An Ounce of Prevention …
Mother always said eat your vegetables, don’t forget to wear your toque outside and make sure you get plenty of rest. While we might consider those reminders a bit of mom’s nagging, her prevention tips have probably been reasonable for a lot of our success. How often we here the phrase “gee if I would have know better” or “that’s really stupid.” Everyday and in every action we need to look at what we do and ensure that prevention of injury is of utmost importance.
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of hospitalization, lost time in the workplace or lost days of productivity. In Saskatchewan data suggests that motor vehicle collisions, falls and poisonings are some of the leading causes. Look at your home, office or industrial workplace and how safe is it? What are you doing to make it safer?
In the home:
Set your water temperature at no higher than 49 Celsius to prevent burns and scalds
Scissors, knives and sharp objects are out of reach
Electrical outlets are covered
When cooking pot handles and cords are out of children’s reach
Install gates or close doors at the entrance to all stair cases
Children should be supervised in the bathtub or around any water at all times
Baby is never left alone on a high place like a bed, change table or sofa
Install non slip backing on loose rugs
A baby walker is never to be used
Never leave medications exposed and keep all cleaners stored safely in the original container
Post emergency numbers including poison control beside each telephone