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Parents & Educators

This month Elmer talks about winter outdoor safety.
 
Winter is an exciting time for kids. It brings great outdoor activities, such as tobogganing and skating, but also cold weather, ice and snow, which can present a danger to children. But that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the outdoors, especially when school is out and when they don’t have to worry about homework or catching the bus. Here are some winter safety tips for both parents and children.

When tobogganing:
Children should:

  • Always wear either a ski or hockey helmet  — not a bicycle helmet — while sledding.
  • Never use a sled with sharp or jagged edges.
  • Make sure the handholds on the sled are secure.
  • Always sit up or kneel on a sled. Lying down increases the risk of head, spine and abdominal injuries.
  • Never sled on or near roadways.
  • Look for shallow slopes that are free of trees, fences or any other obstacles.
  • Avoid sledding on crowded slopes.
  • Use a "steerable" sled.

When skating:

  • Make sure children always wear a hockey or ski helmet while skating.
  • Make sure children's skates are comfortable, with good ankle support, to avoid twists, sprains and breaks.
  • When possible, have children skate on public indoor or outdoor rinks. If this is not possible, children should remember to:
  1. Obey all signs posted on or near the ice. Yellow signs usually mean skate with caution, and red usually means no skating allowed.
  2. Make sure they are always supervised on the ice.
  3. Never assume it's safe to skate on a lake or pond. An adult should make sure the ice is at least 10 cm (four inches) thick, and check with local weather authorities for information about ice thickness.
  4. Avoid walking on ice near moving water. Ice formed on moving water, such as rivers and creeks will vary in thickness and is highly unpredictable.

Snow forts and snow banks:
Children should NOT:

  • Build snow forts or make tunnels. They may collapse and suffocate a child.
  • Play in or on snow banks. The driver of a snowplow or other vehicle may not see a child.

Snowballs

Children should NOT throw snowballs. Snowballs fights can lead to injuries, especially to the eyes. Snowballs are more dangerous if the snow is hard-packed or contains a rock or some other hard object.

Children between the ages of five and nine, account for 40 per cent of all sledding related injuries in Canada. Over 20 per cent of these injuries involve concussions, internal injuries or broken bones. (Statistics: Canadian Hospital's Injury Reporting Prevention Program). Most injuries are caused by colliding with an object (e.g., trees/rocks/signs) or from being thrown from the sled.

For more information: www.safety-council.org

Canada Safety Council