Child Safety

• Don't buy a bike that is too big for your child. If cost is an issue, consider buying one second hand instead. Make sure your child's feet can touch the ground when sitting on the bike seat. Another tip: it's a good idea to have bikes inspected by a bike mechanic before taking them out for the first time. 
• Make sure your child always has a parent or guardian with them when learning to cycle.
• Take them to places with few distractions and little traffic.
• Your child should be able to focus on your words and direction in a safe and controlled environment.
• A great place for kids to learn to ride is a flat grassy area at a local park. There's no traffic to worry about and lots of grass to cushion any falls.  
• Be a role model! When cycling, wear your helmet and signal your turns. When walking or biking, always limit distractions and be encouraging.
• Start out with small trips to school, grocery stores, and parks without the car.
• Consider a cycling course in your community

• Don't buy a helmet that your child will grow into - buy one that fits them now! Parents can set a good example by wearing a helmet too. 
• Identify safe routes with your child.
• Encourage your child to wear bright colours and use reflective materials. In bad weather, visibility is even more important.
• Eye contact with other road users is important. 
• Pay attention to surroundings to make safe decisions when using the road. Help your child understand that distractions take their concentration away from the road. 
• Review the rules of the road before cycling, walking or wheeling.
• When walking, cross only at designated crossings such as pedestrian crossovers and intersections. Visit School Zone Traffic Safety for more tips about teaching your child to cross the road.
• When cycling, help your child understand right-of-way and road signs. For more information, visit the City of Ottawa children and cycling page. 
• Visit the Ontario Ministry of Transportation website for cycling safety laws.
• Dress for the weather. Here are a few tips on protecting your child in cold weather in Ottawa.

• Learn more about the benefits of walking and cycling to school.
• The City of Ottawa also offers short and affordable cycling courses that can help everyone improve their skills.
• Visit the City of Ottawa's Active Transportation page for bike maps and tips. 
• For more information on bike repair stations.

Keep children safe during hot weather and limit the time they spend outdoors during the hottest part of the day.

Children are more at risk of dehydrating because they have a high metabolic rate, produce more heat, and are smaller. It is also more difficult for them to cool down.

Help children avoid dehydration

• Breastfeeding according to child’s cues should be encouraged for all breastfed children.  If you are breastfeeding your child, remember to keep yourself hydrated so you can produce a sufficient amount of milk.
• Encourage children to drink frequently. Offer small amounts water frequently.
• Keep children close to watch for signs of thirst/hunger.
• Avoid serving drinks with caffeine or large amounts of sugar.
• Bring them into air-conditioned or cooler places like shopping malls, libraries, community centres, or a friend’s place.
• Give them a cool bath or shower or cool them down with wet towels.
• Avoid extreme temperature changes.
• Reduce, eliminate, or reschedule any strenuous activity.
• Make sure they are well rested.
• Never leave a child in a parked vehicle or in direct sunlight. When outside air temperature is 23ºC/73ºF, the temperature inside a vehicle can be extremely dangerous – more than 50ºC/122ºF. 
• Look twice before locking. Always keep cars locked while in garages or driveways to prevent children from inadvertently becoming trapped. The Canada Safety Council suggests making a habit of placing your cell phone, purse or wallet in the back seat — a strategy that requires you to turn around and check the back seat whenever you leave the vehicle.
• Be alert for signs that your child is experiencing heat illness and needs to go inside. These include thirst, fatigue, leg or stomach cramps, and cool, moist skin, which can be a sign of heat exhaustion. Bring your child inside or into a cool, shady area, and offer frequent, small sips of water. Removing extra clothing and fanning can help your child cool down slowly. For more information visit the Canadian Pediatric Society website.

When children go outside

• Dress them in light-coloured, loose-fitting, and lightweight clothing with a tight weave to cover their arms and legs.
• Encourage children to keep out of direct sunlight. Have them rest frequently in the shade.
• Teach them to take frequent breaks and to come indoors if they feel overheated.
• Always use a sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher, and reapply it at least every 2 hours. Don’t apply sunscreen to a child less than 6 months old. 
• If they are swimming or playing in water make sure their sunscreen is water-resistant.
• Choose a wide-brimmed hat.
• Have water nearby.

