Volume 15 Issue 32 .                                                                                   Summer 2021

Thank you for being apart of the Safety Source family!

Summer Safety Tips Edition

The summer break is officially here! Our June Monthly newsletter highlights Summer Safety Tips and provides you with tips on how to keep your whole family safe this summer. There are interactive tools for your children to learn the importance of Summer Safety, Hot Cars, Grill Safety, and ATV safety as well as information for parents. There is also a special Under Water Theme snack ideas for kids. We hope this will be 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!

Grilling is one of the most popular ways to cook food especially in the summertime. A growing awareness is needed for grilling related injuries. The National Fire Protection Association says that on average, over 9,000 home fires are caused by outdoor grilling.

Stay safe this summer when grilling by following these safety tips:

• Only use your grill outside! Remember to position your grill at least 3 feet away from any siding or deck rails.
• Establish a 3 feet safety zone around the area near your grill. This will help to prevent children from getting injured.
• Once you start the fire, always keep an eye on your grill. Consider planning ahead for the items you will need so you won’t have to walk away from your grilling station.
• Remember to check and remove the grease tray before lighting your grill. 1 in 5 grill fires, the grills had not been cleaned.
• Use long handled grilling tools to avoid the risk of getting burned.
• It is important to teach your children that lighters and matches are dangerous, and any loose lighters should be reported to an adult.
• Once the coals from your grill have cooled off, remember to place them in a metal can.

Hosting cookouts and grilling with loved ones can be an exciting time keeping these safety tips in mind during the summer months will help to keep your family safe.

Sources:

1. NFPA.org
2. SafeKids.org
3. USFA.FEMA.GOV

Water safety is important for all ages, but especially for toddlers. Drowning is the leading cause of injury death in children 1-4. Young children can drown in as little as an inch or two of water, and it can happen quickly and silently. The biggest drowning threat facing families with toddlers is unexpected, unsupervised access to water: swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, bathtubs, natural bodies of water such as ponds, and standing water in homes. For example, 69% of all drownings among children age 4 and younger happen during non-swim times.

Preventing unintended, unsupervised access to water is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce drowning deaths among young children.

Pool fencing recommendations:

• 4 feet, 4 sides. The pool fence should be at least 4 feet high and surround the pool, separating it from the house and the rest of the yard.
• Climb-proof. The fence shouldn't have any footholds, handholds, or objects such as lawn furniture or play equipment the child could use to climb over the fence. Chain-link fences are very easy to climb and are not recommended as pool fences. (If they are used, make sure openings are 1¾ inches or smaller in size).
• Slat space. To ensure a small child can't squeeze through the fence, make sure vertical slats have no more than 4 inches of space between them. This will also help keep small pets safe, too.
• Latch height. The fence should have a self-closing and self-latching gate that only opens out, away from the pool area. The latch should be out of a child's reach—at least 54 inches from the ground.
• Gate locked, toy-free. When the pool is not in use, make sure the gate is locked. Keep toys out of the pool area when it is not in use.

Alarms. A child drowning is rarely heard: Beyond a fence, additional layers of protection such as pool alarms, door and gate alarms, and pool covers can provide some added safety around a pool. Make sure alarms are in good shape with fresh batteries, and keep in mind none are substitutes for a properly installed pool fence.

Pool alarms. Children can drown within seconds, with barely a splash. Swimming pool alarms can detect waves on the water's surface and sound off to attract attention when someone has fallen into the pool.

Consider alarms on the pool fence gate and house doors. Door and gate alarms can be equipped with touchpads to let adults pass through without setting them off. House doors should be locked if a child could get to the pool through them.

Window guards. These can be especially helpful for windows on the house that face the pool.

Consider swim lessons: Taking swim lessons absolutely cannot “drown-proof” anyone, but according to a recent policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), swimming lessons may be beneficial to children between the ages of 1 and 4. The right time to start depends on an individual child’s emotional and physical readiness. Ask your pediatrician for guidance.

Enjoy summer swimming but be vigilant and follow all safety precautions to keep your little ones safe.

