Category: Safety at Home

Portable Ladder Safety

ladder-safetyFalls from portable ladders (step, straight, combination and extension) are one of the leading causes of occupational fatalities and injuries.

  • Read and follow all labels/markings on the ladder.
  • Avoid electrical hazards! – Look for overhead power lines before handling a ladder. Avoid using a metal ladder near power lines or exposed energized electrical equipment.
  • Always inspect the ladder prior to using it. If the ladder is damaged, it must be removed from service and tagged until repaired or discarded.
  • Always maintain a 3-point (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) contact on the ladder when climbing. Keep your body near the middle of the step and always face the ladder while climbing (see diagram).
  • Only use ladders and appropriate accessories (ladder levelers, jacks or hooks) for their designed purposes.
  • Ladders must be free of any slippery material on the rungs, steps or feet.
  • Do not use a self-supporting ladder (e.g., step ladder) as a single ladder or in a partially closed position.
  • Do not use the top step/rung of a ladder as a step/rung unless it was designed for that purpose.
  • Use a ladder only on a stable and level surface, unless it has been secured (top or bottom) to prevent displacement.
  • Do not place a ladder on boxes, barrels or other unstable bases to obtain additional height.
  • Do not move or shift a ladder while a person or equipment is on the ladder.
  • An extension or straight ladder used to access an elevated surface must extend at least 3 feet above the point of support (see diagram). Do not stand on the three top rungs of a straight, single or extension ladder.
  • The proper angle for setting up a ladder is to place its base a quarter of the working length of the ladder from the wall or other vertical surface (see diagram).
  • A ladder placed in any location where it can be displaced by other work activities must be secured to prevent displacement or a barricade must be erected to keep traffic away from the ladder.
  • Be sure that all locks on an extension ladder are properly engaged.
  • Do not exceed the maximum load rating of a ladder. Be aware of the ladder’s load rating and of the weight it is supporting, including the weight of any tools or equipment.

via Portable Ladder Safety.

Home Safety: 5 Tips for Preventing Falls

senior-falls-at-homeFalls are the No. 1 cause of home injuries and death in the U.S., according to the Home Safety Council. The two groups most at risk for falls are children younger than 5 and adults over the age of 70.

Try these strategies to prevent falls at home:

  • Make the bathroom a no-slip zone. Install grab bars and non-slip mats or appliques in the tub or shower. Use a bathmat with a nonskid bottom and clean up any water that splashes on floors right away.
  • Safety-proof stairs. Remove clutter from stairs and walkways. Stairs inside and out should have handrails, preferably on both sides. Have good lighting over stairs.
  • For babies and toddlers, install hardware-mounted safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Pressure-mounted gates are less effective. Gates should have the JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) Certification Seal. Never use accordion-style gates.
  • Put a guard on indoor lofts, landings, balconies, and stair banisters if your child can slip between the posts. Plexiglas is a good option because it bends, is easy to cut, and doesn’t shatter.
  • Toss the throw rugs. Throw rugs are a big tripping hazard for young and old people. At the very least, tape or tack them to the floor.
  • Leave a light on. Ideally, have night-lights in bedrooms, bathrooms, and halls.
  • Make windows safe. New York City cut children’s deaths from window-related falls by a third after requiring window guards. Window screens are not strong enough to prevent falls. Install window guards with quick-release mechanisms (in case of fire) on upper floor windows. Keep furniture away from windows, especially in children’s room, and always watch children around windows.

via Home Safety: Preventing Burns, Cuts, and More.

Keeping Children Safe Online

Online-SafetyThere are several ways to safeguard children. Undoubtedly the most effective is to educate them from an early age about the risks they may encounter when online … what these risks are, how to spot them and what action to take. There are a number of online age-appropriate educational resources available to parents/guardians and teachers, and children themselves, covering every aspect of online safety for children.

You should also take the following measures. Remember that these factors will change as children grow up and should be reconsidered regularly.

