Injury Prevention at Home, Work, and on the Road

Introduction to Safety and Injury Prevention

Safety is concerned with preventing or minimizing injuries and fatalities that result from a variety of circumstances. Injury prevention is a priority area for health promotion officials. Whether in the home or the workplace, all individuals are subject to injury at some point in their lives, though certain populations have been identified as being at greater risk than others. The key to injury prevention is knowledge and education. There are several steps an individual can take to prevent harm and bodily injury to themselves and their loved ones.

The field of firefighting is specifically concerned with reducing the incidence of injuries and fatalities that might result from "sudden, unplanned or unintentional injury events" (Miller, 24). The concept of safety as related to fire science focuses energy on reducing risk and preventing injuries and accidents. Though firefighters are concerned with addressing acute safety issues, their primary concern is reducing the probability that safety hazards may occur in any environment.

There are a variety of factors that influence the potential safety of any environment; a "broad range of causes of injury-producing circumstances" has been identified through research and data analysis (Miller, 24). One problem that has been identified repeatedly is the "repeat" accident — this occurs when a single person experiences a large number of injuries, the bulk of which occur in a short period of time. This type of repeat pattern often creates problems for insurance providers and for the industry as a whole.

Safety in the Home

The reduction of fatalities and injuries is of the utmost priority to safety officials. To ensure the safety of the public, officials have worked diligently to identify safety hazards that the public might not normally be aware of. For example, a majority of people consider their home a safe place. By and large this is true; however, there are many areas within the home that are far from safe. Virtually no area of the home is completely free from the potential for harm (Miller, 53). Some places obviously present the risk for unintentional injury — the bathtub being one of the most common. Thousands of injuries, and sometimes fatalities, occur each year from slipping in the shower. Prevention is the key to avoiding injury in the home. For example, the use of a simple bath mat can prevent unintentional injury by reducing the likelihood of a fall at the outset.

Injuries that occur within the home most often affect young children and the elderly (Miller, 53). This is due in large part to the reality that most young people and senior citizens spend a larger portion of their day at home than elsewhere. The kitchen is also an area highly conducive to injury. Several objects located there present potential hazards — not simply knives and cleaning supplies, but also appliances such as the stove itself. This creates an extremely hazardous environment for young children, who may not know not to touch a hot burner.

Any storage areas of the home where equipment and tools are kept also pose the potential for injury and should be safeguarded to protect young children (Miller, 53). The home may also become a more hazardous environment during certain times of the year. The holiday seasons — most notably the Fourth of July and Christmas — have been associated with an increased incidence of injury (Miller, 53). During the Fourth of July, individuals who handle explosive materials and firecrackers put everyone around them at risk, as these materials have the potential to burn people and property (Miller, 53). An ounce of prevention goes a long way here. If individuals live in an area where firecrackers are permitted, they must fully read all warnings and instructions before lighting any explosive device. Children should not handle any such materials, including small sparklers, unless under the close supervision of an adult who has read the directions or been properly instructed in their use.

Christmas may seem like a relatively benign time of year; however, the excess lighting, decorations, and live trees that individuals bring into the home increase the risk of fire and electrical shorts. Extra care should therefore be taken to ensure safety during this season. Having a small fire extinguisher capable of dousing electrical or brush fires is a smart precaution for any homeowner throughout the year, and especially so during the holiday season.

Simply purchasing products for the home may put an individual at risk. According to statistics, approximately 33 million people are injured every year as a result of handling consumer products, and more than 29,000 fatalities result from such injuries annually (Miller, 77). The hazards of objects such as lawnmowers and gardening tools are fairly obvious. Less obvious is the risk posed by fabrics. Most people assume that the clothing they wear is perfectly safe — but this is not always the case. The flammability of fabrics is an important consumer issue that has received considerable attention in recent years (Miller, 77). Children wearing costumes, for example, may be at increased risk for injury if the fabric is flammable. Household products such as rugs, furniture, and bedding are also subject to flammability risks (Miller, 77).

The best method of injury prevention is, again, knowledge. Standards have been established that ensure the improved safety of fabrics used in household items and clothing. Some older homes and older products, however, may not fall under any current safety guidelines. These items should be identified within the home, and care should be taken around them. That old shag carpet from the early 1970s, for example, may pose a substantial risk if exposed to excessive heat or flame.

Consumers are not alone in their efforts to understand how to use products safely. In 1972 the Consumer Product Safety Act was passed, establishing regulations and guidelines for product safety (Miller, 77). Since then, additional legislation has been enacted to protect consumers from flammable dangers and hazardous substances. Poison Control Commissions have been established, and a Refrigerator Safety Act has been implemented to protect consumers and prevent injury (Miller, 77). Part of the purpose of this legislation is to set product standards and to give consumers a way to learn about products that may be recalled after purchase. Labeling requirements — an effective form of prevention — have also emerged from these acts (Miller, 77).

Fire is a major cause of injury and fatalities both inside and outside the home. More than a million people require medical care each year, and more than 4,000 fatalities result from fire-related injuries annually (Miller, 98). Injury and death can be prevented, however, if people are prepared to deal with the unexpected. As noted earlier, every home should be equipped with a fire extinguisher. One of the best methods of protecting individuals in the home is the use of smoke detectors. Unfortunately, thousands of people are injured each year because of malfunctioning smoke detectors — often simply because the batteries were never replaced. The best prevention is straightforward: set a recurring annual date to test and change the batteries in every smoke detector in the home. That low-battery beep, though annoying, is a sign that the detector needs attention, and every care should be taken to address it promptly.

Conclusion

Safety often goes hand in hand with prevention. The majority of injuries and illnesses that occur unintentionally each year are best minimized through education. Consumers must be aware of the mechanisms available to them to protect themselves from harm at home, in the workplace, and in the world at large. Proper instruction and planning can result in a substantially reduced chance of injury.

Bibliography

Miller, Dean F. Safety Principles and Issues.