Local Events to Offer Free, Educational Activities to
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In addition to Build and Grow activities, many
In celebration of Safety Saturday, the
Falls are the leading cause of home injury and injury-related deaths in the U.S., accounting for 33 percent of fatalities.
-- Install grab bars in the tub and shower. Use non-slip mats. -- Put bright lights over stairs and on landings. Keep stairs clear of clutter. -- For homes with children, use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and have window guards on upstairs windows.
Prevent Poisonings
Unintentional poisoning is the second-leading cause of unintentional home injury deaths in the U.S., with an average of 4,833 deaths annually.
-- Keep cleaners, medications and beauty products in a place where children can't reach them. Use child safety locks. -- For information or help with a poisoning, call 1-800-222-1222. Call 9-1-1 if someone needs to go to the hospital right away.
Prevent Fires and Burns
An average of 3,402 persons die each year as a result of a residential fire or burn injury, and 261,326 nonfatal fire and burn injuries occur in the home every year.
-- Install working smoke alarms and hold fire drills. If you build a new home, install fire sprinklers. -- Make sure second- and third- story emergency exits have fire escape ladders. -- Stay by the stove when cooking, especially when you are frying food. Use back burners and turn pot handles toward the back of your stove. -- Keep hot water below 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent burns. -- Install special tub spouts and showerheads that prevent hot water burns. These products will shut off the flow of water when it gets hot enough to cause a burn.
Prevent Choking/Suffocation
Unintentional obstructed airway injuries are the fourth leading cause of unintentional home injury deaths in the U.S. and result in an average of 1,092 fatalities each year. Children under age 5 are at greatest risk of obstructed airway injuries.
-- Objects that can fit through a toilet paper tube can cause a young child to choke. Keep coins, latex balloons and hard round foods, such as peanuts and hard candy, where children cannot see or touch them. -- Place babies to sleep on their backs, alone in their crib. Don't put pillows, blankets, comforters or toys in cribs. These items can prevent a baby from breathing. -- When your children are in or near water, including bathtubs, toilets, pools and spas - even buckets of water, watch them very carefully. Stay close enough to reach out and touch them. -- Keep bathroom doors closed. Use an outside lock or a doorknob cover to keep young children out of the bathrooms when you are not with them. -- Use toilet seat locks and keep toilet lids shut.
Prepare for an Emergency
Every family needs to know what to do in an emergency situation and taking steps to prepare ahead of time can save lives.
-- Disasters might happen in the area where you live. -- Create a family communications plan. -- Assemble ready-to-go and ready-to-stay kits. Use theHome Safety Council's Disaster Preparedness Checklist for more information.
In 1993,
For more tips on how to make your home safer, one Saturday project at a time, visit homesafetycouncil.org/SafetySaturday.
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Source:Lowe's Companies , Inc.