Fireworks Safety

I thought it would be a good idea to re-post something on fireworks safety that I did last year.  Here is some great information:

Since the Fourth of July is almost here, I have some information on fireworks safety for you.Fireworks laws vary from state to state so if you are unsure of what is allowed in your state, check out this site:http://www.americanpyro.com/State%20Laws%20(main)/statelaws.html from the American Pyrotechnics Association.If your state does not allow fireworks, DO NOT go to another state to buy fireworks.That is illegal and could get you in big trouble.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) released a report last year on fireworks safety.Here are some of the highlights to make you aware of the safety issues:

CPSC staff has reports of two fireworks-related deaths during 2009.

Fireworks were involved in an estimated 8,800 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2009. CPSC staff estimated that there were 7,000 fireworks-related injuries during 2008.

An estimated 5,900 fireworks-related injuries (or 67 percent of the total fireworks-related injuries) were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during the one-month special study period between June 19, 2009 and July 19, 2009.

Of the fireworks-related injuries sustained, 73 percent were to males and 27 percent were to females.

Injuries to children were a major component of total fireworks-related injuries with children under 15 years old accounting for 39 percent of the estimated injuries. Children and young adults under 20 years old had 54 percent of the estimated injuries.

There were an estimated 1,200 injuries associated with firecrackers. Of these, 700 were associated with small firecrackers, 200 with illegal firecrackers, and 300 where the type of firecracker was not specified.

There were an estimated 1,000 injuries associated with sparklers and 300 with bottle rockets.

FIREWORKS SAFETY TIPS:

Here are some safety tips from the CPSC:

Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.

Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.

Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don't realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.

Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.

Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.

Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.

Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.

Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.(Check out the link at the beginning of this post for this information)

Click It or Ticket: Seat Belt Use

I saw in my local paper that the Click It or Ticket campaign is under way this week so I thought I’d post some information about seat belt use.  Thankfully, according to a National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration 2010 survey, seat belt use has been increasing steadily since 1994, accom­panied by a steady decline in percent of unrestrained pas­senger vehicle occupant fatalities during daytime (see figure 2).   

The 2010 survey also found the following:

Seat belt use for occupants traveling during weekdays increased significantly from 83 percent in 2009 to 85 percent in 2010.

Seat belt use continued to be higher in the States in which vehicle occupants can be pulled over solely for not using seat belts (“primary law States”) as compared with the States with weaker enforcement laws (“secondary law States”) or without seat belt laws. (see figure 1)

Seat belt use for occupants in rural areas increased significantly from 81 percent in 2009 to 83 percent in 2010.

Seat belt use for occupants traveling on expressways increased significantly from 89 percent in 2009 to 91 percent in 2010.

Figure 1. 

States With Primary Enforcement Seat Belt Laws*
Alabama		Alaska	Arkansas	California
Connecticut		Delaware	District of Columbia	Florida
Georgia		Hawaii	Illinois	Indiana
Iowa		Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland		Michigan	Minnesota	Mississippi
New Jersey		New Mexico	New York	North Carolina
Oklahoma		Oregon	South Carolina	Tennessee
Texas	Washington		Wisconsin
* States with laws in effect as of May 31, 2010. The District of Columbia is included in the table. Figure 2.

So what all this is saying is:  Buckle Up!

Spring Cleaning: Tips for Doing it Safely

Spring is here.  (Actually, it has been feeling like summer in many parts of the country.)  With spring, comes more outdoor activities and it is important to keep safety in mind as you do those spring cleaning chores.  I thought I'd repeat my post from last year with some great spring cleaning tips:

Keep safety in mind during the springtime cleaning spree. So says the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in a recent press release. Many people take advantage of the weather to clean both the inside and outside of their home, but there are many hazards associated with this springtime ritual. 

Statistics show that thousands of people injure themselves during their annual clean, whether it be using a step ladder, a lawn mower or moving furniture. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) urges people to take the proper safety precautions to reduce the number of spring cleaning-related accidents

STATISTICS:
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
- In 2010, more than 35,500 people injured themselves using a stepladder;
- Over 41,000 Americans injured themselves while gardening or using gardening equipment;
- More than 127,000 were injured while operating a lawn mower.

AAOS SAFETY TIPS:-
- Proper techniques for lifting, carrying and bending should be part of any spring cleaning project to avoid back injuries:
- Separate your feet, shoulder-width apart and keep your back upright and bend at the knees while tightening the stomach muscles.
- Lift with your leg muscles as you stand up; don’t try to lift any object by yourself if it is too heavy or an awkward shape.

- When gardening, avoid prolonged repetitive motions during activities such as digging, planting, trimming and pruning and take frequent breaks.

- Use a sturdy step stool instead of a counter or furniture – such as a chair or the couch – when dusting high hard to reach areas.

