Posted on June 29, 2019
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI
As Independence Day draws closer, fireworks will start speckling the sky and the National Safety Council is hoping you’ll leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals.
While it may be legal to purchase fireworks, they can be quite dangerous if handled improperly.
Officials report that in 2017, 8 people died and more than 12,000 were injured badly enough to require medical treatments after firework-related injuries.
While the majority of those incidents were due to amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade or otherwise illegal fireworks, an estimated 1,200 were from less powerful devices such as small firecrackers and sparklers.
In addition to the safety hazard they cause to humans, they’re also a fire hazard, accounting for an average of 18,500 fires each year.
The National Safety Council advises everyone to enjoy fireworks during public displays conducted by experts. However, if you do choose to buy fireworks this season, the NSC has a few things for you to keep in mind.
Never allow young children to handle fireworks and yes, that means sparklers as well. While they seem harmless, sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees which is hot enough to melt some metals.
The National Fire Protection Association estimates that sparklers alone account for more than 25 percent of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries. Parents are encouraged to use safer alternatives such as glow sticks or colored streamers.
Additionally, never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol, utilize protective eye where, never hold lit fireworks in your hands, never light them indoors and only use them away from people, houses and flammable materials.
Be sure to maintain a safe distance once the device is lit and never light more than one device at a time. If a firework malfunctions, do not try to re-light or handle it. On a related note, soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding them.
Also it is a good idea to keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case a fire starts somehow.
For additional information, visit the National Safety Council’s Fireworks Safety Page.
Showing posts with label National Safety Council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Safety Council. Show all posts
Monday, July 1, 2019
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Look Before You Lock: Number of Kids Dying from Vehicular Heatstroke Rises in Recent Years
Posted on June 6, 2019
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI
The number of American children passing away from being left in hot cars has been steadily rising over the last few years.
In 2016, 39 children were reported deceased from pediatric vehicular heatstroke. That number climbed to 42 in 2017 and unfortunately, it jumped up again last year.
2018 was the deadliest year on record in the last 20 years with a total of 52 children who reportedly died from being stuck in a vehicle
Officials at the National Safety Council (NSC) report that temperatures inside vehicles can reach life-threatening levels, even on mild or cloudy days and leaving windows slightly open does not help reduce the risk of fatality.
They add that there is no safe time to leave a child in a vehicle, even if you are just running a quick errand. On a 70 degree day, officials estimate that an enclosed vehicle can reach over 110 degrees in under an hour. On a 95 degree day, your vehicle can reach temperatures that high within 10 minutes.
According to statistics collected between 1998 and 2018, about 18.5 percent of children who die this way are knowingly left, 26 percent gain access to the vehicles themselves and more than 53 percent are forgotten by a caregiver.
The NSC advises parents and caregivers to stick to a routine and to avoid distractions to reduce the risk of unintentionally leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. They encourage adults to place a purse, briefcase or even a left shoe in the back seat to require them to take one last look before walking away.
To help reduce the risk of children trapping themselves in a potentially perilous situation, keep your car doors locked so they cannot gain access and teach them that vehicles are not play areas.
The NSC notes that even one child is too many so officials there stress the importance of prevention.
The Council offers a free online course to educate the public about this danger and to emphasize how vital it is to look before you lock.
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI
The number of American children passing away from being left in hot cars has been steadily rising over the last few years.
In 2016, 39 children were reported deceased from pediatric vehicular heatstroke. That number climbed to 42 in 2017 and unfortunately, it jumped up again last year.
2018 was the deadliest year on record in the last 20 years with a total of 52 children who reportedly died from being stuck in a vehicle
Officials at the National Safety Council (NSC) report that temperatures inside vehicles can reach life-threatening levels, even on mild or cloudy days and leaving windows slightly open does not help reduce the risk of fatality.
They add that there is no safe time to leave a child in a vehicle, even if you are just running a quick errand. On a 70 degree day, officials estimate that an enclosed vehicle can reach over 110 degrees in under an hour. On a 95 degree day, your vehicle can reach temperatures that high within 10 minutes.
According to statistics collected between 1998 and 2018, about 18.5 percent of children who die this way are knowingly left, 26 percent gain access to the vehicles themselves and more than 53 percent are forgotten by a caregiver.
The NSC advises parents and caregivers to stick to a routine and to avoid distractions to reduce the risk of unintentionally leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. They encourage adults to place a purse, briefcase or even a left shoe in the back seat to require them to take one last look before walking away.
To help reduce the risk of children trapping themselves in a potentially perilous situation, keep your car doors locked so they cannot gain access and teach them that vehicles are not play areas.
The NSC notes that even one child is too many so officials there stress the importance of prevention.
The Council offers a free online course to educate the public about this danger and to emphasize how vital it is to look before you lock.
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