BURNS: Most burn injuries occur to children less than three years of age. Grease and hot water from the stove are the most common causes. Young children should not be around a working stove, oven or coffee pot without constant supervision. A pot of coffee can cause terrible and disfiguring burns. Watch those pan handles on the stove; keep them pointed toward the rear. Always use the back burners, when possible, if young kids are in the house. Hot water heaters should be turned down to 105 degrees. Tap water can cause serious burns. We once responded to a two year old girl with sheets of skin falling off of her legs. She had simply been playing in the bathroom sink! She did not know what was wrong when her legs started to burn from the water faucet. Clothing can burn rapidly and cause severe burns. Constant supervision is needed when kids are near fireplaces, barbecues or any open flame. Children's Sleepware is required by law to be flame resistant. However, improper washing can greatly reduce the amount of protection. Do not wash sleepware using either chlorine bleach or fabric softener. First Aid for Burns: Application of cold water in the first ten seconds of a burn injury is the most important action. Keep it emersed for three minutes. Then cover the burn with a sterile dressing or clean sheets and seek medical attention.
POISON: Your house is full of poisons such as drain cleaner, bleach, pesticides, paints, solvents, and other cleaning agents. Read labels and store poisons in a safe place. Use "kiddie latches" or some other type of lock on cabinets where toxic chemicals are stored. Chlorine bleach if mixed with ammonia base cleaners or vinegar can form deadly chlorine gas. Kids like to taste and explore everything. There is no room for error in this department. Only two tablespoons of Pinesol or Drano can cause death in a small child. Take a look under your sink. Relocate poisons up high with locks on cabinet doors. First aid: Treatment will vary according to the specific poison ingested. The first thing to do is to try and identify the type and amount of poison ingested. Then call the poison control center at (800) 777-6476. They will guide you in steps for the proper care relating to the specific type of poison. More than one million children in the U.S. accidentally swallow poison each year.
POOLS AND SPAS: Drowning is one of the leading causes of children's deaths. Children are naturally attracted to water. Yards with pools are required by code to be fenced. With small children however, you should also fence in the pool area to separate it from the house and play areas. It takes only seconds for a child to crawl out of a window and make a bee line for the pool. Children have also been found dead under spa covers. Take a close look at your pool or spa area. This is a matter of life and death.
FIREARMS: Over half of you reading this article will have firearms in your home for self defense. They can be safely stored with a little planning and preparation. The best system I have seen for storing a loaded defensive firearm is a steel gun box which is opened with a push button combination lock. By pushing the right series of buttons the case will open in two seconds. If the wrong buttons are pushed, the lock must be reset before it will operate. The box provides both safety and accessibility. There are also various types of trigger locks available. Consult with any large gun store for assistance in making your guns safe. Hunting and target arms should be stored unloaded in a locked cabinet or gun safe. Ammunition should be stored in a separate locked location.
SAFETY GLASS: Older sliding glass doors are made of regular plate glass which can break into large deadly sheets. Newer homes have tempered glass that can shatter into small pieces when hit. There is a film which can be installed over older glass sliding doors designed to prevent serious injury from broken glass. You will be required to install this film prior to selling your home. Why wait? DO IT NOW! Injuries from broken plate glass are usually very severe. Also use decorative decals so that children can see that the door is closed.
CHANGING ABILITIES: As children grow, what used to be a safe location for dangerous objects are now within reach. When my son was 18 months old, he was finally able to reach higher in our pantry. He pulled down a one gallon glass jug onto his foot. His toe exploded like a smashed grape. Be aware of changing abilities which can suddenly allow a child to reach new levels. Heavy unstable furniture should be secured to walls. A young child was killed when a grandfather clock was pulled over and landed on his head.
If you have kids, there are already numerous precautions you have taken around your home, however, look around again. Very simple precautions can prevent a heartbreaking tragedy.
For additional information on any fire safety issue call:
Captain Bud Gundersen at (818) 756-7694. Or E-mail at
MRQU92A@prodigy.com.