SAFETY

By Terry Orr

Safety is the state of being "safe" the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be considered non-desirable. Safety can also be defined to be the control of recognized hazards to achieve an acceptable level of risk. This can take the form of being protected from the event or from exposure to something that causes health or economical losses. It can include protection of people or of possessions. (Source: Wikipedia)

Unfortunately – we all too often learn the hard way about safety – tripping, falling, burns, shock, sunburn, food poisoning, auto accidents, and leg cramps while swimming to mention a few – all preventable by simple following safety precautions we have known most of our lives.

Safety and preparedness go hand in hand – knowing the potentials for problems and how to prepare for, take proactive measures, and to deal with those thing we have no control over. Be Prepared.

 (Photos from Google) 

Home Safety

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By Diane Forrest

Last month a friend of mine went to check on his elderly friend who had been involved in an automobile accident 3 weeks before.  He had called my friend from the scene of the accident to get a ride since his vehicle had been totaled.  A few weeks after the accident my friend went to see about him, but there was no answer at the door, and his mailbox was stuffed with mail.  Becoming concerned, he notified his friend's nephew, and once he arrived, 911 was called.  His friend was discovered in the bathroom, where he had been for the past 3 weeks.  This man lived alone, had no telephone, had just had an automobile accident, and even though there were no visible signs of injury, the event could have left him unsteady on his feet.  A few simple steps could have helped this man and prevented his death.

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Most of the home accidents occur with the elderly and children.  The home is the site of approximately 20% of all injury death. The top five leading causes of unintentional home injury death are falls, poisoning, fire/burn, choking/suffocation, and drowning; together these causes account for 90% of all unintentional home injury deaths. Yet the majority of unintentional home injuries do not result in death. For every home injury death there are approximately 650 nonfatal injuries. Children under age 5 and adults over age 70 are the highest risk groups for home injury, both fatal and nonfatal according to the Home Safety Council.

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Falls continue to be the major reason for injury-related death, injury and hospital admission for older adults.

Follow these tips to prevent slips and falls in your home:

• Keep the floor clear. Reduce clutter and safely tuck telephone and electrical cords out of walkways.
• Keep the floor clean. Clean up grease, water and other liquids immediately. Don't wax floors.
• Use non-skid throw rugs to reduce your chance of slipping on linoleum.
• Install handrails in stairways. Have grab bars in the bathroom (by toilets and in tub/shower.)
• Make sure living areas are well lit. We can all trip and fall in the dark.
• Be aware that climbing and reaching high places will increase your chance of a fall. Use a sturdy step stool with hand rails when these tasks are necessary.
• Follow medication dosages closely. Using medication incorrectly may lead to dizziness, weakness and other side effects. These can all lead to a dangerous fall.

Below are some tips that will help make your home more safe but I would suggest that you go to each room in your home, look around to see if there is any possible health hazard that could be lurking in any corner.  It is too late for my friend's friend, but hopes are that his death will serve as a wakeup call to remain alert and always have some form of communication available.  Be Safe!

• Have first-aid kit stocked with emergency items.
• Practice a home fire escape plan twice a year so everyone knows at least two exits out of every room and where to meet outside in case of an emergency
• Test your smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries yearly
• Stay in the kitchen when food is cooking on the stove
• Use nightlights to help light hall ways and bathrooms during night-time hours
• Use a sturdy step stool and not a chair when climbing
• Post the National Poison Control Hotline number (800-222-1222) along with other emergency numbers next to every phone

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Think Safety First - Avoid Common Dangers

You have gates on your stairs, child proof covers on your doors, latches on your cabinets, etc., and you feel comfortable that your kids are about as safe as they can be when they are at home...

All of that preparation to keep your kids safe can fall apart when you have visitors at your home though.

Why?

Visitors may forget to close gates, leave sharp items or breakables in your child's reach, and most importantly, forget to shut doors.

And if you have a lot of visitors, like at a party, it can be easy to think that the kids are safe, since there are so many adults around. However, instead of making your kids safer, having a lot of extra people around may actually put your kids more at risk. In addition to the confusion of having a lot of people around, the breakdown in your usual safety plans can put your kids at great risk.

