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Denali Safety Council promotes Safe Communities Month with an offer of 4 mini-grants of $500 each
Do you know how Alaskans are getting hurt?
Check out the top 10 reasons Alaskans are hospitalized for injuries.
Don't Fall For It Alaska ! — Fall Prevention
"Falls" is the number one cause of injury hospital admission for Alaskans age 30 and up. From 1996-2000, there were 5,219 falls in the Alaska Trauma Registry for this age group, over 1,000 per year. Falls comprise over 40% of injury hospital admissions for those 30 and over. Over 11% are discharged from the hospital with a permanent disability.
A Guide to Fall Prevention has been developed by the State of Alaska Injury Prevention office. This booklet includes facts and data on falls, risk assessment, describes ways to reduce fall risk, and provides a list of additional resources for fall prevention and a home safety checklist. A poster and postcard are also available by clicking on the links below.
Safe Driving Is YOUR Responsibility – Drive Safety Work Week October 2-6, 2006
Driving is something that almost every employee does… whether it's business-related travel during the workday, commuting to and from work, or during off-duty hours. During Drive Safety Work Week this month remember that safe driving is YOUR responsibility. Below are the 10 steps for responsible driving to reduce crashes and injuries.
10 Steps for Responsible Driving
- Plan YOUR Route
- Maintain YOUR Vehicle
- Focus YOUR Attention
- Minimize YOUR Distractions
- Know YOUR Surroundings
- Share YOUR Space
- Watch YOUR Speed
- Keep YOUR Distance
- Signal YOUR Intentions
- Always Wear YOUR Seatbelt
For more information about the Week’s activities visit: http://www.trafficsafety.org/dsww.asp
Street smarts! Pedestrian Safety
- In 2002 there were 53 pedestrian crashes with a motor vehicle in children under 18 with 4 fatalities.
- An average of 21 children per year in Alaska , ages 1-14, were hospitalized after being hit by a motor vehicle.
- The most common circumstance of a child being hit by a vehicle was one in which the child was not seen by the driver and was backed over.
- Another frequent event involved children running out into the street. Almost 2/3 of the pedestrian injuries occurred to males.
- Pedestrian injuries were the second leading cause of unintentional fatal traumatic brain injuries (after motor vehicle crashes) for Alaska ’s children.
Walk to School Day
October 4 is International Walk to School Day. The purpose of the event is to:
- Encourage physical activity by teaching children the skills to walk safely, how to identify safe routes to school, and the benefits of walking
- Raise awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made
- Raise concern for the environment
- Reduce crime and take back neighborhoods for people on foot
- Reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and speed near schools
- Share valuable time with local community leaders, parents, and children
For more information on how you can get involved visit: www.iwalktoschool.org
Safe Routes To School
Community leaders, parents and schools across the U.S. are using Safe Routes to School programs to encourage and enable more children to safely walk and bike to school. The National Center for Safe Routes to School aims to assist these communities in developing successful Safe Routes programs and strategies. The Center offers a centralized resource of information on how to start and sustain a Safe Routes to School program, case studies of successful programs as well as many other resources for training and technical assistance.
For more information about Safe Routes to Schools and funding opportunities visit: www.saferoutesinfo.org
BE SAFE … BE SEEN
In Alaska darkness descends early in fall and winter months. An individual walking during darkness or in low light conditions wearing dark colors is first seen approximately 55 ft. away. This gives a driver less than one-second reaction time!. Make sure that driver sees you and wear reflective material on the front, sides and back!
For more information on how you can start a BE SAFE…BE SEEN program in your area visit: www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/ipems/injury_prevention/reflector.htm
Focus On Safety In and Around Cars
There are three ways children can be injured in non-traffic related incidents in and around cars. While the majority of deaths to children involving motor vehicles are traffic related, approximately ten percent of deaths are reported as non-traffic related.
Non-traffic related deaths include children killed in driveways, parking lots and on sidewalks, as well as other off-road locations. They are generally pedestrians but may also be on bikes or other wheeled toys or vehicles.