Keep your home cool

• If you have an air conditioner with a thermostat, keep it set to the highest setting that is comfortable (somewhere between 22oC/72oF and 26oC/79oF) which will reduce your energy costs and provide needed relief. If you are using a window air conditioner, cool only one room where you can for heat relief.
• Prepare meals that don’t need to be cooked in your oven
• Block the sun by closing awnings, curtains or blinds during the day
• If safe, open your windows at night to  let cooler air onto your home

If your home is extremely hot

• Take a break from the heat and spend a few hours with your child in a cool place. It could be a tree-shaded area, swimming facility, splash pad or an air-conditioned spot such as a shopping mall, grocery store or public library.
• Bathe your child in a cool bath until your child feels refreshed. Always supervise your child in the bath.
• If using a fan, keep it a safe distance from the child and aim the air flow in their direction.

Special considerations for childcare providers:

• Establish a policy and a plan to deal with extreme temperatures. Have hot weather backup plans like an indoor water day.
• Monitor the weather in the summer months (for example, follow the Government of Canada’s humidex, smog, and hot weather alerts).
• Ensure that staff are aware of the signs and symptoms of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Follow first aid procedures promptly.
• Maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
• Offer regularly scheduled rest periods.
• Maintain and role model sun safe policies.
• Check regularly on babies and young children.
• Ensure that children are well hydrated (let them drink frequently).
• Monitor children in wheelchairs. The metal and vinyl equipment can become very warm.
• Check pavement and playground structures. They can become very warm.

These sources may be helpful for additional information:

• Caring for Kids - Keeping Kids Safe - Sun Safety
• Health Canada - Sun Safety

Playground Safety

Playgrounds are a great place to have fun and be active with your child!

Did you know that playing outdoors has many benefits for your child? They include:

• Improved mental and emotional health
• Improved physical health and muscle strength
• Better concentration and higher grades in school

Playing outside is important for your child’s development. It is also important to keep your child safe from preventable injuries through:

• Active supervision for the age and development of the child
• Following simple safety guidelines

Playground Safety Tips for Parents:

• Stay close enough that you can take action if needed. Stay alert, pay close attention, and anticipate hazards.
• Remember the 5 under 5 rule! If your child is 5 years old or younger, encourage play on equipment that is less than 5 feet in height.
• Avoid distractions, such as reading and cell phone use.  
• Check that the playground equipment is in good repair and that there are no broken parts.
• It is more dangerous to fall on frozen ground. Actively supervise your child using playground equipment in the winter.
• Have your child wear rubber soled shoes with tied laces.
• Call your local park authority at 3-1-1 or your school office, if there are any hazards such as sharp objects or garbage in or around the playground area.
• For more playground safety tips (Parachute Canada)

While at the playground encourage your child to:

• Wait their turn
• Slide down feet first
• Use the equipment as it was meant to be used
• Keep away from moving swings and the bottom of slides
• Be aware that wet equipment can be extra slippery and pose a risk of falling. Active supervision is needed.
• Walk away from bullying and unsafe situations
• Before using the playground, remove helmets, scarves, drawstrings and cords
• Keep bikes and bags away from equipment and play area to prevent tripping

Backyard Play Structures

Backyard play structures should meet the CSA Group’s Canadian Playground Safety Standards. Some of the standards are:

• Surface area around playground equipment should be deep with a soft surface such as:
  • sand
  • pea gravel
  • mulch
  • rubber chips.
• Surface depth for children 5 years old and younger should be 15 cm (6 inches) and 30 cm (12 inches) for older children.
• Openings in the equipment should be less than 9 cm (3.5 inches) or greater than 22.5 cm (9 inches). This is to prevent a child’s head from getting stuck.

For more information on playground equipment standards, go to CSA Group or call 1-800-463-6727.

It is important to know that backyard trampolines can cause serious injuries. These injuries can happen even when adults are supervising and with the use of safety nets.  The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends “trampolines should not be used as play equipment.”  For more information go to Canadian Paediatric Society's Caring for Kids.

Remember, backyard kiddy pools are a potential hazard for drownings.  Active supervision of your child and emptying the kiddy pool after use will help keep your child safe.  For information on water safety.

