NEW NATIONAL SURVEY FINDS PARENTS

UNPREPARED TO CREATE A SAFER HOME

Home Safety Council Calls American Families to Action during Home Safety Month; Launches Hands on Home Safety Campaign

 

WASHINGTON, DC (June 1, 2005) – A new national survey commissioned by the Home Safety Council reveals that nearly 6 out of 10 American parents know that there are actions that should be taken to reduce the risk of a family member suffering a home-related injury.  Further evidence of the need for education about home safety is found in the Home Safety Council’s State of Home Safety in America™ which shows that nearly 21 million medical visits and 20,000 deaths result from home injuries each year.  June is Home Safety Month , and the Home Safety Council is launching the Hands on Home Safety campaign to urge families to take actions to create a safer home environment.

 

While most parents recognize the importance of home safety, they report a variety of reasons for not taking direct action to increase the safety of their homes.  Leading the list of most common excuses: not knowing what actions to take (32 percent) and not having enough time (24 percent).   

                                                                                          

“It’s a myth that keeping loved ones safe in and around our homes requires a lot of time and money,” said Meri-K Appy, Home Safety Council president. “Parents can reduce the risk of injury quickly and simply by taking a hands-on approach to safety.  The first step is recognizing the dangers in our homes.  Home Safety Month helps parents take the actions needed to keep those dangers under control.”

 

Hands on Home Safety

Survey findings show that while 60 percent of American parents have made at least one safety improvement in the past month, they need guidance in prioritizing which actions are most important. During the Hands on Home Safety campaign, the Home Safety Council is urging families to make three key changes during June to improve the safety of their homes:

 

Know the number: 1-800-222-1222

According to the Home Safety Council’s survey, nearly 75 percent of American families admit that the poison control hotline number is not posted by every phone. 

 

Memorize the poison control center toll-free number – 1-800-222-1222 – and keep the number by every phone in the home. It’s a good idea to program the number into cell phones too.

 

Lower the water heater temperature

Survey findings show that nearly 80 percent of respondents did not know the safe temperature setting for their water heater.  It takes only one second for a young child to be injured by 160 degree Fahrenheit liquid; and only five seconds at 140 degrees.

 

Check the setting of your water heater and make sure it is set no higher than 120 degrees F.

 

Brighten the lights

The State of Home Safety in America shows that slips and falls are the leading cause of home injury and related death. More than one-third of American families have not installed lighting at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent slips and falls.

 

Use bright lights at the top and bottom of stairs and make sure hallways and dark areas in the home are well-lit at night with nightlights.

 

The Home Safety Council encourages families to make safety a priority year-round. Use the Council’s top 10 tips below to increase the safety of your home.  

 

Ten Tips to a Safer Home

 

1.  Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them monthly.

 

2.  Develop a fire escape plan for your family that identifies two exits out of every room and where to meet outside. Practice makes perfect – hold a family fire drill at least twice each year.

 

3.  Always stay in the kitchen while food is cooking on the stove.

 

4.  Keep all stairways, paths and walkways well lit.

 

5.  Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls, and use a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips inside bathtubs and showers.

 

6.  Post emergency numbers next to every phone in your home, including the Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1222).

 

7.  Install child locks on all cabinets used to store potentially dangerous items.

 

8.  Keep your water heater setting at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

 

9.  Install four-sided fencing with self-locking and self-closing gates. Fencing should completely isolate the pool from the home and be at least five feet high.

 

10. Constantly supervise children in or near water such as pools, ponds, bathtubs and buckets.

 

To learn more about how to stay safe in and around your home, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.

 

 

 

RESEARCH SHOWS PARENTS DON’T KNOW HOME DANGERS ARE PUTTING THEIR CHILDREN AT RISK

Home Safety Council Offers Critical Safety Advice for Parents

WASHINGTON, DC (June 6, 2005) – Parents of young children are often the most safety-conscious Americans. However, according to a new Home Safety Council survey, they may not be aware of many home dangers putting their children at risk. To help parents learn how to best protect their family, the Home Safety Council, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the risk of home injuries, is working to educate and empower parents as part of the Council’s annual Home Safety Month campaign.

 

The new Home Safety Council survey polled American parents about their home safety perceptions and practices. Findings revealed that while nearly 60 percent of parents admitted there are actions they could take today to increase the safety of their loved ones at home, 32 percent of parents did not know what actions to take to do so.  When asked about the greatest home safety concerns for very young children, only 20 percent of parents correctly named fires/burns or drowning, the two leading causes of home injury related death for children ages 1-4.

 

“Constant, active care is an essential part of keeping young children safe at home, but it isn’t enough.  Parents must also take the time to identify dangers and put necessary safety measures in place,” said Home Safety Council president Meri-K Appy. “Additional barriers such as cabinet locks, baby gates and door knob covers can help keep children away from matches, lighters, standing water and other hazards.”

 

The Council’s comprehensive State of Home Safety in America™ also reveals that falls are the leading cause of nonfatal home injury for young children. The study also found that children under the age of five experience the highest rate of choking/suffocation fatalities and nonfatal poison exposures at home.

 

Parents can guard against injury by evaluating their home from the child’s-eye point of view, keeping primary injury areas top of mind. Consider the following advice from the Home Safety Council:

 

Fire/Burn Prevention:

·         Test faucet water at the tap and adjust the water heater to 120 degrees F.

·         Keep children at least three feet away from the stove when cooking.

·         Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and in or near sleeping areas and test smoke alarms monthly.

·         Store matches, lighters, candles and other fire tools out of children's sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.

·         Create a fire escape plan, and make sure to practice the plan at least twice each year.

 

Water Safety

·         Never leave a child unattended near standing water, even for a moment.

·         Use door knob covers to prevent young children from accessing bathrooms.

·         If your home has a pool, surround it on all sides with installed fencing and a locking, self-latching gate.

·         Turn over all buckets and store them up high where they cannot collect standing water or be reached by children.

 

Choking/Suffocation Prevention

	Window blind cords can present a serious strangulation hazard. Move cribs and playpens away from windows. Tie up window cords out of a child’s reach.
	Consider buying a small-parts tester to gauge whether objects present a choking hazard to young children.
	Homes with young children should not have latex balloons, as the balloons or pieces of balloon material can become lodged in a child’s throat.
	Pull out drawstrings in children’s outerwear and remove necklaces, purses, bicycle helmets and scarves before play or sleep.

 

Falls Prevention

·         Install baby gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs.

·         Locate cribs, beds, chairs and other furniture away from windows.

·         Install window locks or safety guards on above-ground windows. Be sure they have a quick-release mechanism in case of fire.

 

Poison Prevention

·         Install child safety locks on cabinets to safely store chemicals, cleaners, medicines, cosmetics and other toxic and/or caustic products.

·         Purchase cleaners, household chemicals, medications and other potentially hazardous products with child resistant caps and packaging.

·         Store cleaners and chemicals separate from food.

·         Post the Poison Control Hotline (1-800-222-1222) and other emergency numbers next to every phone.

For more information, please visit the Home Safety Council at www.homesafetycouncil.org.

 

 

About the Home Safety Council
The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year.  Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization located in Washington, DC.