Slips, Trips And Falls

Falls are themajor cause of household injuries. Most falls happen when someone slips on icy,wet, or slick surfaces; trips over a loose rug, toy, or other object; orstumbles on stairs.

Tips to reduce the risk of falls

• Use rubber-backed rugs on hard floors.

• Avoid very thick carpets and rugs with busy patterns, especially on stairs.

• Replace loose, torn, or frayed rugs.

• Replace wooden stairs and floors that are broken, warped, or rotted.

• Install non-skid strips or mats and grab bars in the bathtub or shower.

• Keep stairs and walkways clear of cords and clutter.

• Be sure outdoors and indoors stairs and hallways are well lighted.

• Install handrails on both sides of all staircases.

• Before climbing a ladder, be sure it is in good shape and is stable. Neverstand on the top two rungs of a ladder. Have a friend nearby in case you fall.

• Repair broken or uneven concrete in walks and steps.

• Keep sidewalks and steps clear of snow and ice in winter.

• Spread sand or salt on icy spots.

Tips to protect young children from falls

• Don’t let children jump on beds or other furniture.

• Install rails on their beds to keep them from falling.

• Don’t use infant walkers. These cause many serious injuries each year,especially on stairs.

• Install safety gates at the top and bottom of all stairs if you have atoddler.

• Install guards on upper floor windows.

• Adjust electric garage doors so they reverse easily when they hitsomething.

• Make sure everyone in your family wears a helmet when riding a bike.

Suffocation, Strangling And Choking

Each yearhundreds of people die after choking on food or other small items. Most deathsinvolve infants, toddlers, and the elderly.

Tips to prevent choking and suffocation

• Learn how to use the Heimlich maneuver to remove something stuck in aperson’s throat.

• Keep small objects away from toddlers. Anything that is small enough topass through a toilet paper tube is a choking hazard.

• Place infants on their backs to sleep. Use a firm crib mattress and avoidsoft bedding.Remove drawstrings from children’s clothing.

• Don’t serve foods that are hard to chew. Toddlers and some older peoplehave trouble chewing and swallowing foods. Cut fruits and vegetables, hot dogs,and other hard foods into bite-sized pieces.

• Remove doors before throwing out old appliances.

• Keep plastic bags away from children. A thin plastic bag can suffocate achild.

• Keep empty balloons and balloon pieces away from small children.

Water Safety

• Drowning is thesixth leading cause of accidental death.  From 1999 to 2003, 338 Wisconsinresidents died as a result of drowning.  Many of these deaths could havebeen prevented. 

Tips on water safety

• Learn CPR.  This easy-to-learn technique can save the life of someonewho has stopped breathing.

• Never place electrical radios, hairdryers, or fans near a sink, bathtub orpool.

Tips to protect young children from water hazards

• Never leave a child alone near water. Children love to play in water andcan drown in a matter of seconds. Keep the toilet lids down and bathroom doorsclosed. Empty bathtubs and buckets right after use. If outdoors, store pailsupside down so they won’t collect rain or snowmelt.

• Teach children to swim and talk to them about water safety.

• Surround pools and hot tubs with a 5-foot fence and install childproof,self-latching gate.

Firearm Safety

• Every two hoursa child is killed by a gun. Guns attract children, but they can kill instantly.Children and teens do not fully understand how dangerous guns can be.  Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Wisconsin’s teens. Manysuicides are committed with handguns.

Gun owners havea responsibility to be sure their guns and ammunition are stored safely.Tips for gun owners:

• Always keep guns unloaded and locked up.

• Store guns and ammunition in separate locked cabinets.

• Keep the keys for gun cabinets hidden or with you at all times.

• Take a gun safety course.

• Talk to your children about gun safety.

• Remove ammunition from guns before storing them.

• Make sure each gun is fitted with a trigger lock.