Check Ottawa Parks for a list of playgrounds in your neighbourhood.  

Unstructured/Risky Play

Did you know that age-appropriate risks in play are healthy for good childhood development? It’s good not only for their physical health but their emotional and social health too. It can help them learn and develop independence, creativity and risk management skills while being physically active.

What is risky play?

Risky play is play that is exciting and thrilling and where the child doesn’t know what the outcome will be. It can include the possibility of physical injury. Risky play is different for different children. It also changes as your child develops and gains different experiences.

There are several different types of risky play including:

• Play at height (e.g.: climbing, jumping)
• Play at speed (e.g.: bicycling at high speed, running)
• Play involving dangerous elements (e.g.: water)
• Rough and tumble play (e.g.: play fighting)
• Play involving impacts (e.g.: crashing into something)

It’s important to note that risks and hazards are different. A hazard is when a child is not able to recognize the danger or able to manage it (e.g.: broken railing, slide not secured properly). A risk is a situation where the child can recognize a challenge and decide what action to take. 

What can you do as parents?

You are the best judge of your child’s abilities to make decisions on what activities they can do. Here are some tips for you.

• Provide the safe spaces and emotional support for risky play
• Make sure there is time in the child’s schedule for free play
• Watch your child play. This can give you a better understanding of what your child can do.
• Consider the language you use (e.g.: be careful, slow down, not too high). Repeated cautions can cause fear.
• Practise pausing for about 15-30 seconds before intervening. The length of the pause will depend on the child, the activity, and the situation.
• Consider asking questions to increase your child’s awareness of their current situation as a first step when intervening. Examples of questions include: “How are you feeling?”, “How will you get down?”, and “Do you feel stable there?”.

Being active in nature is a wonderful way to spend time together as a family. Ottawa is home to many beautiful trails, wooded areas, and scenery. While enjoying the great outdoors, take steps to prevent tick and mosquito bites.  You can help by making this part of your family’s regular routine.

Ticks

Ticks are most often found in wooded, shrubby, long-grassed, or leaf-littered areas providing shade and humidity and the strip immediately bordering such areas. Such tick habitat can be found throughout Ottawa’s geographic area.

What can I do to protect my family from tick bites?

You can practice simple steps to help minimize exposure to ticks. You can make these steps part of your regular routine, if you will be in areas suitable for ticks.

• Before heading outside, apply sunscreen half an hour before so it can be absorbed into the skin. 
• Once outside, apply a Canada approved insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin to exposed skin and clothing. Insect repellents containing DEET can be used safely when applied as directed and in the right concentration, depending on age. Visit the Health Canada website to find out which concentration of DEET is best for you and your children. (Sunscreen and insect repellant combination products are not recommended.)
• Wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, shoes and socks to cover exposed skin, and tuck your pants into your socks. It will be easier to spot a tick if you choose light coloured clothing.
• Try to stay on the trails when hiking in the woods and avoid walking in long grass.
• When you get home, do a tick check on yourself, your children and your pets. Pay careful attention around your toes, knees, groin, armpits and scalp. Try to make tick checks a fun, daily activity with your children so they will want to do one.
• If you find a tick remove it as soon as possible.  The risk of getting Lyme disease increases with the length of time the tick remains attached.
  • Use fine-pointed tweezers
  • Grasp the tick's head as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly until the tick is removed.
  • Do not twist or rotate the tick. Do not use a match, lotion or anything else on the tick.
  • Wash the bite site with soap and water.
  • See your health care provider if:
    • the tick has been attached for 24 hours or more, or
    • you are unsure how long, or
    • the ticks body looks partially or fully swollen from feeding even if you think it may have been less than 24 hours
  • Monitor yourself:
    • All people bitten by a tick need to monitor themselves for signs and symptoms of Lyme disease for 32 days, even if the doctor gave single dose of antibiotics to prevent onset of illness.

• Here are some tips to help make your home environment less favourable to ticks:
  • Keep grass mowed
  • Remove brush and fallen leaves from edges of your property, especially if yard is bordered by woods or fields of tall grass
  • Clean up areas under and around bird feeders to reduce attracting small critters such as mice and voles that carry ticks
  • Discourage deer from entering your yard, as ticks also feed on these animals
  • Keep woodpile neat, dry, off the ground, and away from house
• Teach your children about ticks. Encourage your children to let you know if they find one, so it can be safely removed. Ticks are very small and not easy to see – nymphs are poppy seed-sized and adults are sesame seed-sized. 

