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Archive for the ‘accidents’ Category

Keep kids from open windows as weather turns warmer

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 by:Amanda Cuda
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The weather is supposed to turn rainy and a mite colder tomorrow, but, today, it’s still sunny and warm — enough so that you might feel the urge to pop open your windows. However, these open windows pose hazards to children and the Connecticut Department of Public Health is asking that you take steps to keep kids away.

In a press release, the DPH cited stats from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimating that about twelve children 10 years old and younger die each year, and more than 4,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for window fall-related
injuries.

To protect your little ones, the DPH offers the following tips:
• Never depend on screens to keep children from falling out of windows.
• Open windows from the top, not the bottom, whenever possible.
• Keep furniture away from windows to discourage children from climbing near windows.
• Install window stops so that windows open no more than four inches.
• Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows.
• For windows on the 6th floor and below, install window guards that adults and older children
can open easily in case of fire. For windows on the 7th floor and above, install permanent
window guards.
• Look for guards that have bars no more than four inches apart.
• Window guards screw into the side of a window frame. They are sold in different sizes for
various sized windows and adjust for width. Guards must meet requirements for spacing and
strength, and those that allow for escape in case of emergencies must be difficult for very
young children to open.

Survey: More than half of teen drivers talk or text behind the wheel

Thursday, June 7, 2012 by:Amanda Cuda
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A high percentage of the state’s teen drivers talk or text on their phone while behind the wheel, according to the 2011 Connecticut School Health Survey.

The results of the survey — administered to more than 6,000  high school and middle school students across the state — were released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health. Students are asked about a variety of behaviors, including sexual activity, alcohol and drug use and cigarette use. Students are also asked about their driving behaviors, and more than half (53 percent) of those surveyed said they talked on a cell phone while driving at least once in the month before taking the survey.

In further bad driving behavior, about 50 percent of teen drivers admitted to texting or emailing while driving at least once in the month before taking the survey. Also, about 10 percent of high school students said they rarely or never wore a seat belt as a passenger and about one out of every 10 high school seniors reported drinking alcohol and driving in the month before the survey. About one in four said they had recently been a passenger of someone who had been drinking alcohol.

State health officials report that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.

The Connecticut School Health Survey is administered in two parts, the Youth Behavior Component (YBC) and the Youth Tobacco Component (YTC). The  YBC surveys high school students and monitors public health risk behavior and the YTC survey high school and middle school students about their use of and exposure to tobacco. In 2011, 4,299 middle and high school students completed the YTC  and 2,058 youth completed the YBC. The YBC contained the questions about driving behaviors.

For more on the Connecticut School Health Survey, visit http://www.ct.gov/dph/cshs.

Local hospitals get mixed results in safety ranking

Wednesday, June 6, 2012 by:Amanda Cuda
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Nearly half of the hospitals in the country got a “C” or lower in patient safety, according to ranking system released Wednesday by the independent national non-profit the Leapfrog Group.

The group, run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits, have established the Hospital Safety Score, which gives hospitals a letter grade based on their performance in 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety measures. The measures include rates of infections, falls, complications and other problems at hospitals, as well as adherence to safety practices, such as proper staffing levels and hand-washing.

Of the 2,652 hospitals to receive a score, 729 received an “A,” 679 earned a B and 1,243 earned a “C” or below. In Connecticut, about 14 percent of hospitals received an A grade, 45 percent got Bs and 41 percent got Cs. None appeared to get a “Grade Pending” score, given to hospitals scoring less than a C.

Locally, St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport and the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven got As. Bridgeport Hospital, Yale-New Haven Hospital and Milford Hospital were among those receiving Cs. Griffin Hospital in Derby received a B.

