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Home Safety - June 8, 2010 Newsletter

June is Home Safety Month

EHE Newsletter, Volume 10, Number 23
June 8, 2010

There are nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits in the United States each year as a result of unintentional home injuries. A few simple steps, however, can dramatically reduce the risk of injury or even death from their leading causes: falls, poisoning, fires, burns, drowning and choking/suffocation. Home safety is a daily responsibility that must be taken seriously in order to protect the safety of individuals and their loved ones. Each June, the Home Safety Council (HSC) promotes Home Safety Month — a campaign designed to educate the public as to the proper steps to take in order to prevent injuries in the home.

Falls

Falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits among children and are the leading cause of home injuries and deaths among older adults.

Children are more likely to be injured by falls in the home than by any other kind of home accident. Falls cause more than three million injuries to children every year. Individuals can protect children in the home by:

  • Installing gates at the top and bottom of stairs if babies or toddlers live in or visit the home.
  • Moving furniture away from windows in children’s rooms. Window guards should be installed on windows of the second floor and above.
  • Supervising young children at all times around hazards such as stairs and backyard play sets.
  • Covering the areas under and around play equipment with soft materials. This will help protect injuries to the brain and bones if and when a child falls.

According to the HSC, more than one–third of adults aged 65 years and older fall each year. Among those, 20 to 30 percent suffer moderate–to–severe injuries that reduce mobility and independence and increase the risk of premature death. Older adults are, by far, the population at greatest risk for unintentional falls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults can protect their independence and reduce their risk of falling by:

  • Exercising regularly. Exercise programs that increase strength and improve balance are especially beneficial.
  • Asking doctors or pharmacists to review medicines, both prescription and over–the–counter, to reduce side effects and interactions.
  • Having eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year.
  • Improving lighting in the home.
  • Reducing hazards in the home that can lead to falls.
  • Installing grab bars in the tub and shower and using non–slip mats.

Additional steps recommended by the National Safety Council (NSC) and other specialists include keeping floors clean and clear of clutter, using non–skid throw rugs in potentially slippery places such as the bathroom, installing a handheld shower head and a bench to sit on, using a higher toilet seat that makes it easier to sit and to rise, installing handrails on stairways and having a sturdy step stool to use when climbing or reaching for high places.

Poisoning

Poisoning is the second–leading cause of accidental home injuries and deaths. For young adults and people in their middle ages, however, it is the leading cause. According to the CDC, a poison is any substance that is harmful to the body when ingested, inhaled, injected or absorbed through the skin. Every day in the U.S., approximately 75 people die as a result of unintentional poisoning and another 2,000 are treated in emergency rooms. Many poisonings are a result of unintentional drug overdoses from painkillers or other prescription drugs, or from a combination of prescription drugs, pain killers and/or over–the–counter medications. To reduce this risk, any individual who is concerned about a combination of medications should contact the Poison Control Center hotline at (800) 222–1222. Staff members can advise as to whether a given combination of medications is safe or not.

According to the CDC, individuals can keep their homes poison–proof and protect family members by:

  • Keeping medicines and toxic products such as cleaning solutions in locked or child–proof cabinets.
  • Displaying the nationwide Poison Control Center phone number on or near every telephone in the home. Additionally, the number should be programmed into all family cell phones.
  • Following label directions and reading all warnings upon using medications and giving medications to children.
  • Safely disposing of unused, unneeded or expired prescription drugs. Unused medications can be mixed with coffee grounds or kitty litter prior to disposal to make them less appealing to children.
  • Identifying poisonous plants in the house and yard and placing them out of reach of children or removing them completely.

If a poisoning occurs, an individual should:

1. Remain calm.

2. Call 911 if there is a poison emergency and the victim has collapsed or is not breathing. If the victim is awake and alert, the Poison Control Center should be called and the following information should be given:

  • the victim’s age and weight
  • information regarding the container or bottle of the poison
  • the time of the poison exposure
  • the address where the poisoning occurred

3. Stay on the phone and follow the instructions from the emergency operator or the Poison Control Center.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas known as "the silent killer." The toxic fumes of carbon monoxide are impossible to see, taste or smell, enabling it to kill before a family is even aware that it is in the home. It is, therefore, important to install at least one carbon monoxide alarm with an audible warning signal near sleeping areas and outside individual bedrooms. Carbon monoxide alarms measure levels of CO over time and are designed to signal alarm before an average healthy adult would experience symptoms. It is very possible that symptoms may not be present when an alarm sounds. This does not mean, however, that CO is not present.