Spot the Tot |
Never Leave
Your Child Alone |
Prevent Trunk Entrapment |
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Spot the Tot teaches parents and caregivers to take a quick walk around their vehicles before driving to make sure that there are no children or other objects around the vehicle.
The few second walk-around should be performed at home, on the street, and in parking lots. Many children are injured each year in driveways and parking lots
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Never Leave Your Child Alone – Even if it is for only a short time leaving a child alone in a car can have serious if not fatal results.
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Trunk Entrapment - Remember parents, caregivers, and children that vehicles are not play areas. This includes trunks, which may seem harmless, but can result in accidental entrapment.
All cars made after 2001 are equipped with a trunk handle release in case of accidental entrapment.
Parents and caregivers should first look in trunks if missing children cannot be found quickly. |
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For more information on these 3 education programs visit: www.usa.safekids.org/skbu/cars/index.html
Eye Injury Prevention Month
During October’s Eye Injury Prevention Month, eye care professionals around the country encourage everyone to protect their eyes from accidental injury and the most ordinary things can cause the most extraordinary eye injuries:
- Accidental eye injury is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in the United States .
- Approximately one million eye injuries occur each year in the United States .
- Ninety percent of these injuries are preventable.
- The leading causes of eye injuries include sports accidents, consumer fireworks, household chemicals and battery acid, as well as workshop and yard debris.
- Wear safety goggles (with “ANSI Z87.1” marked on the lenses or frame)
To read more about eye injuries:
http://www.aao.org/aao/patients/eyemd/injury.cfm
Fire Prevention Week
Prevent Cooking Fires: Watch What You Heat is the theme set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for October 8-14, 2006. Alaska will be focusing on this fire safety and prevention message throughout the month. Cooking fires were the number one cause of structure fires in Alaska during 2005 and unattended cooking is often a factor. Stay in the kitchen while cooking or, if necessary, use a timer and have it with you so there is a constant reminder that food is cooking. For more information about fire safety and prevention check out the following links www.nfpa.org , http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fire.htm , and http://www.dps.state.ak.us/fire/asp/publiceducation.asp.
Water Safety
It has us surrounded! Alaska has over 47,000 miles of coastline and an abundance of lakes and rivers. For many of us in Alaska, the water is our highway, our playground, our work site, and our food supply.
Alaska ’s drowning rate for children and teenagers is almost two and a half times the national average and significantly higher than that of any other state.
Accidents don’t just happen. They are predictable and, therefore, avoidable. It just takes a moment to fall in the water. Without a PFD, you can quickly get into an emergency situation. Click here to learn more about water safety or to start a water safety program in your area.
Poison Prevention
Do you know the Poison Hotline number?
One-eight-hundred, two-two-two, one two-two-two.
One-eight-hundred, two-two-two, one two-two-two.
If you think it might be poison
Then the first thing you should do
Call: One-eight-hundred, two-two-two, one-two-two-two.
Poisonings involve everyday household items such as cleaning supplies, medicines, cosmetics and personal care items. Poison centers handle one poison exposure every 14 seconds.
Child Passenger Safety Resources
For CPS Technicians
- CPS Technicians Education Resource DRAFT
- Hospital Discharge for Newborns
National Resources for Child Passenger Safety
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Alaska resources for Child Passenger Safety
The Alaska Highway Safety Office
And the Alaska Division of Public Health
 
Child Passenger Safety PSA
developed by Fairbanks Ride Safe Program
- Watch the PSA
- Contact Fairbanks Ride Safe Program to localize this PSA for your area:
Angela Davis, Car Seat Technician Instructor
Fairbanks Ride Safe,
1650 Cowles,
Fairbanks, AK 99701
(907) 458-SAFE
Caregivers should consider this 5-Step Test *
- Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
- Do the child’s knees bend comfortably auto the edge of the auto seat?
- Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm? Not the Neck!
- Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs? NOT the stomach!
- Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
For most children this means they should use a booster if they are over 40 pounds to up to around 80 pounds and 4 feet 8 inches
This will vary a little with the child and the motor vehicle
* from the SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
Click here to learn more about Bicycle Rodeos.
Questions?
For more information about Child Passenger Safety or for give feedback on CPS materials, please contact Gordon Glaser at (907) 269-3433.
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