s you help your child select classroom supplies and a new fall wardrobe, consider preparing him for how to stay safe while biking to school or playing on the playground. To help ensure your child’s safety, add the following tips to your back-to-school list.

“Most playground injuries involve falls from swings, monkey bars and slides,” says Carol Hasty, outreach coordinator for Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and Dallas SAFE KIDS coordinator. To protect your children:

	Make sure all equipment is age appropriate, well-maintained, anchored properly and located at least six feet away from walls, fences and other equipment.
	Meet with school officials to be sure equipment and physical layout meet recommended guidelines. For example, ground cushioning material should minimize impact and be at least 12 inches thick if equipment reaches higher than eight feet.

“Students are at greatest risk of injury when approaching or leaving buses,” says Hasty. To keep your children safe:

	Remove drawstrings from coats and other clothing. Anything that drags can be caught in doors and handrails and cause a child to be dragged.
	Be sure your children know these bus safety rules: – Walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus so the driver can see you. – Never walk behind the bus. – Walk at least six feet from the side of the bus. – Stand at least six feet away from the curb when    waiting for the bus.

If your children walk or bike to school, make sure they:

	Don’t cross streets alone if they’re age 10 or younger.
	Wear a helmet and retroreflective material when riding a bike.
	Understand and obey all traffic rules.
	Ride on bike paths or sidewalks whenever possible.
	Walk or ride with a sibling or friend.
	Ride in the opposite direction of traffic.

Unfortunately, some children bring weapons to school. Though most are never used, the potential for serious injury still exists. To help keep your children safe:

	Talk to your school officials about school weapons policies, intervention plans and counseling services.
	Encourage your children not to bully or antagonize other children.
	Tell children to take threats from students seriously and to tell you, a teacher or school administrator about them.
	Work with your school administration and PTA to find ways to reduce the risk of violence.