- Ladders used for chores – such as washing windows, painting, cleaning gutters and trimming trees – should be placed on a firm, level surface. Never place a ladder on ground or flooring that is uneven, soft or wet.

- Use care with extension cords: be sure they are properly grounded. To avoid tripping or falling, do not drape extension cords across spans of crossing walkways.

- When working on a ladder, over-reaching or leaning too far to one side can make you lose your balance and fall. Your bellybutton should not go beyond the sides of the ladder. Never climb a ladder without a spotter.

- When mowing the lawn, be sure to wear proper footwear and eyewear for protection:

- Use a mower with a control that stops it from moving forward if the handle is released. Never pull backward or mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary – carefully look for others behind you when you do.

- Children should be at least 12-years-old before they operate any lawn mower, and at least 16- years-old for a ride-on mower.

- Read product labels for proper use and wear protective clothing and gloves when using chemicals for gardening or cleaning. Store all chemicals at the appropriate temperature, which is usually indicated on the package – in a place that is out of reach of both children and pets and never place chemicals into unmarked containers or containers labeled for a different substance.

- Take frequent breaks and replenish fluids to prevent dehydration and keep a cell phone within reach in case of accident or injury.

Here are some links to other useful information:

Gardening Health and Safety Tips (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Lawnmower, Snowblower Safety (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

Ladder Safety Guide (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

Toy Safety Shopping Tips

I know that this is a little late for Christmas shopping but I thought I’d share some tips with you from the Consumer Product Safety Commission

Under Age 3:

Avoid buying toys that are intended for older children since these may have small parts that pose a choking danger for younger children.

Never let children of any age play with uninflated or broken balloons because of the choking danger.

Avoid anything that has balls or marbles that are 1.75 inches or less, again because of the choking hazard they pose to young children.

Make sure toys are well-made with tightly secured parts since young children can be rough with toys.

Avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.

Ages 3 through 5:

Avoid toys that are made of thin plastic since it may be easily broken into small, sharp pieces.

Look for crayons, paint sets and other art materials with the designation "ASTM D-4236." This means the product has been reviewed by a toxicologist and, if necessary, labeled with cautionary information.

Teach older children to keep their toys away from their younger brothers and sisters.

Ages 6 through 12:

When buying a bicycle for a child, make sure you also buy a helmet and that your child wears it.

If buying a toy gun, make sure it is brightly colored so that it is not mistaken for a real gun.

Adults should periodically check toys for all children to make sure there aren’t any broken parts or potential hazards.  Damaged or dangerous toys should be repaired immediately or thrown away if the toy is not repairable.

Teach children of all ages to put their toys away when they’re done playing with them so they or others will not trip over them or fall on them.

READ THE LABEL...

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requires toy manufacturers to meet stringent safety standards and to label certain toys that could be a hazard for younger children. Look for labels that give age recommendations and use that information as a guide. Labels on toys that state "not recommended for children under three ... contains small parts," are labeled that way because they may pose a choking hazard to children under three. Toys should be developmentally appropriate to suit the skills, abilities and interests of the child.

Flood Preparation and Safety

With so many parts of the east coast experiencing flooding, I thought I’d share some helpful tips and links in case you have the misfortune of experiencing flooding or are in danger of flooding. It’s really important to be prepared with all the crazy weather the country has been experiencing.

Be prepared:

If the weather is threatening, make sure you listen to NOAA weather radio so you can be aware of any danger for your area. Check out the Flood Safety Checklist from the American Red Cross for important information on preparing for possible flooding.

If your area is in danger of flooding or has flooded, it is best to evacuate until the authorities say it is safe to return. There are many dangers lurking in flood water so it’s best not to be around. If you are caught in a flash flood, move to higher ground quickly.

If flooding is taking place, do not drive through flooded roads. It’s hard to tell how deep the water is and it takes less than two feet of swiftly moving water to sweep a car away. Even if the water isn’t moving swiftly, high water can flood your car and you will become stranded. Many people are killed by driving through flooded roads. They don’t realize how deep the water is and they get caught up in the swiftly moving current. Don’t take chances!

Keep children out of the water. Children like to play in water, but floodwater can contain many hazards that are very dangerous.

After a Flood:

Here are some food safety tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

Food Safety and Flooding

• Drink only bottled water if flooding has occurred.

• Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per quart of water.

Discard:

• Canned foods, including those bought in stores as well as home-canned foods.

• All foods in cardboard boxes, paper, foil, cellophane or cloth should be thrown out.

• Meat, poultry, eggs or fish.

• Spices, seasonings, extracts, flour, sugar, grain, coffee and other staples in canisters.

• Unopened jars with waxed cardboard seals such as mayonnaise and salad dressing. Also throw away preserves sealed with paraffin.

• Wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.

Save:

• Canned foods that did not come into contact with flood waters.

• Dishes and glassware if they are sanitized by boiling in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per quart of water.

• When in doubt, throw it out!

