Medical Health Encyclopedia

Safety

WATER SAFETY

• Learn CPR.
• Teach your children to swim.
• Never leave young children unattended, even for a minute, in a bathtub, swimming pool, lake, ocean, or stream.
• Fence all home pools and keep the gate closed and locked.
• Always wear life preservers when boating, even if you can swim.
• Avoid drinking alcohol when swimming or boating.
• Never swim alone.
• Never dive into water unless you know beforehand how deep it is.
• Know your limits. Do not over-exert yourself.
• Avoid standing on wet surfaces or being in water during a lightening storm.
• Stay out of strong currents.
• Do not overload your boat. If your boat turns over, stay with the boat until help arrives.

CAMPING AND HIKING SAFETY

• Always bring a first aid kit when camping. Know how to use it.
• Use the buddy-system. Never camp or hike alone. If you were to break a leg or fall and get stuck, a partner could go for help.
• Make sure someone knows where you plan to camp or hike.
• Be careful when exploring. Take a compass and map. Remember landmarks.
• Take whistles in case you get lost or run into trouble. Whistles can be heard further than your voice will carry.
• Be careful when chopping wood or building fires.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to avoid bites from ticks and other insects. In cold conditions, wear many layers of thin clothing, along with a hat, boots and gloves.
• Take a supply of clean drinking water and drink it. People can become dehydrated very quickly in warm, dry, or windy conditions. Dehydration can lead to other serious complications.
• Don't drink stream or lake water.
• Avoid drinking alcohol. It tends to cause dehydration.
• Don't provoke, touch, or get close to wild animals.
• Don't eat wild berries and plants.
• Don't over-exert yourself when hiking.
• Never leave a campfire unattended.
• Before leaving a campsite to return home, make sure all fires are out and the ashes are cold. A single burning ember in a seemingly smothered fire is enough to initiate a full-blown fire.

• When outside on a warm, sunny day, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, a water-proof sunscreen, and loose-fitting, light-colored clothing.
• Sun protection is especially important between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Drink plenty of water, but avoid drinking alcohol on hot, humid days when you are outside. Alcohol can cause dehydration.
• If you become overheated, sit in the shade, drink plenty of water, and try to keep your skin cool and moist.
• Keep very young children's skin from being exposed to the sun.
• Never leave children or pets unattended in a car in the sun -- even for a few minutes.
• Wear appropriate sunscreens -- a sunscreen rating of 15 should give adequate protection for most people.
• Remember, there is no such thing as a healthy suntan.

• Avoid unnecessary display or talk about your valuables.
• Avoid hiding a house key under the doormat or nearby vicinity.
• Teach your family to leave the house undisturbed and call the police if they discover a burglary has been committed.
• Trim trees and shrubs to eliminate hiding places.
• Consider a security closet with a solid core door and a dead-bolt lock.
• Keep emergency telephone numbers listed on your phone.
• Install lights around the perimeter of your home.
• Lock up your ladder.

• Outside doors should be solid core construction.
• Entry doors should have a wide-angle viewer.
• Exterior doors should have cylinder-type dead-bolt locks.
• Doors without cylinder locks should have a heavy bolt or some similar secure device that can be operated only from the inside.
• Sliding doors should have a lock that locks both the door panels together or the active side to the frame.
• The garage door and basement door should be secured with a lock.
• Lock your garage door at night and when you are away from home.

• All windows should be equipped with locks or be pinned.
• Keep your windows locked when they are shut.
• Put secure locks on garage windows.
• Cover garage windows with curtains.

• Arrange for friends or neighbors to pick up newspapers and mail.
• Notify a neighbor you'll be gone.
• Arrange to keep your lawn maintained.
• Arrange to have your snow shoveled.
• Use timing devices for your lights and radio.

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References:
Dowd MD. Epidemiology and prevention of childhood injuries. Crit Care Med. 2002; 30(11 Suppl): S385-392.

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