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Car seats and other safety tips
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Four percent of deaths in the U.S. result from accidents. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, accidents are the MOST COMMON cause of death in children 14 years old and younger. Accidents cause more death and disability in children than diseases, drugs, or violence.
Many accidents can be avoided if some safety measures are taken.
HOME FIRE SAFETY
- Do not smoke in bed.
- Keep matches and other flammable materials out of reach of children.
- Keep fireplaces and chimneys clean and in good repair.
- Never leave a burning candle or fireplace fire unattended.
- Establish fire escape routes from every room in your house and teach family members what to do in case of a fire. Have semi-annual home fire drills to practice escaping. This will help you realize and correct any complications in the routes.
- Keep fully charged fire extinguishers in readily accessible locations. You should have at least one extinguisher on each level of your home.
- Know how to use a fire extinguisher. In an emergency situation you must be able to act fast. If you have to stop to read directions, valuable time may be wasted.
- Install smoke detectors in central locations, in sleeping areas and in the kitchen and garage.
- Teach children about fires. Explain how they are started and how to prevent them.
- Make sure household wiring is up-to-date.
- Store flammable materials away from heat sources.
- Fireproof any open-flame space heaters.
- Supervise children when they are using fireworks. Never assume that a child will read and follow safety instructions.
HOTEL FIRE SAFETY
- After checking into a hotel, always find the exits and fire alarm closest to your room. Point these out to the people you are staying in the room with.
- Review the hotel's safety information in your room.
- Do not smoke in bed.
- If there is a fire outside of your room, always feel the door before opening it. If it is hot, do not open it--telephone for help.
- If you leave your room, take your room key with you so that you can get back into your room if the nearest exit is blocked.
- If you are forced to stay in your room, telephone for help, turn off the air-conditioning and heating systems, and open your window slightly for ventilation.
- To help prevent smoke from seeping into your room, soak sheets and towels and stuff them under the door.
- Stay close to the floor for the freshest air and hold a wet washcloth over your face.
- Do not attempt to run though smoke or flames.
- Do not use any elevators during a fire. They are electrical and could shut down, trapping you inside.
BICYCLE SAFETY
- Wear a bike helmet. 1 out of 7 children under age 15 suffers a head injury in a bike crash. Bike helmets can prevent head injuries.
- Make sure that your bike and your children's bikes are the right size. Your child should be able to straddle the bike with both feet on the ground.
- Young children should use bikes with coaster brakes--the kind that brake when you pedal backwards. Before using hand brakes, a child's hands should be large enough and strong enough to use the levers.
- Avoid riding at night if at all possible. Make sure your bike has reflectors.
- Obey all traffic laws. Stop at stop signs, check for traffic before turning, and ride on the same side of the road as the automobiles do. Be predictable and ride defensively. Try to ride where drivers of cars can see you. Bicycles are frequently involved in car accidents because the driver of the car did not even know the bike was there. Often, accidents occur when drivers don't pay enough attention to bikers. Many accidents have been avoided because the biker was paying attention to the car.
- Never ride out into a street without stopping first.
- Use the proper hand signals for turning or stopping.
- Yield the right of way to pedestrians.
- Wear brightly colored clothing so that motorists can easily see you.
- Use bike paths at all times if possible.
CAMPING AND HIKING SAFETY
- Always bring a first aid kit when camping. Know how to use the contents of the kit. Some situations can be made worse by using first aid supplies incorrectly.
- Use the buddy-system. It is never a good idea to camp or hike alone. If you were to become immobile because you broke a leg, or you were to fall and get stuck, a partner could go for help.
- Make sure someone knows where you plan to camp or hike. ( Teach children and remind adults to pick out landmarks at the campsite, and when on hikes to help recognize locations.)
- Be careful when exploring (always take a compass and map).
- Take whistles in case you. Whistles can be heard further than your voice will carry.
- Use caution when chopping wood or building fires.
- Dress appropriately. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to avoid bites from ticks and other insects. In cold conditions, wear many layers of thin clothing, along with a hat, boots and gloves. When hiking, consider tucking your pants into your socks and boots to help protect against ticks.