  • Set ground rules about use of the internet, email and texts. They should learn to take responsibility for their own actions and develop their own judgement.
  • Make children aware that online contacts may not be who they say they are.
  • Children must keep personal details private.
  • Ensure that they use a family email address when filling in online forms.
  • They must never meet unsupervised with anyone they have contacted via the internet.
  • Get children to report concerns about conversations, messages and behaviours to you or another known and trusted adult. Encourage them to share their internet experience with you and make it a shared family experience.
  • Get children to report bullying online, by text or phone immediately to you.
  • Use the parental control settings on your browser, search engine and internet security package.
  • Alternatively, consider buying specialist parental control software.
  • Block pop-ups and spam emails.
  • Consider enabling online access from only a family computer located in a shared room.
  • Always sit with younger children when they are online.
  • Consider choosing a child-friendly home page in your browser settings.
  • Learn the language of chatrooms and log on yourself so you know how it works.
  • Consider setting up a family e-mail account which can be used specifically to register for websites, competitions etc.
  • Tell your children not to illegally copy copyrighted content such as music, films or software.
  • Ensure that your children do not have access to your logon account so that they cannot access, alter or delete your files.
  • Take care to limit children’s access to credit card and bank information. Similarly, ensure they cannot gain access to an online shop or other website where your details are stored.
  • Set limits on when they can use the computer, and for how long.

Remember that a lot of the above advice also applies to your children’s use of mobile phones, tablets and games consoles.

via Safeguarding Children | Get Safe Online.

Safety Tips: New Year’s Eve

New YearsIf you are hosting a New Year’s Eve party, following a few simple rules could prevent a tragedy:

  • Plan ahead by naming a “designated driver.” Make this your responsibility as the host.
  • Contact a local cab company to provide rides for your guests.
  • Serve non-alcoholic beverages as an option to your guests.
  • Stop serving alcohol to your guests several hours before the party ends.
  • Provide your guests with a place to stay overnight in your home.
  • If you are attending New Year’s Eve parties and celebrations:
  • If you drink, don’t drive.
  • Plan ahead and always designate a sober driver before the party or celebration begins.
  • If you are impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit, or get a sober friend or family member to come pick you up.
  • Or, stay where you are until you are sober.
  • Take the keys from someone if you think he/she is too impaired to drive.

via USA.gov: Safety Tips: New Year’s Eve.

Preventing Choking Among Infants and Young Children

choking childMany infants and children die each year from choking. These deaths can be prevented if parents and care givers watch their children more closely and keep dangerous toys, foods, and household items out of their reach.

Safety Tips: Tips for Preventing Choking

If you are the parent or care giver of an infant or child under 4 years old, follow these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the chances of choking.

At Mealtime

  • Insist that your children eat at the table, or at least sitting down. Watch young children while they eat. Encourage them to eat slowly and chew their food well.
  • Cut up foods that are firm and round and can get stuck in your child’s airway, such as
  • hotdogs -always cut hotdogs length-wise and then into small pieces
  • grapes-cut them into quarters
  • raw vegetables-cut them into small strips or pieces that are not round

Other foods that can pose a choking hazard include:

  • hard or sticky candy, like whole peppermints or caramels
  • nuts and seeds (don’t give peanuts to children under age 7)
  • popcorn
  • spoonfuls of peanut butter

via Preventing Choking Among Infants and Young Children.

Prevent Child Injuries – Protect the Ones You Love

stock9More than 9 million children between birth and age 19 are seen for injuries each year in U.S. emergency departments, and injuries are the leading cause of death among children in this age group.

The top causes of child injury and the steps you can take to prevent them.

Burns

  • Install and maintain smoke alarms in your home.
  • Develop and practice a family fire escape plan.
  • Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
  • Use safe cooking practices, such as never leaving food unattended on the stove.

Drownings

  • Install a four-sided isolation fence, with self-closing and self-latching gates, around backyard swimming pools.
  • Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and get recertified every two years.
  • Supervise young children at all times around bathtubs, swimming pools, and natural bodies of water.

Falls

  • Use playground equipment that is properly designed and maintained, and that has a soft landing surface material below.
  • Use home safety devices, such as guards on windows that are located above ground-level, stair gates, and guard rails.
  • Supervise young children at all times around fall hazards, like stairs and playground equipment.

