Tips for Family Safety

How to keep your busy, adventurous family safe

(Family Features) Families are seemingly always on the go. From soccer games and school trips to excursions with friends and vacations with the family, people are constantly on the move, exploring new places and experiencing new things.

In fact, a study by Sfara shows that kids today are using public transportation, going on field trips and taking long-distance road trips at much younger ages compared to 30 years ago. As exciting as these new opportunities can be, it’s equally as important to make sure families – and kids – stay safe and protected at home and on the go.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Know your neighbors
Whether you live in an apartment building, cul-de-sac or the countryside, make it a point to get to know your neighbors. Building these relationships isn’t only neighborly, but can help keep you safe. Not only can you have a stronger community of people to lean on for small crises, like borrowing forgotten ingredients, and larger emergencies, such as weather-related disasters, but you’ll also have a better understanding of your surroundings.

Help in an instant
While security systems deliver some peace of mind, they’re not always fool-proof, and they also aren’t transferable to the office, school or your summer getaway. Always on and always available, an app such as Sfara Guardian can help keep you and your family safe, no matter where you are. By just triple-tapping your phone, even while it’s in your pocket, the app connects you to a live emergency manager who can provide the help you need. If you’re unable to respond, it will dispatch local responders to your exact location immediately.

Accessibility
While baby-proofing starts in your children’s earliest years, limiting their access to certain areas or items is important throughout their childhoods. When you have a young child, locks on cabinets and gates across steps may be your focus when it comes to home safety. As kids get older, ensure they do not have unsupervised access to dangerous items like cleaning supplies, prescription medicine or kitchen knives. Make sure to also have open conversations with kids about the dangers of seemingly safe home products so they are equipped to make appropriate choices outside the home.

Fire safety
Take the time to ensure your home is properly equipped in case of fire. Check that you have working fire extinguishers and that windows and fire escapes are not blocked by heavy furniture or other objects. Be sure everyone in your family knows the plan in case of a fire or similar emergency at home, and is aware of how to contact help, if needed.

AWAY FROM HOME

Tools to take on the road
In the past, families brought the essentials with them when on the go – a first aid kit, snacks and water bottles. Now, in addition to the basics, make sure you add modern essentials to your packing list when you’re away from home, whether you’re going on a day trip or a long vacation. Carry a portable phone charger in your bag or in your car to ensure you can always connect to family, call for help if needed or just use your phone’s flashlight in case of a blackout.

Help on-the-go
Today, virtually everything is available at your fingertips, right through a smartphone. Now, safety is that accessible, too. Apps, like Sfara Guardian, can connect you to live experts who can help you in virtually any kind of situation. For example, if you’ve been in an accident, the app can detect you need help and send local responders even if you can’t speak. Learn more at sfara.com.

Stranger danger
When in public, be hyper-aware of your surroundings and the people around you. Talk with your kids about how they should respond if they are approached by a stranger. It’s a good idea to practice at home so your child feels comfortable giving an emphatic “no” if the need arises. If you’ll be at a crowded location where you may become separated, use your phone to take a photo of your child so you have a current photo and clothing description ready if the unthinkable happens.

Driving Safely
Most families spend an ample part of every day in their vehicles, between transport to school, activities, work and various errands. Keeping everyone safe is easier than ever with a slew of safety features that are increasingly available, either straight from the factory or as add-ons to your in-car experience.

Advanced Navigation: While built-in navigation systems in cars may just seem like an added convenience, they are also a key safety feature. Navigation systems offer easy access to directions and points of interest on the road, which can help eliminate distractions and reduce the possibility of accidents. Features like voice control can make navigation hands-free and allow you to concentrate on the road.

Smartphone Crash Detection: Today, the technology in your pocket is often more advanced than the cars you drive or ride in. Apps like Sfara Guardian can detect a car crash or incident and dispatch help. Because the technology is on the phone, it works whether you are the driver or passenger and in your car or someone else’s. Roadside assistance has a modern twist, too. If you need help with a flat or a tow, you can request service on your app and map the driver in real-time as he or she heads your way.

