 How to stop accidents before they happen  About 2 million young people visit the emergency room each year  1 out 10 adolescents will have an injury serious enough for an emergency room visit this year  Accidents- leading cause of death among 8 to 14  By learning and practicing safe habits you are preventing accidents

 Use the buddy system. Never go by yourself  Stick to safe places  Carry a flashlight at night and wear light colored clothing so cars can see you  Home alone- keep the door locked and do not answer the doorbell  Check the caller ID- if its not someone you know, don’t answer  Internet- do not enter personal information  Social networking- anyone can read what you post- use common sense  If someone tries to make you go somewhere you don’t want to go, get away- scream for help  Playing sports-wear proper protective gear  Don’t play ball or use skateboard in the road or parking lots  Concentrate on what you are doing  Know your limits  Think ahead  Resist peer pressure

 Kitchen  On the stove, turn pot handles in so they can’t be bumped  Wipe up spills immediately  Keep anything that can burn away from the stove top  Knives should not be left on the counter where they could fall off  Don’t leave stove burners on when nothing is cooking  Put safety locks on cabinets and chemicals out of reach  Bathroom  Keep medicine in original packaging  Keep it out of sight of children  Don’t put a radio, TV, or any other electrical device near the sink or tub  Apply non skid strips to the bottom of the bathtub/ shower  Around the House  Don’t climb on ladders, cabinets, or furniture to get items unless there is a spotter  Put your stuff up so people don’t trip over it  Curtain and blind cords should be tied up and out of reach  Gates should be at the bottom and top of all stairs  Don’t run up and down stairs  Don’t use loose carpets

 Keep all electrical appliances and devices away from water  Use appliances only when hands are dry and you’re standing on dry ground  Turn off and unplug small appliances after you use them  Don’t plug in cords if they are not in good condition  Put cords where you won’t trip over them, but not under rugs  Remind adults to put safety caps in all outlets  Don’t put too many plugs in one outlet  To unplug an appliance, pull the plug head not the cord  Turn off space heaters when you leave the room  Keep space heaters at least 3 ft. away from anything that can burn  If you see a wire hanging loose, stay away  Don’t ever reach in an electrical device when it is plugged in

 Fire Safety  Keep stoves clean to avoid burns and fires  Keep flammable objects at least 3 ft. away from portable heaters  Never smoke in bed or on overstuffed furniture  Inspect electrical outlets, wires, and appliances for safety  Throw out newspapers, oily rags, and other materials that burn easily  Use and store matches properly  Install smoke alarms on level of the home  Reducing Risk of Injury in a Fire  Leave the house immediately if possible  Call the fire dept. from a neighbor’s house or cell phone  If you are in the house, stay close to the ground below the smoke- keep nose and mouth covered  Before opening a closed door, feel it- if hot exit another way  If clothing catches fire- stop, drop, and roll  Never go back into a burning building  Leave firefighting to the experts

 Automobile Safety  Always put your seat belt on  Don’t distract the driver  Never jump around or throw things or change seats.  Obey the rules of the road  Never ride with someone who has been drinking or using drugs  Bicycle Safety  Wear a helmet (70 to 80%) head injuries result of not wearing helmets  Reduce risk by 85%  Follow the rules of the road  Defensive driving- watch out for others and anticipate unsafe acts  Don’t ride at night or in bad weather ( wear lights and reflective clothing if you must drive at night)  Check the safety of your bike  Skates, Skateboards, and Scooters  Wear protective gear  Keep speed under control  Watch for pedestrians and stay off busy sidewalks  Avoid parking lots and streets with traffic  On a soft surface, practice a safe way to fall

 Pedestrian Safety  Do’s ▪ Cross streets at cross walks ▪ Obey traffic signals ▪ Look left, right, left before crossing ▪ In day light, wear bring clothing; night wear reflective gear and carry a flashlight ▪ No sidewalk? Stay to the left side of road and walk facing oncoming traffic  Don'ts ▪ Don’t jaywalk or cross the street in the middle of the block ▪ Don’t walk into the street between parked cars ▪ Don’t assume a driver will see you because you see them ▪ Don’t walk into a large group that covers the side walk and into the road ▪ Don’t enter the street without looking left, right, left  Recreational Safety  Be aware of the weather  Use the buddy system

