What you can do to keep you and your family safe at home

What you can do to keep you and your family safe at home
Keeping your family out of harm’s way is your Number 1 priority. Unfortunately, many of our homes can be dangerous – preventable injuries and deaths continue to rise in homes and communities.
The Council estimates everyday approximately 245 people die of unintentional injuries in homes and communities. In 2007, the six leading causes of unintentional injury death in the U.S. were:

• Motor vehicle crashes 
• Poisonings, including unintentional overdoses
• Falls
• Choking
• Drowning
• Fires, flames and smoke

When someone is injured, the effects go beyond that person and extend to family members, friends, neighbors, employers and communities. The key to preventing injuries is making simple changes to your lifestyle - recognizing where most hazards are and how injuries can occur when participating in different activities.
Below are a few of the many strategies to prevent injuries:

• Stay off your cell phone when you are driving. Your safety practices directly influence the safety practices of your children.
• Get trained in first aid, CPR and AED online or in a classroom.
• Check and if necessary, change the batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide detector.
• Properly dispose of unused and expired medications.