Parents' safety tips

As children head back to school, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission offers some advice on making schools, child-care facilities, and playgrounds safer:

*Check the surfaces around playground equipment. There should be a 12-inch depth of wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel, and mats to prevent injuries.

*Remove drawstrings on jacket and sweatshirt hoods and around the neck. Shorten the ones at the bottom to about 3 inches.

*Make sure kids always wear helmets when riding their bikes.

*The complete "Back to School Safety Checklist" is available on the Web at www.cpsc.gov

Source: CPSC

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