Time for a summer safety check
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Health and safety go hand-in-hand, and June is National Safety Month! Associated with the National Safety Council (www.nsc.org), each week of this observance is broken down into different safety topics: Week One – Stand Ready to Respond, Week Two – Be Healthy, Week Three – Watch Out for Dangers, Week Four – Share Roads Safely.
When it comes to protecting our children, unintentional injuries are one important danger to consider. Out ranking motor vehicle crashes for the first time in 2011, poisonings are the leading cause of unintentional-injury-related death for all ages combined. Poison control centers receive some 2.2 million calls each year from people seeking medical help for poisoning. Moreover, over ninety-percent of all poisonings happen in the home.
Accidental poisonings pose a real threat for children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day in the U.S. more than three-hundred children are treated as a result of poisoning. Because of their small bodies rapidly developing, their frequent hand-to-mouth activities, and their curiosity and exploration, children are much more vulnerable to the adverse effects of chemical pollutants.
Carefully consider the purchase and storage of all household and leisure products including but not limited to: laundry packets and detergents, cleaners, paints, markers, glue, cosmetics, and even e-liquids (liquid nicotine used in electronic-cigarettes or vape-pens). Anything soft in texture and colorful in appearance, like laundry detergent packets, can be interesting to toddlers who may think they are candy, toys, or teething products. Likewise, anything with a flavor or scent (cherry, bubblegum, gummy bear, etc.), like hand-sanitizer or e-liquids, can be enticing to children who might think these products taste like they smell. Calls to poison control centers about children who have been exposed to these products have increased rapidly.
According to the CDC, most incidents involving toxic substances occur where these products are stored i.e. kitchen sinks, medicine cabinets, garages or garden sheds, purses, etc. It is important to understand and share the risk of dangerous chemicals with children. Here are a few key tips to help increase safety measures involving toxic substances:
- Keep toxic products in their original packaging.
- Keep toxic products where children can’t see or get them.
- Store the nationwide poison control center phone number, 1-800-222-1222, in every phone.
- Read all labels and warnings.
- Follow all directions carefully.
- Periodically clean out storage cabinets.
Nikole E. Tome, MPH, CHES is an assistant director/program evaluation at the Byrnes Health Education Center. She is a graduate of West Chester University with a Master’s Degree in Public Health. She has also obtained her Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credentials from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.
