushchair.
• Keep your child hydrated. Encourage them to regularly drink water (if you are breastfeeding there's no need to give them water).
• Circulate the air around them. You can do this with a clip-on fan for their buggy.

See our pushchair safety tips for great advice on how to avoid accidents and injuries 

5. Keep kids cool and hydrated when travelling

A vehicle can soon get hot inside, even if the outside temperature isn't baking. On days measuring just 22°C, car temperatures can rise 10-15°C every 15 minutes and can quickly reach 47°C, says the European Child Safety Alliance. 

Little ones who are exposed to rising temperatures could end up with heat exhaustion, when the body temperature rises to between 37°C and 40°C. If this isn't treated it can escalate into heatstroke, where their body temperature climbs above 40°C. 

Both heat exhaustion and heatstroke should be treated as medical emergencies. If they're not, fatalities can occur within two hours. Avoid overheating by: 

• Keeping them cool in the car. Children should be shaded, comfortable and hydrated on hot days. A leakproof bottle which minimises spillages is ideal for journeys - choose from our round-up of the best kids' water bottles.
• Put a shade up on the window next to them. There are various sorts that will do the job, including pop-up and roller blind ones. Keep the empty car seat cool with a light-coloured throw if the vehicle is parked in the sun for long periods and check that buckles and straps aren't too hot to the touch before your child goes back in.
• Never leave a child or infant in the car on their own. It doesn't matter how short a time it is, don't do it.

Best baby or child car seats 2023 - expert buying advice from and our top car seat recommendations

6. Keep children away from unsupervised paddling pools, ponds and hot tubs

Paddling pools are a great way of cooling down, but when it comes to water and children, safety has to come first. 

Even if you're planning to put just a little splash of water in, you need to supervise little ones to guard against slipping and, most importantly, drowning.

Ponds, hot tubs and other containers with water in, such as buckets, can also pose a danger - in fact, RoSPA says children can drown in as little as 5cm of water.

• Empty paddling pools, containers, buckets and watering cans as soon as they've been used. The Royal Life Saving Society UK also suggests turning paddling pools and containers upside down once empty so they don't collect water. 
• Fence off pools or ponds. Whether you have young children or have kids who regularly visit, place a fence around the pond, a grille over it or fill it in altogether at least until they are old enough to be safely around water. Pools should also be surrounded by a strong fence plus a self-latching, self-closing gate that is always securely shut.
• Put a lid on it. You should empty hot tubs when they're not being used or at the very least make sure the correct rigid lid is securely fastened. Water butts, which can soon fill up with rain water, should also have a secure lid on them.

How to buy the best hot tub - check out our buying guide for our pick of popular hot tubs

7. Check trampolines and play equipment 

There's no doubt that garden play equipment can be great fun but whether it's a climbing frame, swing or trampoline, these also pose a hazard to excitable kids - for example, home trampolines cause 13,000 injuries requiring hospital care each year, according to RoSPA.

Although you can't protect little ones against every bump and bruise, you can hopefully help to safeguard against injuries with a few simple actions.

• Check safety standards on play equipment. For example, your trampoline should adhere to European Standard EN71-14:2014 'Safety of toys - Trampolines for domestic use'.
• Provide a soft landing. The surface under play equipment should be soft enough to absorb the shock of falls, for example with wood chips rather than concrete or packed earth.
• Place outdoor climbing frames on firm ground. It should also be anchored on level ground to reduce the risk of it toppling over, and an unobstructed space of at least 1.5 metres left around it in case your child falls off.
• Check for sharp edges and exposed screws. Make sure that any products you buy are fit for purpose before they're used, and check periodically for loose nuts and bolts that might render it unsafe. 
• Check playground equipment on hot days. If you have equipment with a metal slide, handrails or steps, it might get really hot to touch on sweltering days and could cause burns. Check equipment after heavy rain, too, to ensure surfaces aren't too slippery to be used.
• Avoid clothes with cords or drawstrings. Along with bags and necklaces, clothes with drawstrings could get caught on equipment and accidentally cause strangulation. 
• Supervise play equipment but don't rely on this alone. RoSPA says that having a 'spotter' keeping an eye on the trampoline can greatly reduce the risk of incidents, but it adds that more than half of all trampoline accidents occur while under supervision. That's why rules like 'one at a time' are so important. 