Lock Controls: In some vehicles, an adjustable setting allows you to control which car doors unlock depending on which door you open first or how many times you press the unlock button. This feature can allow a driver to safely enter the car on the driver’s side without unlocking other doors and potentially giving access to an intruder. Similar controls can keep mischievous kids from pushing buttons in the back and unlocking or opening rear doors or windows without your knowledge.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Sfara

Simple Seasonal Safety Tips

Limit your home fire risk during the holidays

(Family Features) It may be the most wonderful time of year, but it can also be one of the most dangerous. Along with the cooking and decorations that make the season magical, the holidays present risks for home fires and burns.

An independent survey conducted by Shriners Hospitals for Children® found that many Americans do not follow key fire and burn safety tips despite being aware of dangerous risks. For example, 25 percent of respondents reported leaving lit candles unattended, and 27 percent said they have left them in reach of children.

“Some of these findings seem alarming, but each year our burn hospitals see the unfortunate results – children who have been injured in cooking related accidents or in fires associated with holiday decorations or candles,” said Kenneth Guidera, M.D., chief medical officer for Shriners Hospitals for Children. “These injuries can mean years of ongoing treatments and extensive rehabilitation for a child. That’s why we encourage families to learn about fire safety and prevention before a tragedy occurs.”

Fire and burn hazards are prevalent in many homes throughout the holidays, and Shriners Hospitals for Children offers these tips to remind families how to stay safe:

• Never leave lit candles unattended. If you must use flame-burning candles, make sure to extinguish them when you leave the room.
• When cooking, turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, out of the reach of children.
• Never leave a hot stove or oven unattended.
• While cooking, keep a lid or cookie sheet nearby to cover a pan if its contents catch fire.
• If you decorate using a live, fresh-cut Christmas tree, water it daily.
• Keep trees and other flammable decor at least 3 feet away from heaters and flames.
• Discard decorative lights with bare wires, frays or kinks.
• Make sure your home is equipped with working smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
• Have an escape plan in case of a fire and practice it with your family members so they know how to react if a fire does occur.
• Know the burn care resources in your community.

The Shriners Hospitals locations that specialize in burn care provide critical, surgical and rehabilitative care to children with varying degrees of new and healed burns. Their state-of-the-art burn facilities are staffed and equipped to provide reconstructive and restorative surgery for healed burns, as well as treatments for various other skin conditions. With 22 locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the health care system provides advanced care for children regardless of the families’ ability to pay. Learn more at shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

Visit beburnaware.org to learn key fire safety practices to help avoid injuries this holiday season. You can find activity books, tip cards and a five-minute online quiz to help identify and eliminate potential risks.

Candle Safety for the Holidays
Candles are one of the most common sources of holiday fires. Never leave lit candles unattended and take these additional precautions to have a safe and fun holiday season:

• When candles are lit, make sure they are in stable holders and placed where they cannot be easily knocked over.

• Keep candles, matches and lighters out of reach of children.

• Be conscious of nearby surroundings. Never place a candle near drapery, decorations or other flammable items that may easily catch fire. Also avoid drafty areas or fans, which can accelerate flames or accidentally blow a flammable item onto a candle.

• Know that the safest way to extinguish a candle is with a snuffer.

• Consider using wickless or flameless candles. There are numerous options that cast a warm glow so you can enjoy the ambiance of a candle without the risk.

Kids and Candles Don’t Mix
Julianna and her mother, Tracy, know firsthand how dangerous the holiday season can be. While at a family Christmas party, Julianna, just 20 months old, snuck away from the activities and was in the bathroom playing in front of the mirror. A lit tea light candle on the corner of the sink ignited her clothes.

Tracy heard Julianna’s screams from down the hall, ran to the bathroom and saw her daughter’s dress on fire. She patted out the flames and family members called an ambulance. Julianna spent three weeks at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Cincinnati to treat the third-degree burns that covered the left side of her body. Julianna, now 8-years-old, is doing well but faces ongoing treatment as she grows.

“We are very lucky,” Tracy said. “Julianna will be fine thanks to the care she received. We all get busy during this time of year, but it is so important for parents to make sure they are following basic safety tips to keep their kids safe.”

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (Fireplace with gifts)

SOURCE:
Shriners Hospitals for Children

Protect Your Kids at Home

(Family Features) Every year, more than 2,200 children die from injuries that occur at home, according to estimates from Safe Kids Worldwide. While every parent knows that accidents can and do happen, there are many areas of the home where some preventive steps can help reduce the risk.