Poisonings

  • Store medicines and other toxic products such as cleaning solutions in locked or childproof cabinets.
  • Put the poison control number, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every home telephone.
  • Dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs.

via CDC Features – Prevent Child Injuries during Home Safety Month.

Winter Safety – prepare for winter

Holiday TipsWinter is a wonderful time of year. Spending time with your family, the many holidays, the New Year, snow and the warmth from a fireplace all remind us of the upcoming season. But, as with any time of the year, there are specific things we need to be aware of to keep our family safe and injury-free.

  • Home fires are more prevalent in the winter months than any other season. Cooking is the leading cause of all winter residential building fires. Other winter fire hazards include space heaters, fireplaces and candles.
  • The cold weather increases your chances of getting frostbite or hypothermia. Between  the years of 1999-2004, an average of 647 people died each year from hypothermia.
  • In 2009, over 16,000 Americans were treated for head injuries in emergency rooms because of playing winter sports (skiing, sledding, snowboarding, snowmobiling).
  • Fatal crashes were 14% more likely to happen on the first snowy day of the season than on days following. It takes drivers a few days to regain their sense of driving in this weather.
  • According to the CDC, most carbon monoxide poisonings happen in January; the second most in December. Carbon monoxide detectors save lives, but less than one-third of American homes have one installed.

via Winter Safety – prepare for winter, driving tips.

Keep Fingers and Hands Safe: Practice Snowblower Safety

help t7Each year, hundreds of people suffer maiming or amputations of their fingers or hands due to the improper handling of snowblowers. The American Society for Surgery of the Hand would like to provide you with patient information to help you avoid these injuries during the winter season.

Injury Profile

  • Average age: 44 years
  • Sex: Male
  • Dominant hand — 90% of injuries
  • Amputations of tips of fingers
  • Middle finger most commonly injured

Common Weather Conditions

  • Heavy, wet snow
  • Large snow accumulation, greater than six inches
  • Temperature: 28 degrees Fahrenheit or greater

Injury Causes

  • Not noticing that the impeller blades are still rotating even though the machine is off
  • Operator attempts to clean the clogged exit chute with hands
  • Hands connect with the rotating blades, resulting in severe injury

Remember — if your snowblower jams:

  • Turn it OFF!
  • Disengage clutch.
  • Wait five seconds after shutting machine off to allow impeller blades to stop rotating.
  • ALWAYS use a stick or broom handle to clear impacted snow.
  • NEVER put your hand down chute or around blades.
  • Keep all shields in place. DO NOT REMOVE the safety devices on the machine.
  • Keep hands and feet away from all moving parts.
  • Keep a clear head, concentrate, and
  • DO NOT DRINK before using your snowblower!

REMEMBER — SAFETY FIRST AT ALL TIMES!

via Keep Fingers and Hands Safe: Practice Snowblower Safety.

Christmas Safety Tips

Christmas_TreeChristmas is a special time of the year for families.  We suggest the following safety tips to keep the holiday season joyful.

Christmas Tree Safety:

  • Consider an artificial tree as they are much safer and cleaner
  • A real tree should not lose green needles when you tap it on the ground
  • Cut one inch off the trunk to help absorb water
  • Leave the tree outside until ready to decorate
  • The tree stand should hold a minimum of one gallon of water
  • Check the water level daily
  • Make sure the tree is secured and cannot be knocked over
  • Keep the tree away from all heat sources
  • Use miniature lights that have cool-burning bulbs
  • Always turn off the tree lights when going to bed or leaving the house
  • Never use candles even on artificial trees
  • Dispose of the tree properly after the holidays

Home Safety:

  • Make sure you have a properly working fire alarm
  • Use only outdoor lights on the exterior of the home
  • Never use worn light strings
  • Connect no more than three strands of lights together
  • Never use an indoor extension cord outdoors
  • Avoid overloading wall outlets and extension cords
  • Keep outdoor electrical connectors above ground and out of the snow
  • Never use electric lights on a metallic tree
  • Extinguish fireplace ashes before going to bed or leaving the house
  • After parties, check under and around chairs, sofas and other furniture for smoldering cigarettes if there have been people smoking in the house
  • Have at least one working carbon monoxide detector in the house
  • Have a fire extinguisher available

via Christmas safety.