Best trampolines - we tested the best trampolines on sale at Argos, Plum, Smyths and more to help you decide what will suit your needs and your budget

8. Take care around fire pits and barbecues

When you're getting ready for the barbecue season, be sure to put safety at the forefront of your preparations - especially if there are kids around.

• Don't leave children unsupervised near a barbecue. This isn't just while there's food cooking -  a barbecue can stay hot for hours after you've finished cooking. Extinguish the coals with plenty of water after you've finished using it - the same applies to fire pits and chimineas. 
• Never pour petrol, meths or other accelerants on to your barbecue. This is the cause of some of the most serious barbecue-related accidents in the UK. Keep products like these locked safely away to remove any temptation to use them on a slow-catching fire.
• Choose a barbecue that is strong, sturdy and stable. If you're using an existing one, look for damaged or loose parts that might need to be repaired, adjusted or even replaced in order to be safe. 

See our round-up of the best barbecues

9. Recognise skin rashes on children

There are several rashes that can end up causing discomfort to kids during the summer.

These include heat rash (prickly heat) from blocked sweat glands, hives (also known as nettle rash) such as from insect bites and stings, and sun allergy, which is an allergic skin reaction caused by inherited sun sensitivity or from taking certain medications such as certain antibiotics.

Not sure what your child's rash is caused by? Read our childhood rash guide to familiarise yourself with what these and other rashes look like - and what you can do about them.

10. Be aware of dangers from berries, flowers and leaves

You may be tempted to fill your garden or outside space with stunning ornamental flowers, but before you do it's worth knowing that some could pose a hazard to children. 

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening advises the following:

• Teach children about plants. This includes not playing with them, not eating them without supervision and understanding that even edible plants may have parts that you can't eat (for example, the leaves and flowers of potatoes and tomatoes). 
• Don't touch a plant unless you know what it is. If children are helping you with pruning or weeding, it can be a good idea to get them to wear gloves too.
• Clear away prunings or dug up plants. Keep them out of the reach of children, pets or wildlife, especially if you know they are toxic or may cause irritation. Research plants before you plant them and don't take any chances - even if little ones are only occasional visitors to your garden.
• Check plant labels and seed packets for toxicity warnings before you buy or put them in. There are lots of ornamental plants that may look stunning but could cause irritation if touched, or sickness and poisoning if eaten. For example, if eaten in quantity the seeds of Morning Glory can cause diarrhoea and even hallucinations. The RHS has a list of potentially harmful garden plants if you're unsure.

Four easy gardening activities for kids in April. Get them into the garden to discover the joys of growing your own flowers and veg

11. Keep greenhouses and sheds firmly locked

There's nothing more tempting for an inquisitive child than a shed or garage filled with interesting tools, boxes and bottles - that's why keeping the door firmly locked is so important.

However, there are other safety measures you should take just in case a little one happens to wander in when it's unlocked and unsupervised.

• Make sure sharp garden tools are in good repair and safely tidied away after use. Don't let children go near lawnmowers or hedge trimmers and always use a residual current device (RCD) when operating electrically powered garden tools and mowers. 
• Keep hazardous substances out of reach and locked away. Poisonous substances such as pesticides and solvents as well as corrosive substances that could cause chemical burns should be stored on high shelves or in a lockable cabinet, and out of direct sunlight.
• Don't decant chemicals into empty bottles or food jars. Keep substances in their original containers rather than decanting them into containers that might be mistaken for food or drink and lead to poisonings. Product labels on pesticides contain vital information including active ingredients, dosage rate and the problem it combats - all crucial information to the emergency services in the event of an accident.
• Don't keep flammable substances next to matches or lighters. If children have access to a garden room, make sure that it's safe for them to use. For example, don't put heaters in there that could end up being covered and potentially start a fire, and if it has a kitchen make sure there are no sharp knives or other kitchen implements that are easily accessible.
• A greenhouse or shed isn't a playhouse. As enticing as these may look, not only can these contain hazards, but a greenhouse could be potentially dangerous if someone falls against the glass and it breaks. Greenhouses should have toughened safety glass around 3mm thick rather than horticultural glass, which splinters and smashes into sharp shards.

Looking for a storage solution for your gardening equipment or somewhere to keep the bikes? Our expert guides advise you on how to buy the best greenhouse and the best garden storage, depending on your needs