Summer camps and daycares:

• If your child is attending a summer camp or daycare, speak with the organizer. Make sure that applying insect repellent and sunscreen before outdoor play is part of the regular routine.
• Ask how the camp will address finding ticks on the campers. It is important that you are notified when your child will be going into a forested area so you can conduct a tick check at home.
• To learn more about ticks and Lyme Disease, visit the Ottawa Public Health website.  

Mosquitoes

You can help protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites by following the tips below.

• Apply an approved mosquito repellent to exposed skin and clothing. Insect repellents containing DEET can be used safely when applied as directed and in the right concentration, depending on age. Visit the Health Canada website to find out which concentration of DEET is best for you and your children.
• Wear loose-fitting, tightly woven, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, shoes and socks to limit exposed skin. Be aware that mosquitoes are attracted to darker colours and can still bite through thin, clingy clothing.
• Try to avoid spending time outdoors between dusk and dawn since this is when mosquitoes are most active. Mosquitoes are also active during the day in or near shady and wooded areas.
• Make sure all window and doors in your home have well-fitting screens that are in good condition.

Reduce standing water

Did you know that mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water (water that does not move or flow)? Mosquitoes need water to breed.

Check around your home to see if you have areas with standing water. This can be a fun activity with your little ones too!  Here are some frequent spots where you might find standing water:

• Old tires or tire swings (tip: drill large holes in the bottom of the tire to drain water!)
• Rainwater barrels (tip: ensure every opening is covered by insect screening)
• Children’s toys
• Flowerpots and their saucers
• Wading pools
• Patio furniture
• Wheelbarrows
• Anything that will hold even a little water for a week!

Tips for reducing standing water:

• Clean eaves troughs regularly to prevent clogs that trap water.
• Tip fishing boats and other gear onto their sides to drain.
• Replace the water in bird baths at least once a week.

For more information on mosquitoes, visit the Ottawa Public Health website. 

Did you know that drowning can occur in as little as 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water? According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, drowning is one of the leading causes of injury related death in Canada for children less than five years of age.

General Safety

To keep your kids safe around water, follow these tips:

• Your child should always be within arms' reach of an adult when they are in or around water. This includes pools, bathtubs, bodies of water, and other water sources. They should never be alone, even for a moment.
• Your child should wear properly fitted lifejackets or personal flotation devices in and around water.
• Your baby should be held by an adult if they cannot yet sit without support.
• Stay sober. Do not use alcohol, cannabis or drugs when swimming or supervising others in the water.
• Swimming lessons are great for your child but alone, they will not protect or prevent your child from drowning.
• Know what to do in an emergency, including CPR and calling 9-1-1.

Backyard Pools

According to Parachute, nearly half of all child drownings occur in backyard swimming pools. Follow these tips to help ensure pool safety:

• Your child must be supervised by an adult at all times.
• Have safety equipment nearby, such as a non-metal reaching pole, a throwing line with buoyant aid, a first aid kit and a phone.
• Ottawa Public Health recommends installing four-sided fencing to ensure access to pool is completely separate from the house, preventing direct access from a child.
• Bring everything you need such as drinks, snacks, sunscreen, toys, and towels, before allowing your child into the pool.
• Use signs to show deep and shallow ends to avoid injuries that could occur from diving in the shallow end.
• Store chemicals properly. All chemicals, including chlorine, should be out of your child's reach.

Regulations

All pool owners in the City of Ottawa must have pool enclosure gates that are self-closing, self-latching and locked at all times, except when the pool area is in use. See Pool Enclosure By-law (No.2013-39) for more information.  