The the database is at hospitalsafetyscore.org, but be patient — the site keeps crashing, due to a huge volume of hits (420 a minute, I’m told)

State Police’s S.A.N.T.A.S. also know if you’ve been naughty or nice

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 by:Amanda Cuda
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The holiday season is officially upon us. And you know what that means — our good friends in the law enforcement community are setting up their holiday efforts to make sure we’re enjoying the season within the safe and legal limit. Here is the press release from the Connecticut State Police on its Operation S.A.N.T.A.S. Also, note that there will be roving patrols on Interstate 95, between Stamford and New Haven, and on routes 8 and 25, between Bridgeport, Trumbull, Shelton, until the end of the year.:

“The Connecticut State Police today launched the 2011 Holiday enforcement program in an attempt to save lives and prevent injury as the Christmas/New Years holiday season approaches. Operation S.A.N.T.A. S-top A-nother N-eedless T-ragic A-ccident is the major holiday accident and injury prevention message from the Connecticut State Police.

This combined accident reduction effort (C.A.R.E.) involves all State Police Departments across the U.S. The focus of this enforcement will be on the drivers behavior that most frequently causes accident. Enforcment will also attempt to rid the roads and highways of drivers who will drive under the influence, speed, and fail to wear seatbelts.

DUI enforcement will increase dramatically during this holiday season. Traditionally at this time of year many holiday celebrations such as house and office parties take place. Many of these parties MAY include the consumption of alcohol. Some partygoers will not designate a non drinking driver and will neglect to remember that mixing alcohol with driving any motor vehicle is unwise, dangerous and illegal.  State Police Troopers have scheduled DUI sobriety checkpoints and enhanced DUI enforcement operations on the roads and highways all across Connecticut.

Emergency Services & Public Protection Commissioner Reuben Bradford said, “Our State Troopers are trying to save lives and keep all of our roads and highways safe”. “Remember mixing alcohol with driving a any vehicle is a dangerous combination for everyone, and illegal in our State”.

No one looks forward to spending time in a jail cell,  a hospital,  or something worse during the  holidays.   Connecticut State Troopers will be out in force to try to keep drunk drivers off the roads. Troopers are asking the public to join our effort, if you are planning to consume alcohol at a festive event, make plans in advance for a non drinking driver to bring you home. If you spot a suspected drunk driver, call 911 and report it to the police, this is a true emergency.

Distracted driving, cell phone use and seat belt enforcement will be an important part of “OPERATION SANTA”. People talking on cell phones, not wearing seatbelts, exceeding the posted speed limit cause crashes.  Help the Connecticut State Police keep all roads and highways safe.   DUE TO SNOW 2010 OPERATION SANTA WAS CANCELEED NO STATS AVAILABLE.”

How to be festive without burning down the house

Monday, December 19, 2011 by:Amanda Cuda
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If you’re still putting the finishing touches on your holiday decorations, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission would like to remind you that, this time of year, being safe is just as important as being festive. The commission reports that about 12,500 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for injuries directly related to holiday decorations, lights and Christmas trees.

Candles cause about 11,600 fires each year, resulting in 150 deaths, 1,200 injuries and $173 million in property losses. And Christmas trees are blamed on about 300 fires each year, resulting in an average of 10 deaths, 30 injuries and more than $10 million in property damages.

Help keep your holiday carnage to a minimum, with these safe decorating tips from the CPSC:

  • If you’re choosing a real tree, make sure it’s fresh. It should be green. The needles should be hard to pull from branches, and the branches shouldn’t break when bent. The tree also shouldn’t lose many needles when its trunk is tapped on the ground.
  • If you’re using an artificial tree, make sure it is labeled “fire resistant.” This doesn’t mean the tree if fire-proof, but it should resist burning.
  • Keep artificial and real trees away from heat sources.
  • Use only flame-resistant decorations to trim your tree.
  • Lights, whether used indoors or outside, should be tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which means they comply with safety standards.
  • Check all lights for broken and cracked bulbs, frayed wires and loose connections.
  • Don’t attach more than three standard-size sets of lights on an extension cord.
  • Do not overload extension cords with any decorations.
  • Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable or that could pose a choking hazard for a young child.
  • Never hang stockings or other decorations above a fireplace with an open flame.
  • Move candles away from anything that can catch fire and never leave them unattended.

Festive lecturing from the CDC

Thursday, December 8, 2011 by:Amanda Cuda
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Always in search of new ways to nag us into practicing good health habits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have created a new video, “The 12 Ways to Health.” This is musical journey into the land of good health habits is set to the tune of “The 12 days of Christmas” and replaces that song’s lyrics with helpful tips like “Don’t drink and drive” and “Prepare food safely.”