Consider these all too common tragedies that highlight how important it is to think about child safety at all times:

• a toddler drowns in the shallow end of a pool, while everyone else is playing in the deep end at a pool party
• a child wanders away from a birthday party and drowns in a neighbor's pool
• a preschooler drowns in a pond in the backyard of a friend's backyard pond during a friendly visit
• your child discovers a neighbor's unlocked gun and shoots his best friend
• a toddler gets out of the house through an open door and is run over by someone backing out of the driveway
• To keep your kids safe in these types of special special situations, it can help to have a:
• safety plan in place. This might be as simple as reminding people to close doors and gates, replace cabinet locks and latches, and not leave things around that younger kids can get to, like breakable glasses, alcoholic beverages, or sharp objects.
• designated person who is supposed to watch the children. This might seem silly when you have a lot of adults around, but unless someone has the specific job of watching the children, everyone might assume that someone else is doing it and you can easily lose track of a younger child. And like a designated driver, this 'supervisor' should not drink alcohol and should not leave the children unattended, even for a few moments.
• discussion about any possible hazards that may harm the children. These types of hazards might include a pool, pond, or other body of water that younger children might drown in, unlocked guns, and doors or rooms that aren't childproofed. These hazards should also likely be the first place you look for a missing child, after calling 911.
• Taking layers of protection approach when childproofing your home can also help protect your kids in special situations. For example, in addition to a childproof lock on the door to your backyard, put up a fence around your pool so that even if a child does out of the house, he can't get to the pool.

So think about your child' safety, first and always. Remember that you may not be lucky enough to get a second chance if your child gets hurt.

Kids in Hot Cars Alert

Although experts often focus on more common safety measures, like using car seats correctly and basic childproofing, there are many less well known 'hidden dangers' that may put your kids at risk.

Your family car is one of these 'hidden dangers,' and it is not just because of car accidents. In addition to the risk of getting hit or run over by a car, being left or getting trapped in a hot car can be just as deadly a danger. 2010 was a record year for deaths for children left in hot cars - 49 deaths.

Situations in which kids get hurt in hot cars include when:

• infants and toddlers are simply forgotten in their car seat
• toddlers or preschoolers sneak into the car to play and can't get out
• kids get trapped in the trunk

What's the danger?

In addition to the risk of being abducted if they are left alone in a car, on a typical summer day, the temperature inside a car (even with the windows rolled down a little) can quickly rise above 120 to 140 degrees. Even on a relatively mild day, the temperature inside a car can get above 100 degrees. At those temperatures, kids are at great risk for heat stroke, which can lead to a high fever, dehydration, seizures, stroke and death.

If you don't think that it can happen to you or your kids consider these descriptions from the death certificates of children that were published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• a 9 month old died after being 'left strapped in child safety seat in a sweltering minivan for two hours - misunderstanding between child's parents resulted in the child being left alone in the van; one parent believed infant was at home with other 
• a 6 month old 'baby died when accidentally left in hot car for 3 hrs, died when outside 90-degree temperatures rose to 130 degrees inside closed car, parents thought the other had carried the baby from the car to crib 
• a 34 month old 'toddler who recently learned how to open a car door apparently climbed inside family station wagon while parent and sibling were in house'
• a 23 month old died when a 'relative babysitting child, put child in car for trip to store, went back in house having forgotten something, was distracted by something on television, sat on couch to watch, fell asleep, woke up two hours later'
• a 2 year old died after a 'parent left child in car after returning home from errand - was left for more than an hour'
• a 2 year old 'child apparently slipped away from parents and siblings, fell asleep atop blanket in unlocked car in driveway of home, oldest sibling found child 40 minutes later'

Remember, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 'a locked car sitting in the summer sun quickly turns into an oven,' and 'temperatures can climb from 78 degrees to 100 degrees in just three minutes, to 125 degrees in 6-8 minutes.'