- Take a supply of clean drinking water and drink it. People can become dehydrated very quickly in warm, dry, or windy conditions. Dehydration can lead to other serious complications and should be avoided.
- Don't drink water unless you know it is clean.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages which tend to cause dehydration.
- Don't touch animals out in the wild.
- Don't eat wild berries and plants.
- Don't over-do-it when hiking.
- Never leave a campfire unattended.
- Before leaving a campsite to return home, make sure all fires are out and the ashes are cold. A single burning ember in a seemingly smothered fire is enough to initiate another full blown fire.
SUN PROTECTION
- When outside on a warm, sunny day, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, a water-proof sunscreen and loose fitting, light colored clothing.
- Sun precaution is especially important between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Drink plenty of water, but avoid consuming alcoholic beverages on hot, humid days when you are outside. Alcohol can cause dehydration.
- If you become overheated, sit in the shade, drink plenty of water and try to keep your skin cool and moist.
- Keep very young children's skin from being exposed to the sun.
- Never leave children or pets unattended in a car in the sun--even for a few minutes.
- Wear appropriate sun screens--a sunscreen rating of 15 should give adequate protection and is sufficient for most people.
- Remember, there is no such thing as a healthy suntan.
WATER SAFETY
- Learn CPR.
- Teach your children to swim.
- Never swim alone.
- Fence all home pools and keep the gate closed and locked.
- Always wear life preservers when boating, even if you can swim.
- Avoid consuming alcoholic beverages when swimming or boating.
- Supervise young children when in the tub, the swimming pool or any other body of water, including lakes, oceans, rivers, and streams.
- Never dive into water unless you know beforehand how deep it is.
- Know your limits.
- Avoid being on wet surfaces (in puddles) or in water during an electrical storm or during dangerous weather conditions (like high winds).
- If your boat turns over, stay with the boat until help arrives.
- Do not overload your boat.
CHILD SAFETY
- The space between crib bars should be no more than 2 1/2 inches.
- A crib or playpen should have no sharp edges.
- The distance from the mattress to the top of the rail should be over 2 feet.
- Use bumper pads on the inside of the crib.
- Keep plastic wrap or bags away from children.
- Keep stuffed animals with buttons that can be swallowed away from small children.
- Avoid putting extra blankets and stuffed animals in a crib with a baby.
- Child-proof your home:
- Place gates at the top and bottom of each stairway.
- Cover unused electrical sockets.
- Keep toxic substances (such as cleaning fluids, bug poisons, and other chemicals) well out of a child's reach.
- Avoid storing toxic substances in unmarked and inappropriate containers (such as food containers).
- Keep knives out of reach.
- Buy medicines with child-resistant caps. Place all medications out of the reach of children.
- Put safety latches on cabinets that a child should not open.
- Keep matches out of reach.
- Set the hot water heater thermostat to no more than 125 degrees F.
- When cooking on the stove, make sure that pot and pan handles are turned to the middle of the stove top. Handles that hang over the edge of the stove top may be reached by a curious toddler.
- Keep toys with small parts (and other small objects) out of the reach of toddlers.
- In the bathroom, avoid putting dangerous items (such as razor blades) in a waste basket where a young child might have access.
- Keep toilet lids down.
- Never leave an infant unattended in the bathtub.
- Keep children away from hot beverages and stove tops.
- Don't leave small children alone in the kitchen.
- Establish sensible rules for outdoor play and supervise young children constantly.
- When heating a baby bottle in the microwave oven or on the stove, always test the milk temperature to prevent burning your baby's mouth.
HOUSEHOLD SAFETY
- Wear protective footwear and eye wear when mowing the lawn, operating power tools, working with a chisel and hammer or hammering metal on metal.
- Don't allow children to handle tools until they are old enough to understand and obey instructions regarding their proper use.
- All stairways should have a sturdy hand rail.
- All entryways should have lighting that is bright enough to read by.
- Don't leave objects on stairways and make sure that carpet on stairways is securely fastened.
- Unplug appliances (such as heating pads and electric blankets) when they are not in use.
- In the bathroom, use floor mats that don't slip.
- Put non-slip appliques on the bathtub
- Don't use any electrical appliances when you are wet or in the bathtub, shower or pool.