Though I’ve always been fond of the original version, this one is much much more practical. Who really needs eight maids a-milking or nine ladies dancing anyway? And three French hens? Don’t you know that birds carry disease?

Anyway, click below for some festive (and tuneful) lecturing:

How to avoid getting hit by a car this Halloween

Tuesday, October 4, 2011 by:Amanda Cuda
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Halloween is just mere weeks away, which means there’s precious little time left to decorate the house, pull together costumes for you and the kids and stock up on sweets to hand out.
But you should also make safety part of your Halloween preparation, according to a recent press release from the American College of Emergency Physicians. The risk of a child being hit by a car is roughly four times higher on Halloween than any other night of the year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other common Halloween injuries include eye injuries from sharp objects and burns from flammable costumes.
With an estimated 40 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 predicted to hit the trick-or-treat trails this Halloween, here are a few ways for them (and you) to stay safe … and avoid spending what’s supposed to be a fun holiday in the emergency room.
  • Emergency physicians recommend that children “trick-or-treat” at organized Halloween festivities, such as local churches, shopping malls or schools. This way children are not walking in the dark and it allows constant adult supervision.
  • If you are embarking on traditional trick-or-treating, make sure your child stays on the sidewalks as much as possible (off streets) and obeys all traffic signals.
  • Discuss the importance of staying together in a group. Require at least one adult to serve as chaperone during trick-or-treat gatherings.
  • Make sure your child knows the potential dangers from strangers. Make sure they know never to accept rides from strangers or visit unfamiliar homes or areas.
  • Avoid costumes that could cause children to trip, such as baggy pants, long hems, high heels and oversized shoes.
  • Avoid costumes that obstruct the child’s sight or vision. Avoid masks if possible. If your child must wear one, make sure it is well ventilated.
  • Make sure costume fabric, wigs and beards area made of flame-resistant materials, such as nylon or polyester.
  • Keep candlelit Jack-O-Lanterns away from children so they can’t get burned or set on fire.
  • Make sure costumes are visible at night: avoid dark colors. Add reflective tape to costumes so your child is more visible to motor vehicles.
  • Make sure you see all of the candy before your child eats it. Avoid candy that is not wrapped in its original wrapper, as well as all fruit.
  • Take a flashlight while trick-or-treating as visibility decreases long before it gets really dark.
  • Check accessories such as swords, knives, wands and other pointed objects. Make sure they are made from flexible materials and have dulled edges.
For more information on this and other health-related topics, go to www.EmergencyCareForYou.org

Watch the water this summer

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 by:Amanda Cuda
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I strongly urge all readers of Hearst Connecticut Newspapers (that would be Connecticut Post, Stamford Advocate, Danbury News-Times and Greenwich Time) to check out Christina Hennessy’s story in tomorrow’s Health section about water safety. It provides some sage guidelines for keeping kids safe as you luxuriate near the water this season.
According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, 365 people of all ages drown each year in the United States. Drowning is more common during warm weather months, when people typically enjoy
water-related activities.
In addition to the very good advice offered in this week’s story, here are a few more tips — for both children and adults — from the health department.

  • Supervise children with vigilance near water. Remember that children can drown in just a few

inches of water in sources such as wading pools or buckets.

  • Never swim alone.
  •  Swim only in designated swimming areas.
  • Choose swimming sites that employ trained and certified lifeguards whenever possible.
  • Avoid alcohol use before and during aquatic activities, or when supervising children in or near

water.

If you have a swimming pool, these additional precautions are recommended:

  • Install a fence or wall completely around the pool. Barriers should be at least four feet high and

have no hand or footholds that could help a child climb over.

  • Gates should be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch out of a child’s reach.
  • Pool alarms may provide additional layers of protection.
  • For above ground pools, steps and ladders should be secured and locked or removed when not in

use.

  • Keep a phone and rescue equipment poolside.
  • Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

For more information, check out tomorrow’s health section.

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