Volume 19 Issue 42 .                                                                                    Spring 2022

Thank you for being part of the Safety Source family!

Spring Safety Edition

 Our April monthly newsletter highlights Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Dog Bite Prevention Week, National Playground Safety Week, National Youth Sports Safety Month, and the importance of the recline angle to car seat installation. There are interactive tools for your children to learn the importance of helmet safety in youth sports and safety on the playground, as well as a quiz for your teen driver about distracted driving.

 There is also a special Spring Caterpillar Craft for kids. We hope this will provide a fun way to learn about important safety topics together as a family. Let us know if we can be a resource to you in any way!

The month of April is a busy month for most families who enjoy sports. April is National Youth Sports Safety Month and is dedicated to helping raise awareness of sports injuries in kids while also helping parents, coaches and student athletes learn how to avoid injuries. With an estimated 25 million scholastic, and another 20 million organized community-based youth programs in the United States, the opportunity for injury is enormous.

It’s the perfect time to bring some safety awareness to the track meets, ball games, and playing fields at school and in our communities.

Here are some important tips for coaches, parents, and kids (1):

• Before playing organized sports, make sure young athletes receive a pre-participation physical exam, or PPE, by a doctor. This can help rule out any potential medical conditions that may place kids at risk.
• Meet with the coach or playground supervisor (or gym teacher) to let them know about any issues your child has, including asthma or allergies.
• Bring a water bottle to practice and games. Encourage children to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after play.
• Stretching before practice and games can make a big difference by releasing muscle tension and helping prevent sports-related injuries, such as muscle tears or sprains. Make sure there is time set aside before every practice and game for athletes to warm up properly.
• Coaches should be certified in first aid and CPR, learn the signs and symptoms of a concussion and help avoid overuse injury by resting players during practices and games.
• Know the signs of heat-related illnesses. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are serious medical issues that can lead to coma and even death if not promptly treated. Signs and symptoms include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, lack of sweating, confusion and shortness of breath. Heatstroke also causes the body's temperature to rise dramatically.
• Be sure your child wears the appropriate sports safety gear, and make sure it fits them properly. When gear doesn't fit right, it can't provide the protection your child needs to help prevent injury.
• Include "days off" in your child's routine. Periods of rest allow the body to heal, which can be very important in preventing overuse injuries and muscle strains that can lead to other, more serious injuries. It's also important for kids to take breaks during competitive play and practice.

Youth sports are a great opportunity for your child to make meaningful friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Kids who participate in sports love to give it their all and following these safety tips will help make sure they’ll be able to do so all season long!

(1)- Safe Kids Worldwide

Many may not know but every day in the United States there are about 8 people killed in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.[1] The first thought that probably comes to mind is the driver must have been on their phone, but distracted driving can be a wide range of scenarios. Distracted driving is defined as any activity that diverts attention from driving.[2] Think about it, that could be eating, putting on makeup, the radio, or talking with friends.

Distractions can fall into three categories:

Some activities may fall into all 3 which makes them even more dangerous. For example, texting on the phone.

Some numbers to think on:

• Distracted Driving is most common among teen drivers ages 15-19.
• In 2018 nine percent of teens in motor vehicle crashes were killed in crashes that involved distracted driving.
• In 2019 39% of students that drove within 30 days had texted or emailed while driving at least one time

What You Can Do to Help

Everyone plays a part in making the community a safer place when it comes to distracted driving. Parents can be a good role model for their teens by not driving distracted. Parents can also discuss the dangers and consequences of driving distracted with their teen. Teens can lead by example with their peers by sending the correct message about distracted driving and encouraging others to speak up as well. Don’t give in to temptation while driving. That email and text will still be there. Get everything situated before you start driving. Saving your life and others’ lives is more important. For more teen driver safety tips click here

Sources:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/transporta...

2. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-dr...

3. https://ctsi-courtnetwork.org/...

Did you know that 75% of car seats aren’t used correctly? That could mean the child isn’t properly buckled in, or the car seat isn’t installed correctly. Car seat installation can be tricky. Rear-facing car seats must be installed at the proper recline angle to keep the baby safe.

For the child to be safe in a rear-facing car seat, the seat must be upright enough to protect a baby during a crash but reclined enough to prevent their head from falling forward potentially obstructing the child’s airway [1]. The correct recline angle for most car seats is typically between 30-45 degrees from upright, but this varies from one seat to another [1].

To get the correct recline angle for your child’s seat:

• Refer to the car seat’s manual for installation instructions.
• Once the rear-facing seat is installed, check the recline indicator on the car seat itself to verify that the seat has been installed at the proper recline angle for that seat [1].
• If the car seat has multiple “zones” of recline based on the age range of the child, be sure that you adjust the seat to be in the correct recline “zone” for your child’s age [1].
• Periodically check your seat through continued use to be sure that your installation remains secure, and the seat remains at the correct recline angle. As your child grows, you may need to adjust the angle per the manufacturer’s instructions. Please read the instructions of your seat to know if this is needed [2].

