Tag Archives: helmets

Back Safety, General Safety Issues, Head Protection, High Visibility Safety

MORE ABOUT BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY

This year approximately 55 million students will return to classrooms in the United States.  Regardless of how they get to and from school, whether it’s walking, biking, riding in a car, or bus, safety is a concern the minute they leave their home.  This is the time that parents need to plan how they can ensure the safety of their children by being involved in every aspect of their school experience.  Many students are apprehensive about beginning a new school year, and parents must assure them that they will be there for them, listening to their concerns.

 This is a good time to get your student in the habit of getting to bed early.  It’s hard to wind down from summer, getting to stay up later than usual.  Getting a head start on “early to bed, early to rise” might help them get used to their early morning routine. 

A great way for kids to get more exercise is to walk or ride a bicycle to school.  If it is possible for your child to do this, walk the route with them to find the safest way possible.  The best plan is to have a group from the neighborhood go together each day.  There’s always safety in numbers.  If your student rides his/her bike to school, be sure that they wear their helmet every time they get on the bike.  Wearing helmets can reduce the risk of injury by up to 85%.  Also, caution them to walk their bike across the streets, and to obey traffic signals and crosswalk guards.  Wearing bright colors or reflective gear will help your child be seen, whether riding or walking.

“Stranger Danger” is always an important thing you must teach your children.  They should never talk to strangers or get in vehicles with someone they don’t know.  Many predators apper to be very nice and can lure children with candy, or ask them to help look for a lost puppy, etc.  Most youngsters know to tell their teacher or parent if they notice someone suspicious hanging around their school. 

Check out the school playground that your youngster will be using.  More than 200,000 children, ages 14 and younger, are treated in emergency rooms for playground-associated injuries each year, mainly caused by falls from equipment.  It’s also a good idea to scope out the school menu.  On days that healthy options are not available, pack a lunch.  Be sure to start them off with a good breakfast, and send a nutritious meal that they will enjoy.  Food to be sent to school should be kept in the refrigerator until time to leave for school.  Packing a frozen juice box, or water bottle in an insulated lunch bag will help keep lunch products cool. 

Most kids carry their school supplies in backpacks.  Younger children should not carry a backpack that is more than 10% to 15% of their body weight.  Help them arrange their load, by packing the heavier items first, which results in less strain on their backs and shoulders. 

Transportation is one of the most important safety concerns during school years.  Be sure children are buckled up.  Every driver should let their children out of the vehicle in front of their school, and not leave until they see that they have entered the building.  We again stress what we say every year, “slow down.”  Parents should allow plenty of time to get their kids to school and then on to work.  If your child rides a school bus, he should understand how to get on and off the bus safely.  

There are many other things to think about when it comes to school and safety.  Pay close attention to details that you feel are important to your child’s well-being.  Parents sometimes get overwhelmed with responsibilities of raising children, trying to combine work, school, church, and other activities.  The twelve years of school (plus kindergarten) go by faster than one can realize.  Try to slow down and enjoy every minute of your child’s school experience that you can.  You’ll be sending them off to college before you know it!

General Safety Issues, Head Protection

UNDERSTANDING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

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The human brain is the most complex organ in the human body, producing every thought, action, memory, feeling, and experience.  As there are constantly connecting and changing nerve cells, memories are stored in the brain, habits are learned, and personalities shaped.  Our brain structure is shaped partly by genes but mainly by experience.  How it ages depends on both genes and lifestyle.  The brain needs to be properly exercised and fed the right diet, just as the rest of our body requires. 

During our lifetime, things happen that can have a lasting effect on our bodies.  Persons may suffer head injuries due to a car accident, a hard fall, blows to the head to athletes. Military personnel suffer TBI’s as a result of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) and other horrors of war. 

About 1.7 million people suffer traumatic brain injuries in the United States annually.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says traumatic brain injuries kill about 52,000 Americans every year, and result in 275,000 hospitalizations.  A bump, blow, or jolt to the head may be severe enough to disrupt normal brain function.  The CDC also reports that falls are the Number 1 leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, but road traffic injuries are second, and result in the highest percentage of deaths – 31.8%. 

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) is commonly referred to as a concussion.  There may be a brief loss of consciousness or disorientation, ranging up to 30 minutes. Damage may not be visible on an MRI or CAT scan.  Symptoms of MTBI are headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, confusion, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, fatigue.  MTBI can have long-term effects.  

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury results in loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes, or amnesia.  The same symptoms of MTBI are included, along with others, such as vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, slurred speech, and  loss of coordination. 

Our military personnel are furnished helmets for head protection.  Athletes also wear helmets to protect from head and neck injury.  These helmets should be of good quality. Motorcyclists should always wear their helmets, as well as bicyclists.

It makes sense that when personal protective equipment is furnished for employees, company supervisors should be sure that their employees are in compliance.  ANSI Hard hats should have a rigid external shell that resists and deflects blows to the head.  Inside that shell is a suspension system that acts as a shock absorber.  Hardhats are constructed with partial or full brims.  The full brim protects from spills, splashes and drips.  Many hardhats can accommodate faceshields, earmuffs, and other accessories needed to make the job easier and safer.  Knowing all this, statistics show that often workers who suffer impact injuries to the head are not wearing head protection at the time of injury.   

Wearing all types of Personal Protective Equipment is the responsibility of each employee.  It has been purchased for good reason, just as it is called: Personal and Protective.  Every one should use their head, and wear that helmet or hardhat!