Press Release
FIREWORKS SAFETY
Mechanicsburg –
July 4th is only a week away and our country is
turning another year older.
America always has the biggest birthday parties full of food, games, and
most importantly, the “bombs bursting in air”: fireworks. We have all
seen a firework at least once in our lives but how much do you know about
firework safety? According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
in 2006, there were 11 deaths linked to fireworks and 9,200 injuries
reported in U.S. hospitals. They even performed a special study during
the period when firework purchases are at their peak – between June 16,
2006 and July 16, 2006, there were 6,400 injuries linked to fireworks.
That is 70% of the annual firework injuries. The American Trauma Society,
Pennsylvania Division (ATSPA) would like to remind you during this time
when firework injury is at its highest level, to get the facts that could
help protect you and your family from injury or even death.
The Pennsylvania Division
of the American Trauma Society would like to offer a few safety tips
courtesy of the CPSC:
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■
Do not allow young
children to play with fireworks under any circumstances – even
sparklers.
■
Older children should only
be permitted to use fireworks under close adult supervision.
■
Light fireworks outdoors
in a clear area away from houses, dry leaves or grass and
flammable materials.
■
Keep a bucket of water
nearby for emergencies.
■
Do not try to relight or
handle malfunctioning fireworks.
■
Be sure other people are
out of range before lighting fireworks.
■
Keep unused fireworks away
from firing areas.
■
Store fireworks in a cool,
dry place – check instructions for special storage directions.
■
Observe local laws.
■
Don’t experiment with
homemade fireworks.
■
Never have any portion of
your body directly over a firework while lighting. |
With these tips, the ATSPA would like to wish
you a safe 4th of July season. Remember that knowledge can
save your life and the lives of loved ones. For more information on
firework safety or any of ATSPA’s programs please call (717) 766-1616 or 1
(800) 822-2358. ATSPA is a non-profit trauma prevention education
organization dedicated to reducing suffering, disability and death due to
trauma. Be sure to visit our website at
www.atspa.org.
_____________________________________________________________
Press Release
UNATTENDED CHILDREN
Mechanicsburg – Summer is here and so
is the heat! A car is a pretty safe place, right? America certainly
values the safety features that come with a car that protects the most
valuable of “cargo”… our loved ones. A car can protect us from
numerous things – rain and snow, heavy winds, lightning, and intruders,
just to name a few.
When the sun is blazing and the temperature is
rising, a car can reach deadly levels within 10-15 minutes – not a place
for a child. From 1990 to present date, there have been 185 children
where they were left in a vehicle and 22 deaths in Pennsylvania. This is
a problem that can easily be stopped by simply sharing with your friends,
family, and co-workers the idea that a car can easily turn into an “oven”
during the sweltering summer months.
The American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania
Division, strongly recommends that no child should be left
unattended in or around any vehicle. In fact, it’s the law (PA State
Law Section 3701).
Here are some suggestions to protect your
loved ones:
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Use drive-through services
– more and more businesses are adding drive-thru service. Besides
the well known pharmacy and fast food drive-thru windows, we can now
pick up dry cleaning and groceries, and even have our dogs groomed!
■
Make
arrangements in advance for your childcare provider to meet you at
your vehicle. Alternatively, plan extra time into your
pick-up/drop-off routine to bring all children inside with you.
■
Use a
debit or credit card at the gas pump in order to avoid the trip
inside.
■
Ask
grocery store clerks to load your bags into your vehicle and return
the grocery cart.
■
If
possible, arrange for a responsible adult (babysitter) to watch your
children while you are away shopping, running errands, etc.
|
For more information on this and our other
safety programs, please call (717) 766-1616 or 1 (800) 822-2358. ATSPA is
a non-profit trauma prevention education organization dedicated to
reducing suffering, disability and death due to trauma.
Be sure to visit our website at
www.atspa.org
_____________________________________________________________
Press Release
LAWN MOWER SAFETY
Mechanicsburg - It’s
summer – the sun is shining, and the grass is growing. That means you’ll
need to mow your lawn. As tempting as it is to have children cut the
grass, children under 12 should not operate any lawn mowers and kids under
16 are unsafe operating a riding mower. No matter who is driving, a
riding mower should NEVER carry passengers. Make sure you choose the
right person for the job. According to the American
Academy of Pediatrics, approximately 9,400 children younger than
18 years of age are injured every year as a result of lawn mower
accidents.
ATSPA is a non-profit
trauma prevention education organization dedicated to reducing suffering,
disability and death due to trauma.
