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General Safety Issues

TEN REASONS TO NEVER LEAVE A CHILD IN THE CAR FOR EVEN ONE MINUTE! (GUEST POST)

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By Carrie Dotson

Whether you’re running into a convenience store to pay for your gasoline or stepping away for a moment while your child is strapped snugly into her car seat, it’s never safe to leave your child alone in a vehicle. Regardless of the circumstances, your child simply is not safe in the car alone. Here are 10 of the reasons why you should think twice before leaving your little one unattended in a vehicle.

  1. Temperature Concerns – Because kids’ bodies are different from those of their adult counterparts, even relatively mild temperatures can become unbearable for a child in a vehicle. There’s a reason why news outlets flood their followers with advice to never leave a child in the car during the summer months. According to kidsandcars.org, an average of 38 children per year die because of heat-related deaths.
  2. Potential Car Theft – It may not be common for cars to be stolen with children inside them, but that doesn’t mean it never happens. Making sure that you’re never a fluke statistic on a list is often as simple as taking your child with you each and every time you get out of the car. Remember that a car is replaceable, but your little one is not.
  3. Stranger Danger – The likelihood of a child being kidnapped by a stranger is far lower than his chances of being snatched by someone he knows and trusts, but stranger abductions do happen. If a car door is all that’s standing between your child and a potential kidnapper, the odds may not be in your favor.
  4. Legal Issues – In many states, the act of leaving your child in the car is illegal. You may be charged with counts of child neglect or abuse, even if your intentions are good. Rather than taking the risk of criminal charges or even the loss of your children, make the wise choice and take them in with you when you leave the car.
  5. The Danger of a Rolling Car – A child who can climb out of his car seat can also knock the car into gear inadvertently, causing it to roll away. A child that’s not left in the car unattended, however, doesn’t face that risk.
  6. Suffocation Risks – If your car has backseat access to the trunk, inquisitive kids can make their way into the trunk and accidentally become trapped, running the risk of suffocation or severe injury.
  7. Causing Your Child to Feel Fear – Even if he never touches a gear shift and is never confronted by a stranger or left to suffer extreme temperatures, your child may still be frightened and feel abandoned when he’s left in the car alone.
  8. Strangulation Concerns – When a young toddler is learning to escape from his car seat and harness, he may try several methods before he finds the one that works. He may also become entangled in the very harness that’s meant to keep him safe, putting his safety in grave danger.
  9. Your Child Can Wander Away – Older kids may think that they’re looking for you or simply exploring their surroundings, when their undeveloped sense of direction is actually leading them away from you and everything familiar. Making the decision not to leave your little one in the car alone will eliminate his urge to go looking for you, and can keep him from getting lost in the process.
  10. The Inherent Risks That Threaten Unsupervised Children – Every parent knows that kids are intensely creative when it comes to finding new and potentially dangerous activities. Your child can injure himself in ways that neither of you have ever imagined when there’s no one there to watch him, so it’s important that you never leave him in the car without supervision.

Taking your child out of a complicated harness and juggling him while trying to complete a task as quick and simple as paying for fuel or grabbing a single item from the store may seem like a waste of time an energy, but there are simply too many things that can go wrong when a child is left in the car alone. A decision made in the blink of an eye can change your life forever, so be sure that you’re always aware of the risks you face when you leave a little one in a vehicle without supervision and don’t do it.

All too often we hear of incidents such as this, where a child dies from being left unattended in a car, especially during hot weather.  Take the time to unhook the child from the car seat and take him with you, regardless of how quickly you plan to be inside the building.  Please, also, consider not leaving animals in cars when you have errands to do that cause you to leave the vehicle. Pat

General Safety Issues

PORTABLE APPLIANCE SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN (GUEST POST)

Portable Appliances and Children – Tips to Ensure Safety 

What on earth would we ever do without our beloved household appliances? We depend on various electronic implements in every room of the house to help sustain our comfort, nourishment, health and beauty. While many appliances stay put year round, several others are transferred from room to room, as they’re needed. And this portability certainly provides substantial convenience in today’s modern homes, but with it comes a greater amount of risk—especially in households with young children. 

Kids of all ages are notoriously curious beings who frequently explore and test the boundaries of their environment by touching, grabbing, twisting, pulling and pushing almost anything within reach (just ask any parent). Because of this natural trait, children are vulnerable to the potential dangers associated with some of the following commonplace portable appliances: 

·         Climate control – fans, space heaters, humidifiers

·         Cleaning and maintenance – vacuums, irons, sewing machines

·         Health and nourishment – air purifiers, water coolers 

And some of the risk factors that accompany these appliances include: 

·         Flow of electricity

·         Temperature sensitivity

·         Sharp components

·         Sheer weight of the appliance 

While potential dangers to children do exist, parents don’t necessarily have to sacrifice owning and using portable appliances, especially since they rely on many of them to help care for their kids. Below are some safety tips that, when followed, allow children and portable appliances to coexist safely under one roof. 