- Make sure that each fireplace has a fire screen.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and at least one on every level. Know how to use the extinguishers.
- Keep the kitchen floor clean from spills that might cause someone to slip and fall.
- Position pot and pan handles toward the back of the stove or counter.
- Keep any guns in a locked cabinet and make sure they are unloaded. Firearms and ammunition should be stored separately.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
- Wear protective eye wear if your job carries any risk of eye injury.
- If your work environment is so noisy that you have to shout to be heard, then wear earmuffs or ear plugs.
- Be cautious when handling hazardous materials (such as asbestos) and wear appropriate masks and other protection if working in an environment where dangerous chemicals are used. Avoid any exposure to hazardous chemicals if you are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant.
- Avoid any use of illegal drugs and alcohol while on the job, particularly when operating heavy machinery.
- Sleep disorders and health problems can result from frequent shift changes (like from night to day shifts) as well as from "jet lag" due to long-distance travel. Try to minimize frequent shift changes and excessive travel if possible.
TRAVEL SAFETY
- When traveling in a car, always wear a seat belt.
- USE CAR SEATS
- Car seats are required by law for children under 40 pounds. Booster seats SHOULD be used for children 40 to 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring that children up to 8 years old or 80 pounds be put in booster seats.
- If the child is under 20 pounds, the seat should be installed to face the rear of the car.
- If possible, place the car seat in the back right passenger seat. It is the safest place.
- Read the car owner's manual to determine the safest place to fasten a car seat in YOUR car.
- Know how your car seat is designed to be used. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS
- Adapters may be needed for certain types of cars or certain seat belt types.
- For more information about car seats: call the Federal Auto Safety Hotline (1-888-DASH-2-DOT) /(1-888-327-4236), your car seat manufacturer, car manufacturer, or the State Highway Safety Office.
- Obey traffic laws and drive defensively.
- Do not drink alcohol and drive.
- While driving, try to avoid any distractions from others in your car.
- Keep your vehicle properly serviced, especially before going on a long trip. Keep an emergency kit in your car.
- Take the weather into account before venturing out on the roads.
BURGLARY PREVENTION
- Keep a list of all valuable property.
- Avoid unnecessary display or publicity about your valuables.
- Keep cash and other valuables in a bank.
- Avoid hiding a house key under the doormat or nearby vicinity.
- Teach your family what to do if they discover a burglar breaking in or already in your house.
- Teach your family to leave the house undisturbed and call the police if they discover a burglary has been committed.
- Make sure your trees and shrubs are trimmed to eliminate hiding places.
- Consider a security closet with a solid core door and a dead-bolt lock.
- Have emergency telephone numbers listed on your phone.
- Install lights around the perimeter of your home.
- Make sure your house number is easily visible from the street during all hours.
- Lock up your ladder.
Doors and entry areas:
- Outside doors should be of solid core construction.
- Entry doors should have a wide-angle viewer.
- Door locks should be secure from being opened if a burglar breaks out a glass or a panel of light wood.
- Exterior doors should have cylinder-type dead-bolt locks.
- Doors without cylinder locks should have a heavy bolt or some similar secure device that can be operated only from the inside.
- Basement doors should have locks that allow you to isolate that part of your house.
- You should know everyone who has a key to your house.
- Sliding doors should have an auxiliary lock that locks both the door panels together or the active side to the frame.
- The garage door should be secured with a lock.
- Lock your garage door at night.
- Lock your garage door when you are away from home.
- Lock your car and take the keys out even when it is parked in your garage.
Windows:
- All windows should be equipped with locks or be pinned.
- Keep your windows locked when they are shut.
- In high crimes areas, use bars or ornamental grills on windows.
- Put secure locks on garage windows.
- Cover garage windows with curtains.
WHEN YOU GO ON A VACATION
- Arrange for friends or neighbors to pick up papers, milk, mail, and packages.
- Notify a neighbor you'll be gone.
- Leave some shades up or curtains open so that the home doesn't look deserted.
- Arrange to keep your lawn maintained.
- Arrange to have your snow shoveled.
- Have and use timing devices for your lights and radio.
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