Safety Tips

To keep your kids safe:

• don't leave them in a car, which can quickly heat up, especially on a hot, sunny day
• always lock your car and secure the keys so that your kids can't get to them
• warn your kids about playing in the car by themselves without adult supervision
• install a trunk release mechanism, so that they can't get trapped in the trunk
• get your kids out of the car first, and then worry about getting the groceries, etc., out of the car when you get home
• make sure that child care providers and day care workers have a plan to make sure that kids aren't left in the day care providers car or van
• If you are afraid that you might leave your sleeping infant or toddler in their car seat when you get out of the car, place a reminder on the dashboard.
• Also be on alert for cars that might have an unattended child left inside. If you see a child alone in a car, be sure to call 911 and help make sure the child gets out as soon as possible.
• And when a child is missing, in addition to checking the backyard pool and any other bodies of water, be sure to check inside the car and trunk of any nearby vehicles.

Kids in Cool Cars

The danger of being left alone isn't limited to kids getting overheated. Simply leaving the car running and the air conditioning on doesn't make your child any safer, even if it is just for a few minutes. Your child might be abducted, put the car into drive, or even get caught in a closing power window. So use the drive-through if it is available or take your kids inside, even if you will just be a few minutes. 

Seat Belts Saves Lives!

Nearly every day I see one or more people in cars without their seat belts on.  I often the urge to follow these folks and when they stop get out and show them pictures of others who have been in accidents.

In November 1952 on our return trip from showing my Mothers father our new baby brother Howard who was only a few weeks old were involved in an accident.  Farmer who’s eye sight was poor, pull onto the highway pulling a trailer – only a few yards in front of our car.  Our station wagon did not have seat belts, baby Howard was in my mother’s arms, sister was looking over the front seat, talking with her – it only took a couple seconds.  Mother, baby Howard were killed instantly.  Sister was thrown through the front windshield and was in very serious condition.  Father – saw the white light and asked ‘who will take care of my children?’ and then woke up in the hospital.  My brother and I suffered injuries – broken bones and which healed over time.

Seat belts must be securely fasten and properly worn before I will move the vehicle.  No Exception. No Excuses. No Seat Belt – You are not riding in my vehicle.

Usage of SEAT BELTS

We are required to wear them on air planes and our motor vehicles.  Why we are not required on School Buses; Public buses; Trains; Taxis; Metro Rail; or Subways?  They are all moving vehicles and all have accidents.

Here is a good example of various seat belts for kids. 

References and links:

Seat Belts on School Buses http://www.ncsbs.org/testimonies/seat_belt_background.htm

Car Seat Safety - Overview

Over the next couple of days, we will be covering Car Seat Safety for children.  As we found out during our research into the topic, lots of folks have distinctive view on what is and what they believe is right.  In general, we would consider that fine – but large percentages are putting their children and selves at risk.

As with most of our articles in July and with those planned for August are on Safety – Central Theme Safety First!

Infant and child car seats save lives. The laws in each state are different. Most states require them for all children under age 4 and those weighing less than 40 pound. But some states require car seats to be used for children up to age 6 or 60 pounds.

A child who is not in a car seat can be seriously injured or killed during a crash or an abrupt stop, even at low speeds. A parent's arms are not strong enough to hold and protect a baby during a car accident. Many unrestrained children die because they are torn from an adult's arms during an accident.

Here are some sobering statistics for parents: Motor vehicle crashes kill more children ages 14 and under than anything else, claiming nearly 2,400 lives and resulting in approximately 270,000 injuries each year. The vast majority of those crashes occur within 25 miles of home, and most occur on roads with posted speed limits of 40 mph or less. (edmunds.com)

The key to keeping your child safe when riding in a car is to use an age-appropriate child restraint that is properly installed and properly used. Proper restraints for your child when riding in a car depend on his age and size. (Children’s Hospital)

Perhaps the most important investment you can make in your child's future is a child safety seat. A child safety seat prevents your child from being thrown about or out of the vehicle.  Most communities have free Care Seat Safety Inspections- so find one close to your home and have them inspected!

Please take a few minutes to take the quiz and join us tomorrow for part two of this series.  Thank you.

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/quizzes/l/bl_car_seat_qz.htm

References and good links:

1.       Consumer Reports.org http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/car-seats/index.htm

2.       http://www.car-safety.org/faq.html

3.       A wide variety of training programs are available on child passenger safety.

4.    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.gov)