Food Safety and Power Outages

• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. Each time the door is opened, a significant amount of refrigeration is lost.

• The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed.)

• Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40° F or below.

• Never taste a food to determine its safety!

• Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for two days.

• If the power has been out for several days then check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer or food thermometer. If the food still contains ice crystals or is at 40° F or below, then the food is safe.

• If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer then check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, then the food is safe.

• Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after four hours without power.

For more helpful tips on flood safety, check out these links:

Floods (Dept. of Homeland Security)

Flooding (Environmental Protection Agency)

Flood Cleanup and the Air In Your Home (Environmental Protection Agency) – PDF

Protect Yourself from Mold (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Flood Fire Safety (United States Fire Administration)

What Consumers Need to Know about Food and Water Safety during Hurricanes, Power Outages, and Floods (Food and Drug Administration)

Back to School Safety Tips

With kids going back to school, I thought I’d share a few safety tips to keep your child safe on their way to school. Many children walk to school and there are plenty of hazards between home and school.

Here are some safety tips:

- If walking to school for the first time, walk the route with your child to check for any dangers/hazards along the way. Check to see if there are crossing guards at the intersections and check out the traffic patterns.

- Instruct your child to stay on the sidewalk and not take shortcuts, such as alleys, wooded areas or other out-of-the-way locations.

- If your child rides a bike to school, make sure they have a helmet and other protective gear. Instruct them on proper safety rules of the road.

- If your child carries a backpack, make sure it is not too heavy. Overloaded backpacks can cause back pain in your child. Make sure your child uses both straps to help distribute the weight of the backpack. Use the waist strap if there is one.

If your child rides the bus, make sure they know how to behave properly.

- Tell them to stay seated during the ride and to not horse around.

- Remind them to talk in a normal tone and not yell since it can distract the bus driver.

- Obviously, they should get along with the other kids on the bus and not cause trouble. Encourage your child to tell you if they are having trouble with anyone on the bus.

- If you take your child to school in a car or if they are riding with anyone else, make sure they (and you) are buckled up properly in a seat belt.

For other back to school issues, check out these links:

Backpacks (Nemours Foundation)

Preparing for a New School Year (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Back to School Tips (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Hurricane Safety

With the approach of Hurricane Irene and the possibility it could affect up to 65 million people, I thought I’d share some information on hurricane preparedness. If you live anywhere along the east coast (or any area that could be impacted by other storms), it is vital that you be properly prepared well before a storm hits.

If the authorities order an evacuation, even if it’s voluntary, heed the warnings to leave the area. It is best to find safety elsewhere than to be stuck in the path of a storm. When the winds pick up, stay inside since flying debris is very dangerous. Even small objects being blown with hurricane force winds, can be extremely dangerous.

For Irene and any other hurricane, it is best to be prepared so you have adequate supplies. For some great checklists, check out this site: Hurricane Safety Checklists from the National Hurricane Survival Initiative.

Another reason to evacuate if you live near the coast is storm surge. There are many factors that influence the severity of a storm surge, but some of the more devastating surges are over 20 feet higher than normal ocean levels. A storm surge of even a few feet can cause a lot of damage. For a great web site that explains the storm that also has animations, check out Storm Surge from the National Weather Service.

Here are some other useful sites:

Hurricane Preparedness from Ready.gov

During a hurricane (National Weather Service)

Creating a Disaster Supply Kit (National Weather Service

National Safe at Home Week

August 22-26 is National Safe at Home Week. More accidents happen in the home than at work. There are things you can do to make your home a safer place. Take some time to walk through your home to look for potential hazards.

If you have a child, it is important to make your home safer for them. The number one cause of accidental death among children is poisoning, so make sure you lock up any medicines you have, as well as cleaners and anything else that contain poisonous chemicals.

Other things to do to protect children:

- Install outlet covers on unused outlets

- install some kind of locking system on cabinets that contain dangerous items

- keep all breakable objects out of reach

- block off stairways to protect from accidental falls down stairs

For adults, the number one cause of fatalities is slips and falls. Here are some things to do to reduce the risk of falls:

- Install lights, as well as switches, at the top and bottom of stairs

- place night lights in dark areas of the house

- keep halls and stairways free of clutter

- clean up any spills right away

- make sure all stairs have handrails—inside and outside

- during winter, clear out all snow and ice from walking surfaces as soon as possible

Other things to do to protect your home:

- Install outside lighting to prevent anyone from hiding in the dark outside your home

- check the batteries in your smoke detectors regularly

- Have a fire safety plan that includes escape routes in case of a fire and a place to meet outside the house

- do not overload extension cords. If you use an extension cord, make sure it is rated to handle the voltage/amps of the item you are plugging in.

- keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and on each floor of your house

Links to other resources:

Household Safety Checklists (Nemours Foundation)

Gardening Health and Safety Tips(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Protecting Your Family from Fire (FEMA)