Backyard Safety Tips to Reduce Liability Risks

Keith Signoriello is the owner and principal of C&S Insurance, along with co-owner Ben Cavallo.

If you’re hosting backyard gatherings or simply enjoying some relaxing outdoor time with your family this summer, you want to spend your time having fun instead of worrying about hazards and liability risks.

But pools, grills, trampolines, plants, playgrounds, lawn equipment, and more can present safety risks. They can also lead to costly liability claims on your homeowners insurance, particularly if a guest or neighbor gets hurt on your property.

In this safety guide, our insurance experts break down the most common backyard hazards and provide safety tips you and your family can follow to keep your children, pets, guests, and neighbors injury-free.

Pool and Hot Tub Safety

Pools and hot tubs are great for cooling off (or warming up) in the summer but, unfortunately, they’re also some of the biggest backyard hazards, especially with young children present. Tragically, more than 1,000 children fatally drown in the U.S. each year.

If you live in Massachusetts, pool safety extends beyond good practice and into the law. The Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR) adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, which sets specific barrier requirements for residential pools, spas, and hot tubs. Before installing a pool, you’ll need a building permit from your local building department, and your local Board of Health may add requirements on top of the state minimums.

To ensure a safe environment, brush up on pool safety tips and learn how having a pool impacts your homeowner’s insurance. Here are five safety measures to take if you have a pool or hot tub:

Set and enforce strict rules, including no running around the pool or jumping in the shallow end.
Put up a fence around all sides of your pool. Under the state code, it must be at least four feet (48 inches) high, and no opening can be large enough to let a four-inch sphere pass through. Any pedestrian gate should be self-closing and self-latching.
Know the rules if your house doubles as a barrier. If a wall of your home serves as part of the pool enclosure and has doors or windows that open directly to the pool, the code requires added protection (typically an approved water-hazard alarm on those openings), though listed safety covers or self-latching door hardware may qualify as alternatives. Your local building department can confirm which option applies to your setup.
Only allow children to swim when adults are supervising.
Cover hot tubs when they aren’t in use.
Avoid installing diving boards, water slides, and other dangerous pool additions. You can have just as much fun swimming and playing with pool toys.

Playset and Tree House Safety

Falls are a leading cause of injury among children, and the ones that result in the most serious injuries happen from higher heights and onto hard surfaces.

Playsets, swings, slides, and tree houses are great ways to encourage children to play outdoors, but be sure to follow these crucial safety measures to ensure they can enjoy them with a lower risk of injury:

Build treehouses low to the ground. They should sit less than 10 feet in the air to prevent serious falls.
Cover the ground under swing sets, tree houses, and other play equipment with at least 12 inches of wood chips or mulch to help reduce the shock of a fall.
Avoid attaching ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to play equipment, as they present a strangulation risk.
Trampolines can cause serious injuries and open you up to liability. Avoid setting one up in your yard.
Check the temperature of metal playground equipment such as slides and swings before use. When they sit in the summer sun, they can become hot enough to burn.
Watch out for bee and wasp nests, which are commonly found in play area structures.
Look out for loose bolts or railings in playset equipment and fix them as needed.
Give play equipment a thorough check each spring. New England’s freeze-thaw cycles are hard on outdoor structures, and a winter of repeated freezing and thawing can loosen bolts, warp wooden beams, and crack plastic slides or connectors.
Always supervise young children playing outside.
If you spot dangerous trees or branches in your yard, hire an arborist to take care of them before they fall onto your home or outdoor play equipment.

Grills and Firepits: Outdoor Cooking Safety

There’s no better way to cook in the summer than on the grill. But be sure to grill responsibly, as grilling leads to thousands of fires each year (an annual average of 12,141 home fires between 2020 and 2024).

Enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled veggies, and s’mores while preventing fires by keeping these safety tips in mind:

Keep grills at least 10 feet away from other objects, including your house, trees, and bushes.
When cooking, keep children at least three feet away from grills, fire pits, and other cooking equipment.
Never leave your grill unattended while in use.
Always use grills outdoors.
Use a flame-resistant grill mat to reduce fires. With a fire pit, use a cover or spark screen.
Keep a portable fire extinguisher nearby while grilling.
Store propane tanks in your garage, not in the house.
When you’ve finished cooking with a charcoal grill, soak the coals in cold water and place them in a non-combustible metal can for safe disposal later. Charcoal may feel cool to the touch but can remain hot on the inside. If you throw away coals that are still hot inside, you can risk starting a fire.
Before installing a fire pit, check your local rules. Many Massachusetts cities and towns regulate open burning and backyard fire pits through local bylaws or fire department permitting, and some communities may restrict or prohibit wood-burning fire pits outright. A quick call to your local fire department or a look at your town’s bylaws will tell you what’s allowed where you live before you build or buy.

Poisonous Plants and Chemicals Safety

While some poisonous plants cause minor reactions, such as itching or hives, others can be deadly. Lawn care products such as fertilizers and weed killers can also be toxic. These safety tips will help keep you, your family, and your pets safe outdoors:

Inspect your yard for poisonous plants. If you aren’t sure whether a plant you see is toxic, you can check Poison Control’s list of poisonous plants or give them a call at 1-800-222-1222.
Verify whether any plants you plan to grow in your garden are poisonous before planting them.
Remove poisonous plants from your yard if they are within a young child’s reach.
Teach children never to put berries, flowers, or other plant parts in their mouths.
Call poison control if you think your child has swallowed a poisonous plant.
If you’ve treated your lawn with pesticides or fertilizer, do not let children or pets play on it for at least 48 hours.
Always tightly replace the lids of poisonous products and store them out of sight and reach of young children.

Lawn Mower Safety

Roughly 93,000 people are injured by lawn mowers in the U.S. every year. While working hard to keep your lawn beautiful and safe for outdoor activities, be sure to follow these tips:

Wear closed-toe shoes when mowing the lawn.
Don’t mow the lawn while children are playing in the yard. They could be injured if your mower throws a rock or stick.
Clear any large debris from the yard prior to mowing.
If you’re enlisting family help to clean up the yard, don’t allow children under age 12 to use a lawn mower.
Keep your lawn mower in a secure place (such as a locked shed), away from areas where children might try to ride or play on it.

Deck, Porch, and Patio Safety

In general, it’s a good idea to monitor your deck, patio, and/or porch for deterioration and other hazards to keep your guests and family safe. Here are some issues to watch out for:

If you own an older home, pay special attention to your railings. Much of Massachusetts’ housing stock predates the 1970s, and decks or porches built decades ago may not meet current code for railing height and spacing, which means a structure can look perfectly sound while still having gaps wider than today’s four-inch standard. If your home is older, consider having the deck or porch inspected for these code and safety issues rather than assuming an intact-looking structure is up to date.
Make sure the gap between your railing and the deck or porch surface is no more than four inches so a child can’t crawl through.
Ensure the slats or spindles of the railing are no more than four inches apart. You can install a guard on the inside of your railing to protect young children from crawling between the slats.
Keep furniture and outdoor decorations away from railings so children can’t use them to climb onto or over the railing.
If you have small children, install a gate at the top and bottom of stairs leading up to your deck.
Check your wooden porch and/or deck regularly for wear and tear, including loose boards, splinters, and deterioration from water, weather, or insects. Water damage typically manifests as rotted and warped boards.
Use a lumber sealer treatment for wood as needed.
Keep doors and windows that lead to outdoor spaces locked.
Check brick and stone patios for missing grout or broken tiles, which can be tripping hazards.
Use a brick and masonry sealer for stone patios as needed.
Clear walkways when hosting guests. This includes moving loose sticks, debris, hoses, and extension cords out of the way.

Outdoor Lighting Safety

Outdoor lighting can make a backyard space feel like home and add an inviting ambience to your evenings. But to make sure you use outdoor lights safely, abide by these tips:

Place any open-flame lights out of the reach of children and never leave them unattended when lit.
If you hang string lights, make sure they don’t have frayed or exposed wires.
Don’t use the same extension cord for more than three strands of lights.
Cover outdoor electrical outlets when they aren’t in use.

New England Homeowners Insurance

Even when taking the proper precautions, accidents and injuries can still happen. Fortunately, with a good homeowners insurance policy, you’ll be protected if you’re held liable for an incident that happens on your property. If you’re looking for homeowner’s insurance in New England and want the broadest coverage for the best price, contact C&S Insurance today.