 Water Safety  Never swim alone  Swim in supervised areas only  Don’t dive into water if you don’t know how deep it is  Never pretend to be drowning  Get out of the water if you hear thunder or see lightning  Use plenty of sunscreen and cover up so you won’t get burned  If you get caught in a strong current, swim parallel to the shore  Don’t swim when you are tired  Avoid drugs and alcohol  Boat Safety  Wear a life jacket  Get off water if a thunderstorm develops  Hiking and Camping Safety  Wear protective clothing  Bring equipment and supplies  Follow fire safety rules  Know poisonous plants and animals  Have a cell phone

 Tornadoes- whirling, funnel shaped windstorm that may drop from the sky to the ground  Tornado watch- tornadoes are possible with the weather in your area  Tornado warning- funnel cloud has been spotted ( seek shelter immediately)  Avoid windows  Cover yourself  Lie down  Earthquakes- violent shaking movement of the Earth’s surface  Most deaths happen when bits of building or heavy furniture fall on people  Cant really prepare for an earthquake, but you can protect yourself  Stay inside  If you are outdoors, stay in the open  Be careful afterward  In a car- pull over and stop

 Thunderstorms  Severe thunderstorm watch- thunderstorms are possible  Severe thunderstorm warning- thunderstorms are occurring  Close all windows and doors- draw shades to reduce flying glass  Don’t use electrical appliances ( phone/ computer)  Outdoors/ boat- seek shelter immediately  In a car- pull over- keep away from trees and phone poles  Floods  More people loose their lives because of floods- don’t try to swim or drive across a flooded roadway (speed and depth are not obvious)  Flood watch- flooding is possible; be prepared to move to higher grounds  Flood warning- flooding is or will soon occur  Flash flood warning- a flash flood is occurring now or soon; move to higher ground immediately. Flash floods occur much more quickly than river floods.  Make sure to turn off gas, electricity, and water before leaving your house

 Blizzards- heavy snow storm with winds up to 45 miles per hour  Stay inside  Wear protective clothing  Avoid getting lost  Hurricanes- strong windstorm with driving rain that originates at sea  Secure your home  Take loose objects indoors  Leave the area

 Guns  Guns should have trigger locks and should always be stored unloaded in a locked cabinet  Ammunition should be stored in a separate, locked closet  Anyone who will handle a gun should be trained in gun safety  Guns should always be handled if they are loaded  Guns should never be pointed at anyone  Knives  Don’t bring pocket knives to school  Handle knives with proper care

 Stay calm, walk away, and report the situation immediately  Gang Violence  May take part in illegal activity- robbery or stealing cars  Do you want to be part of a family that terrorizes and hurts others?  Choose your friends wisely  Violence at School  Most schools have safety officers, and some have metal detectors and require see through back packs  Teachers and other school personnel are trained in handling violent situations  Most schools are careful to keep outside doors locked so that no one can enter the school without first going to the office.

 The immediate temporary care given to an injured or ill person until he or she can get professional help  Be prepared  Take universal precautions- actions to prevent the spread of disease by treating all blood as if it was contaminated  First Steps:  Recognize the signs of an Emergency- listen for people calling out or unusual noises; or odor  Decide to Act- evaluate situation and decide what action to take  Call for Help  Provide care until help arrives- stay with person until professional help arrives and protect them

 Condition in which the ligament that holds the joint in position is stretched or torn  Rest- 24 to 48 hours  Ice-  Compression- in an elastic bandage  Elevation- raise above the heart to reduce swelling

 Broken bones  Fracture- break in the bone  Stay calm  Make the person comfortable, but don’t move them- can make injury worse  Call a doctor or right away  Splint the injury  If the broken bone has split the skin- call immediately and don’t touch it

