Safe Kids of western Mass 2011



Childproofing Your Home

Did you know that every year, there are more than 3,000,000 unintentional injuries to children 14 and under that happen in the home and require care in an emergency room?

That is equal to 8,219 injuries per day. Sadly, each day approximately six children die from injuries resulting from fires, burns, drownings, poisonings, choking, suffocation, strangulation and falls in the home.

Curious Kids

Young children are curious and don’t always understand what is dangerous. Have you asked yourself how your kids see your home? What looks interesting, and what can be reached? Drawers left open can easily turn into stairs to the TV!

Limitations and Abilities

Understanding your child’s limitations and abilities is crucial. For babies, provide a safe sleep environment and protect them from falls and burns.
Babies who can sit and crawl are also at risk of choking, poisoning, burns, falls and furniture tip-overs. Once your little one becomes mobile and begins to cruise around, childproofing becomes even more important.

Supervision and Modifications

While constant supervision is the most important safety precaution you can take, it’s sometimes not enough or possible. To create a safer home for your child, look for potential hazards and take steps to remove them before it’s too late.
Outlet plugs, cabinet and drawer locks, window stops, window guards, furniture straps and brackets, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors and stair gates are some of the low-cost safety devices you’ll need to get started.
Help your little ones explore their surroundings safely, knowing you have reduced the chances of serious injury.


http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/childproofing-your-home/home-safety-checklist.html


http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/childproofing-your-home/home-safety-checklist-safety-by-room.html

Safety By Room

Carbon Monoxide - The Silent Killer

 

 

 

 

Creeping silently through your home, there's a killer that gives no warning. This killer is carbon monoxide. An invisible and odorless gas, carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when burning any fuel, such as gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil, wood, or charcoal. It is a silent killer, which causes illness by decreasing the amount of oxygen present in the body.

 

Young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide, because of their smaller bodies. Children process carbon monoxide differently than adults, may be more severely affected by it, and may show symptoms sooner.

 

You won't know that you have a carbon monoxide leak, without a working detector. If you burn any fuels for heat or cooking, be sure that you have a working carbon monoxide detector and deter this silent killer.

 

Follow some simple safety tips to help protect your family.

  

• Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• The most common symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. In severe cases,the person may lose consciousness or die.
• CO poisoning can often be mistaken for other illnesses, such as the flu.  
• Often, more than one person in the household will suffer symptoms at the same time.
• To decrease risk of CO poisoning the following tips are recommended:
• Install a CO alarm outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• Place CO alarms at least 15 feet away from every fuel-burning appliance to reduce the number of nuisance alarms.
• Test alarms every month and replace them every five years.
• Make sure alarms can be heard when you test them and practice an escape plan with your entire family.
• Have all gas, oil or coal burning appliances inspected by a technician every year to ensure they are working correctly and are properly ventilated.
• Never use a stove for heating.
• Do not use a grill, generator or camping stove inside your home, garage or near a window.
• Never leave a car, SUV, or motorcycle engine running inside a garage, even if the garage door is open.
• CO can accumulate anywhere in or around your boat, so install a CO alarm on your motorboat.
• If your CO alarm goes off, follow these steps:
• Get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible into fresh air. Then call for help from a neighbor’s home or a cell phone outside of your home.
• If someone is experiencing CO poisoning symptoms, call 911 for medical attention.
• If no one is experiencing symptoms, call the fire department. They will let you know when it is safe to re-enter your home.