1.      Place portable appliances on stable, level surfaces and out of a child’s reach, if possible. If a portable appliance, like a window air conditioner or a microwave oven, becomes a semi-permanent fixture, ensure it’s securely installed and regularly inspect the condition of its stability.

2.      Keep all electrical units and cords away from high-traffic areas where children can easily bump into or trip over them.

3.      Practice the utmost care for all power cords to avoid a child’s contact with electricity:

a.      Ensure cords and plugs are in good condition, without any exposed or frayed wires, or bent/broken prongs—replace as needed

b.      Do not run cords under rugs or carpets—concealed damage often remains unrepaired, which increases the risk of a child encountering a hazard

c.       Be sure all plugs are fully inserted into wall sockets at all times

d.      Unless it’s absolutely necessary, do not connect portable appliance power cords to extension cords—fewer places of potential exposure to electricity means fewer chances children will come into contact with it

4.      Position all portable appliances and power cords a safe distance away from water sources—and if an appliance contains water, such as a humidifier or water cooler, be sure there is no chance the water can spill onto the power source. Always unplug the unit when transferring water to or from it.

5.      Maintain at least three feet distance between any flammable materials and hot-to-the-touch appliances, such as space heaters and irons. Be extra watchful for your child’s toys and blankets.

6.      As often as humanly possible, do not leave your child alone in a room with a portable appliance, unless it’s securely located out of reach. 

Portable appliances are vastly safe for use in most households, but they can prove dangerous when in use around unattended children. If parents teach their kids simple rules right away, and perform essential safety measures, children can explore the curiosities of their home safely, and every household member can stay comfortable, nourished, healthy and beautiful. 

What are some other safety tips you’re willing to share?   How have you adapted the placement and usage of your portable appliances to ensure your young ones are safe from the threat of harm?  Please send your comments to pat@tasco-safety.com, and we will feature an article with your tips. 

 

 
Thank you, James, for this informative article.  To start off on the comments, I would say that curling irons left plugged in are very tempting to little hands. Hope we hear from some others who will add to our list. Pat
 
General Safety Issues

TEMPERATURE CHANGES CAN BE A SHOCK!

In early June, we returned to Texas from an Alaskan cruise.  Most of the time on our trip, we wore lightweight jackets.  It’s amazing how pleasant the weather is in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.  We left Seattle headed for Denver, on a nice, cool day.  After switching planes in Denver, however, our pilot announced that the temperature in Midland-Odessa (our destination) was 105 degrees!  When we stepped out of the airport at 10 p.m., it was like walking into an oven. Talk about a shock!

States in the northeastern part of the United States have been experiencing extremely abnormal heat, resulting in a heat wave.  It may be harder on those who are not accustomed to these hot temperatures to cope with, than those who live where high temperatures, along with high humidity are more common.

Cities are usually hotter than rural areas, due to brick buildings, asphalt streets and tar roofs.  The elderly and others are afraid to go out if they live in unsafe neighborhoods.  They have their windows sealed up for protection; therefore, they get no draft from outside.  It’s up to friends and neighbors to see that they have some type of airconditioning, or take them to a place where they can be comfortable.   There are many places where persons can visit in order to escape the heat: community centers, churches, senior citizen centers, malls, movies, libraries, or stores. 

Those who are at risk to suffer the most from extreme heat are persons who are outside: firefighters, athletes, and anyone else who has to be in the sun most of the day.  They should seek shade as much as possible and take breaks often. Workers should agree to watch out for each other, and be sure that they are getting enough water and rest during their shift.

Others at risk are:

  • Persons who are overweight.
  • Children age 4 to the elderly, past age 64.
  • Those who have chronic medical or mental health conditions.
  • Persons who take certain medications that can distrupt body temperature.

We should conserve energy as much as possible, both with our bodies, and our use of power to cool our homes.  Overuse of power causes disruptions of service in heavily populated areas.  The thermostat of the airconditioner should be set no lower than 78 degrees.  There are timers that you can buy that enable you to set your cooling to come on around 30 minutes before you plan to arrive home from work or elsewhere. 

Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water or juice; drink water often throughout the day.  Stay away from alcohol or caffeinated drinks, as they deplete the fluids from your body.  A good supplement for water is a sports drink, such as Powdered Gatorade Mix, which restores electrolytes and salt to the body.

This hot weather, too, shall pass.  Before you know it, you will be digging out a jacket to wear to a football game! Until then, do all you can to “keep your cool.” And please, please, don’t leave children, older persons, or animals in your vehicles.  It only takes ten minutes for the temperature to rise 20 degrees in a shut-up car!