Go throughout your home to check for these common risk factors and implement corrective actions based on advice from the experts at Safe Kids.

Kitchen

• Although it may be tempting to hold a fussy child while working in the kitchen, a safer alternative is a high chair where they can see all the action but be safely out of harm’s way. Place the chair or seat on the floor to avoid possible toppling from atop a counter or furniture, and use the provided straps as instructed to prevent falls and strangulation hazards.
• Keep pan handles turned inward, out of reach of little hands, and before opening the oven door, ensure little ones are a safe distance away, putting your own body between the child and the oven so you can prevent any sudden lunges.
• Use the rear burners when possible and keep dishes filled with hot food out of reach on counters or table tops.

Bathroom

• Always check the water temperature before placing a child in the bathtub. Remember that small children cannot tolerate the same level of heat that many adults enjoy.
• Use a minimal amount of water in the tub, as drowning can occur in as little as a couple of inches. Drain the tub as soon as you are finished.
• Reduce access to other water sources by closing toilet lids and keeping bathroom and laundry room doors closed.
• Immediately unplug and store items such as hair dryers, curling irons and straight irons, which can retain heat long after being turned off and pose an added strangulation danger with dangling cords.
• Keep medication out of reach and always use the intended dosing devices. Common kitchen spoons vary greatly, so using these to measure a medication may be imprecise and result in over or under medicating.

Living Areas

• Prevent window falls and injuries by installing window guards and stops. Remember that windows located upstairs should have an emergency release in case of fire.
• Eliminate dangling cords from blinds, either by hooking cords out of reach or using an alternative window covering.
• When possible, place heavy items on low, sturdy furniture and use safety brackets, braces and wall straps to attach furniture and large items like TVs to the wall to prevent tipping.

Stairs

• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of staircases to prevent falls.
• Ensure gates are securely attached on both sides and review manufacturer instructions to verify gates are constructed for their intended use. For example, not all gates are intended for use at the top of stairs and may give way under pressure.

Pantry/Garage

• Products containing harmful chemicals, such as cleaners, should be stored out of reach, but also out of sight to avoid temptation.
• Keep products in their original containers, which include instructions for proper use and guidance on what do to if ingested, rubbed in eyes, etc. This also helps ensure items are not mistaken for something else and used dangerously.

Find more tips for safer living at eLivingToday.com.

5 Ways to Protect Your Family in 2017

Protecting your family and loved ones is one of your most important responsibilities. Many people think about protection in terms of physical acts, such as practicing safe driving, but there are many more aspects of your lifestyle and home that affect your loved ones’ safety.

Protect your family’s financial health
Although it can be painful to consider, your untimely death may leave your family reeling. Life insurance can help cover funeral costs, child care or act as income replacement. It can also help pay off any loans you’ve accrued, such as a home mortgage, car payment, credit card debt or student loans.

Ensure your family is breathing safe air
One threat you may not be aware of is radon, a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment but can create significant health consequences in anyone exposed to unsafe levels.

Radon is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that can go undetected in homes until it is too late. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers in America, and claims the lives of nearly 21,000 Americans each year.

Know your own health status
It is difficult to protect loved ones if you are not healthy yourself. Make sure you receive proper preventive care, such as regular health screenings and check-ups that are recommended for your gender and age. Find a checklist of important preventive screenings at CDC.gov/Prevention.

Protect the home of your loved ones
There are over 2 million burglaries annually in the United States, according to FBI statistics.  Home security systems can help put your mind at ease, and having a security system can also decrease the premiums you pay for monthly homeowner’s insurance. Studies have shown that homes with a security system see a 39 percent decrease in financial loss compared to homes with no security system.

Safeguard your family from fire hazards
The National Fire Protection Association estimates that two-thirds of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with either no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. Batteries wear out and may be taken out to cease persistent beeping then never replaced. Smoke alarms should be in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area and on each level of your home.

Keep your loved ones safe and find more ways to protect your family at MyExamOne.com.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (mother, daughter, father with tablet)

Photo courtesy of ExamOne (couple with laptop)

SOURCE:
eLivingToday.com