For more information on
lawn mower safety call the Pennsylvania Division of the American Trauma
Society at 1-800-822-2358 or 717-766-1616,
atspa@atspa.org
or visit the Web at
www.atspa.org.
_____________________________________________________________
Press Release
PLAYGROUND SAFETY
Mechanicsburg
– Playgrounds and outdoor
play equipment provide fun, fresh air, and exercise. But they also can
pose some safety hazards.
Here are some playground safety tips:
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■
Take your children to
playgrounds with plenty of mulch underfoot to prevent serious
injuries if they should fall.
■
It is very important to
teach kids how to play safely.
■
Make
sure that the equipment is appropriate to a child's age and maturity
level. Children under 4 years of age lack the motor skills
to climb jungle gyms.
■
Adult
supervision can help prevent injuries by
making sure kids properly use playground equipment. Don't let them
engage in unsafe behavior around it. Young children (and sometimes
older ones) can't always gauge distances properly and aren't capable
of foreseeing dangerous situations by themselves. Older kids like to
test their limits on the playground, so it's important for an adult
to be there to keep them in check.
■
If an injury does occur, an adult can assist the child and
administer any needed first aid right away.
|
To learn more about our safety programs,
contact the American Trauma Society, PA Division (ATSPA) at (717) 766-1616
or 1 (800) 822-2358 or
atspa@atspa.org.
Visit our website at
http://atspa.org
.
The PA Division of the ATSPA is a non-profit
health organization dedicated to reducing suffering, disability and death
due to trauma.
_____________________________________________________________
Press Release
WATER SAFETY
Mechanicsburg
–
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner,
more than 300 children under age 5 drown in residential swimming pools
each year in the U.S. Typically, these drowning occur in pools owned by
the families.
Judy May-Bennett, COO, of
the Pennsylvania Division of the American Trauma Society reminds you of
precautions to help ensure the safety of your children as well as your
family and friends:
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Never
leave infants alone in or near water and never rely on
flotation devices as a
substitute for constant supervision.
■
Keep
children in your direct field of vision at all times.
■
Teach
children to swim responsibly—reckless swimming and horseplay is the
leading
cause of water-related injuries.
■
Keep
rescue equipment and a cordless telephone near the pool to call 911
if necessary.
■
Install
a fence or other barrier such as a wall that is at least five feet
high completely
around the pool without out foot- or handholds that could allow
easy pool access for
children.
■
Keep
all electrical appliances away from the pool area.
■
Follow
the manufacturer’s direction for safe installation, use and
maintenance of pool
cover. Be sure to completely remove the cover to avoid entrapment
or drowning.
■
Store
sanitization chemicals carefully eliminating the possibility of
explosion, fire and
our poisoning.
■
Never
swim alone—use the buddy system at all times.
■
When
boating, wear a Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device
(PFD).
■
Before
boating, take a boater’s safety course and follow rules for
navigating safely
(call 1-800-336-BOAT) for more information. Check weather
conditions before leaving
shore.
■
Never
drink alcohol while swimming, diving, boating or soaking in hot
tubs. |
ATSPA is a non-profit
trauma prevention education organization dedicated to reducing suffering,
disability and death due to trauma.
For more information on
water safety call the Pennsylvania Division of the American Trauma Society
at 1-800-822-2358 or 717-766-1616,
atspa@atspa.org
or visit the Web at
http://atspa.org.
_____________________________________________________________
Press Release
ATSPA REMINDS YOU TO “WEAR A
HELMET”
Mechanicsburg
– The American Trauma Society, PA Division (ATSPA) reminds
you that April 26 through May 4, 2008 is SAFE KIDS WEEK.
“This is an ideal time for parents to have
their children’s helmets inspected and replaced if necessary,” said Dr.
John Templeton, President of ATSPA.
Visit us at 2 Flowers Drive, Mechanicsburg
Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. ATSPA offers helmets
for $10 each and fits the helmets to ensure a proper fit. If you
purchase a helmet and have it fitted by an ATSPA staff member, we welcome
you into the Bike Smart Club.
ATSPA has designed a bicycle safety course for
children to learn to drive their bicycle on the right side of the road and
to obey all traffic signs and signals just like a car. It teaches
them to look left, right, left and use the proper hand signals to let
others know their intentions. The course also shows them the
importance of being alert to the dangers of moving vehicles and how to
maneuver around potential hazards such as potholes, rocks, drains and
grates.
If you would like information on holding a
bicycle derby or ATSPA’s Bike Smart Club and helmets, please contact
1-800-822-2358, 717-766-1616,
atspa@atspa.org. ATSPA is a
non-profit trauma prevention education organization dedicated to reducing
suffering, disability and death due to trauma.