Fires/Burns

According to the HSC’s State of Home Safety in America report, fires and burns are the third–leading cause of unintentional home injuries and deaths. A residential fire claims a life every three hours; every half hour someone survives a home fire but does not escape uninjured. Approximately two–thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or without working smoke alarms. In addition to standard smoke alarms, there are special smoke alarms available that will wake up individuals who have trouble hearing. A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is considered to be one of the best and least expensive means of providing an early warning of a potentially deadly fire and could reduce the risk of dying from a fire in the home by almost half. Individuals can protect their homes against fires by:

  • Installing a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas and inside bedrooms.
  • Replacing smoke alarm batteries annually (at a minimum).
  • Developing and practicing a fire escape plan.

While a working smoke alarm is a key factor in surviving a fire, safe practices in the home are the first line of defense in preventing a fire from starting in the first place. To prevent fire and burns, the HSC suggests:

  • Staying near the stove when cooking, especially when frying food.
  • Keeping space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn and turning them off when leaving a room or going to bed.
  • Never smoking in bed and extinguishing tobacco products when tired.
  • Smoking only outside (if possible), using deep ashtrays and putting water in ashtrays before emptying them.
  • Locking matches and lighters in a place where children cannot reach them.
  • Lighting candles only when an adult is in the room and blowing candles out when leaving a room or going to sleep.
  • Having a service person inspect chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves and central furnaces once a year and having them cleaned when necessary.
  • Considering the installation of a home sprinkler system in a new home or when remodeling.
  • Setting the home water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and maintaining a constant thermostat setting to help control the water temperature throughout the home.
  • Enforcing a three foot area around the stove where children are not allowed.
  • Immediately using cool water if someone gets burned and keeping the burn in cool water for three to five minutes. Ice, ice water or butter should never be used on a burn.

Drowning

Water in and around the home can be very dangerous, especially for young children who can drown in only an inch or two of water. Drowning is the leading cause of injury death among young children between the ages of one and four. Three children die every day as a result of drowning. Adults can play a key role in preventing drowning in and around the home by:

  • Supervising and staying within an arm’s length of children in and around water. This includes bathtubs, toilets, pools and spas. Adults should avoid distracting activities such as reading books or talking on the phone when watching children near water.
  • Installing a four–sided fence with self–closing and self–latching gates around backyard swimming pools. Pool fences should completely separate the house and play area from the pool and be at least five feet high.
  • Learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and undergoing recertification every two years.
  • Never swimming alone; even adults should swim with a buddy.

Choking/Suffocation

Food or small objects can cause choking if they get caught in the throat and block the airway. This blockage keeps oxygen from getting to the lungs and brain. When oxygen cannot reach the lungs and the brain, a person can become unconscious, sustain brain damage and even die within minutes.

Young children are at an especially high risk of choking. They can choke on foods like hot dogs, nuts, grapes, popcorn and on small objects such as toy pieces and coins. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, food–related choking incidents account for more than 10,000 emergency room visits among children ages 14 and younger each year. The HSC recommends that individuals prevent choking and suffocation by:

  • Keeping coins, latex balloons and hard round foods such as peanuts and hard candy out of the reach of children. Items that can fit through a toilet paper tube can cause a young child to choke.
  • Placing infants and young children on their backs in bed. Pillows, comforters or toys should not be placed in cribs.
  • Moving cribs and playpens away from windows as window blind cords can be dangerous and should be kept out of the reach of children. Blind cords that have a continuous loop should be cut in two.
  • Reading the labels on all toys, especially toys with small parts. If a child is younger than the age listed on the label, he or she should not be allowed to play with that toy.
  • Instructing children to sit down when they eat and to take small bites.

The typical American home harbors significant safety risks which makes preventing injuries at home important for everyone. When it comes to your home, you are its first line of defense. Do not wait for something bad to happen before taking the necessary steps to protect you and your family.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information is not intended to constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a physician or other healthcare provider. Individuals with specific complaints should seek immediate consultation from their personal physicians.