January 24, 2022
Ideas on Keeping your Family Safe
Accidents are the leading cause of harm for children and adolescents, and many of those accidents are preventable. From harmful chemicals around the house to car safety, there are many steps you can take to help keep kids safe. Here are some easy, but potentially lifesaving, things to keep in mind to keep you and your family safe:
- Be proactive about preventing poisoning: remove harmful chemicals from the home when possible and choose non or less-toxic alternatives. For everything else, make sure it is stored safely out of reach and secured appropriately.
- No matter where you are, the number for poison control is always 1.800.222.1222. You should keep this number handy in your phone and on your fridge.
- Make sure any guns are secured safely. Consider not storing them in the home. When a gun is stored at home, make sure it is locked away and that ammunition is stored separately.
- Everyone should wear a helmet when riding a bike. Have your child start wearing it as soon as they are learning to ride to encourage lifelong habits. Model good behavior by wearing a helmet yourself.Make sure helmets are age appropriate and have a good fit.
- Have smoke detectors in all levels and sleeping areas of the home. Make sure they work and check them at least once a year. Check that your child knows what to do in the event that a smoke detector goes off. It is important that you have carbon monoxide detectors at home too.
- Makeing sure your child buckles up every time they are in the car. Like helmets, model good behavior and wear yours. More than half of adolescents who die in crashes were not wearing their seatbelt.
Keeping your children safe can seem overwhelming at times. Following preventable measures and having emergency health contact numbers on hand can help you and your family be prepared.
