Preventing Unintentional Injuries

Unintentional injuries, or accidents, are a leading cause of death among teens. In this unit we will discuss guidelines you can follow to stay safe at home and in your community.

Falls cause more deaths than any other type of home accident. There are steps you can take to prevent falls in your home.

Preventing Falls

• Place rubber mats in the bathtubs & showers.

• Place a non-skid backing on floor rugs.• Keep objects off walkways & stairways.• Keep stairway areas well-lighted.• Use a stepladder to reach high shelves.• Be careful when using a ladder.• Do not run in your home, especially up

and down the stairs.

Preventing Fires• Ask your parents (if they smoke) to not do so

while in bed.

• Be careful not to overload electrical circuits.

• Don’t run electrical cords under rugs.

• Don’t play with matches or cigarette lighters.

• Don’t leave food cooking on the stove (unattended).

• Don’t leave oil-soaked rags or other flammable objects in the garage.

Preventing Fires (cont.)

Your home should be equipped with smoke detectors. Having a fire extinguisher might be a good idea. You should also know different ways to escape from your house in the event of a fire. Plan on a meeting spot so you make sure that everyone is accounted for.

FirearmsA firearm is a weapon from which a shot is

ejected when gunpowder explodes. Many firearm accidents happen in the home. Young people are often curious about firearms and handle them without knowing how. Firearms should be kept in a secure place and stored unloaded. Ammunition should be locked away and stored separately from the firearm.

Firearms (cont.)

The handling of firearms should only be done under proper adult supervision. Firearms should be treated as if they were loaded at all times. They should never be pointed at another person or at oneself. One should learn how to safely transport and handle a firearm from a qualified individual.

Preventing Electric Shock

• Read the directions before using an electrical product.

• Do not use an electrical product if the wires are cracked or worn.

• Place only the recommended number of plugs in an outlet.

• Pull on the plug, not the wire, when unplugging an electrical product.

• Keep electrical products away from water.• Do not use electrical products when you are wet,

standing in water, or taking a bath or shower.

Pedestrian Safety

A pedestrian is a person who is ambulatory (walking). Although walking is the safest type of transportation, many pedestrians are killed or injured each year. There are ways you can stay safe while walking:

• Never enter a street between two parked motor vehicles.

• Never attempt to cross a street as a traffic signal is changing.

Pedestrian Safety (cont.)

• Be careful if using headphones while walking or jogging in traffic areas.

• Never hitchhike.• Always use sidewalks and crosswalks.• Always walk on the side of the road

against traffic.• Always wear light colored and/or reflective

clothing when walking at dawn or dusk, or at night.

Motor Vehicle Safety

• Never ride in a motor vehicle driven by someone who has been drinking alcohol or using other harmful drugs.

• Never ride in a motor vehicle driven by someone who exceeds the speed limit.

• Never ride in a motor vehicle driven by someone who is driving dangerously or is showing off.

Motor Vehicle Safety (cont.)

• Never ride in a motor vehicle driven by someone who argues with or challenges other drivers.

• Always wear a seat belt and make sure that small children wear a proper child safety restraint.

Bicycle Safety• Wear a proper-fitting bicycle helmet.

• Obey traffic rules.

• Ride single file with traffic.

• Use hand signals when riding in traffic.

• Watch for the sudden opening of car doors.

• Watch for cars and trucks backing out of driveways.

Bicycle Safety (cont.)• Keep your bicycle in good working order.

• Wear clothing that will not get stuck in the chain or spokes of the bicycle.

• Use lights and reflectors at night.

• Wear light-colored clothing at night.

• Wear shoes at all times.

• Use crosswalks to walk bicycle across a busy intersection.

Safety Around AnimalsAround Animals

• Do not approach strange animals.

• Do not feed strange animals.

• Do not provoke an animal by yelling at it or throwing something at it.

• Do not leave small children unattended near animals.

• Get medical help immediately if bitten by an animal.