During National Safety Month, it's important to focus on eliminating the leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.
Today we’ll focus on just a few household tips:
Child Safety
The job of protecting kids most often falls to parents and caregivers, and it is up to them to familiarize themselves with safety risks in and around their homes and communities. Once you know the risks, you can take steps to plan for safety.
Teen Driving
Half of all teens will be in a car crash before graduating from high school. Teen drivers who continue to practice with their parents increase their chances of avoiding a crash.
Child Passenger Safety
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for kids and young adults from ages 1-24. Properly securing kids in car seats, booster seats, and seat belts can protect them in the event of a crash.
Water Safety
Many are aware of the importance of safety around pools and at the beach. Parents also need to supervise their children near bathtubs. Most drowning or near-drowning incidents happen when a child falls into a pool or is left alone in the bathtub.
Childproofing
Take steps to “childproof” your home and be sure to extend your efforts beyond toddlers. Develop a home safety plan, and practice different ways to get out of your home. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Lead Poisoning
Millions of kids are exposed to high levels of lead every day. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
Risks of Button Batteries
Young children have a tendency to put things in their mouths. Every parent knows this, but parents don't always recognize the hidden dangers lurking inside seemingly harmless items, such as remote control devices and keyless remote door openers for vehicles.
Children and Medicines
Dangerous poisons are lurking in your medicine cabinet. Prescription and over-the-counter medications can be deadly, especially for children. Store medicines up and away from small children. Talk with older kids about the danger of using medications in unintended ways.
Window Safety
More than 3,000 children are injured seriously enough in falls out of windows to require medical attention every year. One child dies every month from window cord strangulation.
While this list of safety measures can seem endless, these are just a few of the basics to keep you and your loved ones safe in your home. After all, when you care for your home, you care for those that live there.