Most rear-facing only infant seats and convertible car seats have built-in recline angle indicators on the car seat, however they may not all look the same. Some recline angle indicators may look like a construction level where the bubble needs to be between two specific lines [3]. Some are color “zones” with a ball that will roll into the correct color when reclined correctly [3]. Some are a dial that will shift and point into the correct color zone or between two lines to indicate the correct recline angle [3]. Some car seats have a line stamped into the plastic on the side of the car seat that will serve as a reference to have that line level with the ground for the seat to be properly reclined [3]. Refer to your child’s car seat manual to ensure you are reading the recline angle indicator correctly [2].

Another reason it is important to install and use the car seat at the correct recline angle is because car seat manufacturers crash test the car seats at those recline angles [3]. Therefore, they are designed to keep your child safe in a crash when the seat is in a vehicle at that recline angle based on the car seat’s performance in crash tests done by the manufacture at that recline angle [3].

Parents, be sure your child’s rear-facing car seat is properly installed at the correct recline angle according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For more car seat safety tips, click here.

Source:

1. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/09/infant-car-seats-get-the-angle-right/index.htm
2. https://www.nhtsa.gov/how-install-rear-facing-only-infant-car-seat
3. https://carseatsite.com/correctreclineangle/

April 10^th marks dog bite prevention week, and it is important to refresh your knowledge of simple ways to avoid a traumatic event for you or your children. Most children do not think dogs would ever hurt them, but millions of dog bites occur every year. Most children bitten by dogs are under age 14. Advice for dog owners and how you should teach your children to act around dogs are listed below.

How to avoid dog bites [1]:

• Always supervise your kids around animals
• Always ask the owner if it’s OK to pet the dog
• Let the dog see and sniff you before petting it
• Do not run toward or away from a dog
• Never squeeze dogs too tight, drop them, fall on them, or jump on them
• Never tease dogs or pull their tails or ears
• Never bother dogs while they’re eating, sleeping, or taking care of puppies
• Never take a toy or bone away from a dog or play tug of war with a dog
• Always put a treat in your palm with your fingers and thumb held close together
• Never back a dog into a corner

What to do in a dangerous situation with a dog [1]:

• If an unfamiliar dog comes up to you or your children, put anything you can between you and the dog.
• If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball, cover your face, and lie still

Warning signs that a dog may bite [2]:

• The dog begins avoiding eye contact, yawning, or licking lips which indicates they are feeling anxious or scared
• Baring teeth or growling indicates that the dog is in an aggressive mood and on the verge of biting
• Ears forward, back fur standing up, and stiff stance indicate that the dog is on edge and might be ready to bite

What to do if a dog does bite [2]:

• Separate your child from the dog immediately
• Control the bleeding and wash out the wound with soap and water
• Seek medical attention

For more safety tips like these, click here

Sources: 

[1] https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/dog-bites.html

[2] https://www.vumc.org/injuryprevention/preventing-dog-bites

National Playground Safety Week takes place every year during the month of April, but while this is a good time to think about playground safety, kids should do their best to be safe on playgrounds all year long. 75% of playground injuries in children ages 5-12 years old require emergency room visits. 8 children die in playground-related injuries each year [3].

This year, National Playground Safety week is April 25^th -April 29^th. National Playground Safety week was originally founded by the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) in 1997. It was designed to be “a time to focus on children’s outdoor play environments” with the hope that communities and parents would use this week to pledge to use good judgement when playing and supervising play and a time to express gratitude for all the adults who work tirelessly on maintaining playgrounds to keep them safe for all the children who use them [1].

Here are some ways you can help keep playgrounds safe in your community [2]:

• Get your community involved. Ask if they’ve fallen or gotten hurt while using local playgrounds. Gather a group. Band together with the other parents in the community and check out local playgrounds to inspect for hazards. When possible, reach out to the owners or supervisors of that playground to request repairs.
• Talk to your children. Before they use playground equipment, make sure they understand how to properly use that equipment. Help your children learn to scan the equipment before use looking for potential dangers like loose or protruding hardware.
• Ask your child’s school to walk the playgrounds. Note any potential dangers or damages to the equipment and bring it up with teachers or the principal. You can make a difference for not just your child, but their school by speaking up when you see a potential danger.

If you need a playground inspector, use this link to help find one in your area https://playgroundsafety.org/take-action/find-playground-inspector.

Tips to keep your children safe when playing on the playground [3]:

• Always supervise children while they are playing.
• Remove potential entanglement hazards, like strings from clothing and bike helmets before your children play.
• Check the temperature of equipment and surfacing material. Playground equipment and surfacing can get extremely hot.
• Children should go down slides on their own, never on the lap of an adult.
• Children should only play on equipment that has proper surfacing material installed under and around the equipment.
• Ensure the equipment is safe before letting your children play.
• Make sure the equipment is age appropriate for the age of your child.
• Limit sun exposure and use sunscreen.

Playing is essential to childhood and development [1]. The idea is for the community and parents of children who use playgrounds, to stay safe while playing by using the SAFE acronym: Supervision, Age Appropriate, Fall Surfacing, and the Equipment. Think about this while you and your children are playing at your favorite playgrounds this week, and keep an eye out for broken parts, rust, protruding hardware, sharp edges, or other areas of disrepair, and report it to the playground owner or supervisor [1]. For safety tips click here.

Sources:

1. https://www.bciburke.com/connect/blog-news/posts/national-playground-safety-week-posts/postid/14
2. https://www.aaastateofplay.com/get-ready-for-national-playground-safety-week/
3. https://playgroundsafety.org/take-action