Winter Water Safety

Ottawa winters are becoming shorter and warmer due to climate change. Did you know that the ice on a river or lake must be 6 inches thick to support just one person? It needs to be a lot thicker to support more people or a vehicle. Here are some tips to keep you and others safe around ice this winter:

• If you are not sure if the ice is safe, stay off the ice and choose an indoor/outdoor rink to skate. More information at ottawa.ca.
• All ice on rivers, lakes or streams can be risky.
• Check the ice conditions:
  • Clear blue ice is strong and the safest
  • White ice is half as strong and can cover up dangers
  • Grey ice is unsafe, it will not support much weight

• Many things affect the thickness of ice, including:
  • salt from roads
  • currents and rocks or trees below the surface
  • changing temperatures

• Monitor the weather. Consistent temperatures below freezing are needed for natural bodies of water to freeze.
• Wear a life jacket, it buys you time if you fall through the ice.
• Avoid stormwater management ponds- ice on these ponds is unstable and not safe for recreational activities.
• Don’t go out onto ice alone or at night.
• Always keep your dog on a leash when near water (rivers, streams or lakes).
• Learn about what you can do if you or someone you are with falls through the ice. More information at lifesavingsociety.com
• Wear a hockey helmet when on the ice to protect your brain.

Resources:

• Water Safety - Ottawa Public Health

Tips to childproof your home:

• Keep track of all medicines or other substances (drugs) in your home.
• Keep harmful substances (drugs) stored in its original packaging.
• Keep harmful substances (drugs) stored in a locked place that is out of reach and out of sight of children (includes alcohol, prescription and non-prescription medicines).
• Don't rely on packaging - child-resistant does not mean childproof.
• Medicine isn’t candy; never tell your child that a medicine tastes like candy.
• Keep important poison control numbers handy.
• Keep visitors’ belongings out of your child's reach just as you do your own. Visitors may have unsafe and dangerous products with them.

Edible cannabis products often look like foods that are very appealing to children. Don’t rely on the packaging alone to keep your child safe, child resistant or childproof is not a guarantee. Keep edible cannabis products out of reach of children.

Second-hand cannabis smoke is harmful for everyone. It may result in illness in infants and young children, and can also affect their alertness, understanding and judgment. It is safest not to smoke cannabis in your home or around your child. To protect you and your children make your home and car smoke free. If you smoke, do it outside and ask family members and visitors to do the same.

Cannabis poisoning in babies and children is a medical emergency.

Symptoms of cannabis poisoning in children include:

• Changes in mood such as confusion
• Agitation or sleepiness
• Changes in appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Balance problems and difficulty breathing

Call 9-1-1 if your child is ill and/or has difficulty breathing.

Your child may have an anaphylactic reaction if they swallow or is injected by something that they are allergic to. Touching or smelling the allergen can cause an allergic reaction, but anaphylaxis is rare in these cases.

The most common sources of allergens are:

• Medications
• Food and drinks: nuts, fish, eggs, milk
• Insect bites or stings: bee and wasp stings
• Latex: balloons, rubber gloves, some band aids

Preventing a reaction from happening in the first place is always the goal. We can all do our part to keep children with severe allergies safe at school.

• Remember that most schools do not allow peanut butter and other peanut/tree nut products at school.
• Find out from your child's teacher if there are any other foods to avoid in your child's lunch box and what they are.
• Remind your child to never share food at school.
• Remind your child to wash their hands well with soap and water before leaving for school.
• Be careful of cross-contamination between a safe food and a food allergen. This can happen when your child comes to school without washing their hands after eating a nut butter sandwich. Cross-contamination can also happen when a knife is used in an allergen food then a safe food.
• Remember that alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not remove protein of any kind. This protein can be an allergen. It is important that both adults and children wash hands with soap and water.
• Know the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis.

Think F.A.S.T (Face, Airway, Stomach, Total Body)

• Face: itchiness, redness, swelling of the face and tongue
• Airway: trouble breathing, swallowing or speaking
• Stomach: stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea
• Total body: hives, rash, itchiness, swelling, weakness, paleness, loss of consciousness

Symptoms can progress quickly and unpredictably. 

• Call 9-1-1 immediately and ask for paramedics
• Have the person lie down
• If they have an auto-injector, (such as an EpiPen®) help them by injecting it into their outer thigh. A second dose may be required if symptoms persist or worsen after 5 minutes. 
• Place the person on their side- check their airway, breathing and circulation
• Have someone at the door to meet the paramedic and direct them

For more information visit Food Allergy Canada. For more information visit the Ontario Ministry of Education for Sabrina's law in Ontario.