Source:

1. Healthlychildren.org

National Heatstroke Prevention Day was May 1, 2021. Between 2019 and 2020, there has been 77 child heatstroke fatalities in the US.¹ The ages of these children ranged from 5 days to 14 years old. More than half of the deaths were children under the age of 2 years old.¹ It is important to note that these deaths could have been prevented. In most cases, the driver simply forgot that the child was in the vehicle. This can happen to anyone, including a loving and attentive parent. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also mentions that the second most common occurrence was the child playing in an unattended vehicle. Parents often don’t realize that cars heat up quickly! In just 10 minutes, a car can heat up 19 degrees F.⁴ So, leaving your child in the car even to run a quick errand isn’t safe and can be deadly.

Here are a few safety tips to remember to help keep your children safe.

• Avoid distractions while driving, especially cell phone use.
• Be extra alert when there is a change in your routine, like when someone else is driving your child or you take a different route to work or child care.
• Have your childcare provider call if your child is more than 10 minutes late.
• Put your cell phone, bag, or purse in the back seat, so you check the back seat when you arrive at your destination.
• If someone else is driving your child, always check to make sure they have arrived safely.
• Educate your child that cars are not toys and aren’t a safe hiding place. Children should never play in or around cars.
• Be sure to lock all of your vehicle’s doors and windows while at home to prevent your child from playing inside.
• Never leave your child alone inside the car, even for a second.
• Always remember to park, look, lock when leaving your vehicle. This will ensure that a child isn’t left in a vehicle by mistake.
• Setting a mobile alarm on your phone can be a helpful reminder to ensure that no child was left behind.

If you notice a child was left in the vehicle, it imperative that you act fast and call 911. A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult. When left in a hot car, a child's major organs begin to shut down when their temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit (F). A child can die when their temperature reaches 107 degrees F.²

Your courage to step up can save a child’s life. A good Samaritan law that went into effect in Tennessee July 1, 2014 gives legal protection to those who attempt to remove a child from a vehicle to save their life. According to the law, those who have a reasonable belief a child is in danger and have contacted first responders for assistance may forcibly enter a locked vehicle without fear of punishment (T.C.A. § 29-34-209).

For more child passenger safety tips, visit our website here.

Source:

1. NoHeatStroke.org
2. HealthyChildren.org
3. VUMC Heatstroke Prevention
4. Safe Kids Worldwide

Many children and their parents will spend Memorial Day weekend outside enjoying warmer weather and summer activities. But as temperatures go up, the reported number of all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related incidents and deaths also increases. With many ATV trails opening on Memorial Day weekend, we would like to offer a reminder that safety comes first.

Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2018 annual ATV report on deaths and injuries finds there were 81,800 ATV-related emergency department-treated injuries reported in 2018. More than a quarter of those injuries were sustained by children under 16 years old, the highest of any age group. ATVs become more dangerous when children drive adult-sized vehicles, or when passengers ride on ATVs built for only one rider.

ATV injuries are a leading cause of trauma-related admissions to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Injuries to the head, face and abdomen, as well as orthopedic injuries, are among the most common trauma seen. “We need to remember that ATVs are powerful machines,” said Purnima Unni, MPH, CHES, Pediatric Trauma Injury Prevention Program Coordinator at Children’s Hospital. “The common causes of ATV-related admissions to our hospital are because the child was riding on an adult-sized ATV or was riding with a friend or behind a friend on the same ATV and was not wearing their helmet.”

Children are more prone to ATV injuries because of their lack of experience operating motorized vehicles, lack of psychomotor control and coordination, and lack of judgment that can result in risk-taking behavior and poor decision-making skills.

“It is important to remember that if you and your child plan on riding four-wheelers, it is crucial that you take the appropriate safety precautions,” Unni added.

Children’s Hospital fully supports the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) recommendations that children 16 and under should not ride ATVs due to the high risk of serious injuries. However, if parents plan to allow their child to ride an ATV despite the known risk that these vehicles pose to children, the following safety measures are strongly recommended:

• Children younger than 16 should not ride on adult-sized ATVs because they are twice as likely to be injured compared to those who ride on youth-sized ATVs. Please refer to manufacturer recommendations for the appropriate size ATV.

• Always wear protective gear – especially a helmet – when riding ATVs. Head injuries are by far the leading cause of death and disability related to ATV crashes — helmets are known to reduce head injuries by 85 percent. Wear a motorcycle or motorized sports helmet and make sure it is certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation or the Snell Memorial Foundation.
• Remember, ATVs are meant for a single rider. They are not meant to carry passengers.

• ATVs are not meant to be driven on the road. Traveling on the road decreases the stability of the vehicle.

• Do not drive an ATV while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

• Take a hands-on safety training course.