 Apply Pressure  Press a clean cloth against the wound for a few minutes  Wash with mild soap and warm water  It will heal itself- keep area clean and dry  Point antibacterial ointment on it and cover with a bandaid  Serious Cuts  Try to stop bleeding with pressure0 don’t take the cloth off  Go to the emergency room  Infected Cuts  Area will be red and swollen/ oozing yellowish substance  See a doctor to get proper medication for the infection  Nosebleeds  Hold your head forward  Pinch your nose together and breathe through your mouth- 10 minutes  Check to see if stopped bleeding- if not repeat for 10 minutes  Preventing Nosebleeds  Don’t pick your nose or stick objects in it  Don’t blow it hard

 First Aid: Insect Stings  Remove the stinger  Apply ice / cold pack to relieve pain and prevent swelling  Tick: remove with tweezers  First Aid: Insect Bites  Wash the affected area  Apply a special lotion for bites  Signs:  Rash  Difficulty breathing  Signs of shock

 More than 3,000 people die from choking each year  choking is when something is blocking the airway  If the object is not removed air will not reach the lungs and the person could die  Choking person may have a look of fear and may clutch their throat, wheeze, gasp, turn red/purple, have bulging eyes, and be unable to speak  You may be able to clear the object by abdominal thrusts- quick upward pulls into the diaphragm to force out an obstruction blocking the airway

 Depends on the amount of skin burned, the location of the burn, and depth of the burn  Burns to the eye, airway, and chemical burns are treated special  First degree burn- outer layer of skin; run cool water over it for 15 minutes and apply sterile bandage  Second degree burn- skin is splotchy-develop blisters; diameter of 2-3 in (treat as a first degree burn) bigger-get help immediately  Third degree burn- charred black, appear dry or white; GET HELP IMMEDIATELY

 ½ of all poisons involves medicines or household products  Causes harm when swallowed, breathed in, absorbed through the skin, or injected in the body  Call the nearest poison control center- need treatment immediately  They will tell you what action to take- may suggest water or milk to dilute the poison

 If you get a foreign object in your eye- don’t rub it  Rubbing can cause injury  Try to flush the eye out with clean water  Helping someone?  Locate the foreign object  Pull the lower lid downward  If you see it, lightly touch it with a moist cotton ball  If you can not remove it- seek immediate medical assistance

 Life threatening condition in which the circulatory system fails to deliver enough blood to vital tissues and organs  Signs to look for:  Cool, clammy, pale or gray skin  Weak and rapid pulse  Slow, shallow breathing  Pupils dilated- eyes dull  If conscious- may feel faint, weak, confused, or anxious  Call for help and take these precautions  Lie down on back  Raise feet higher than head  Keep person from moving  Loosen tight clothing  Keep person warm  Do not give them anything to drink or eat  If they vomit or bleed- roll to side to prevent choking

 Blood supply to the brain is cut off for a short amount of time  Leave the person lying down  Check the airway  Raise legs above the head  Loosen any tight clothing  If they do not regain consciousness in 1 to 2m minutes call for help  If they are not breathing, call for help and start CPR  Losing consciousness after a head injury is not fainting- call for help if this occurs

 Frostnip  Extremities are pale and somewhat numb.  Early sign of frostbite  Go inside and remove wet clothing  Wrap up in warm blankets/ warm clothing and take a warm bath  Frostbite  If your extremities turn white or yellowish gray and you can’t feel them at all go to the hospital right away

 Heat cramps – painful involuntary muscle spasms that usually occur during heavy exercise in hot weather  Rest, cool down, drink water or a sports drink with electrolytes ( gentle stretching)  Heat exhaustion- a condition cauterized by fainting, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and hot, red, sweaty, or dry skin  Take to a shady/ air conditioned place, lie down, elevate feet, loosen clothing, drink cold ( not ice) water, spray with cool water and fan  Heatstroke- most serious form of heat illness  Treat for heat exhaustion and call immediately  Sunburn  Always wear sunblock  Get a burn? Don’t go back out into the sun  Aloe Vera might help and over the counter pain reliever

 Fire and Police Department  Local Clinic  Red Cross  Kentucky Health Department  National Center for Injury Prevention and Control  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  Federal Emergency Management Association- natural disasters  U.S. Fire Administration- fire prevention  Consumer Products Safety Commission  Food and Drug Administration  National Guard  Homeland Security  Environmental Protection Agency