Show Stay a Safe a e This 15 I. I Winter In er Inside e and an Out u Utah Department of Health Salt Lake City UT As families make plans for the holiday season the Utah Department of Health urges parents to put safety at the top of their To liTo Do lists Each year an average of die dieas dieas dieas as a result of unintentional injuries By taking the right prevention measures measures measures mea mea- around homes and with gifts you can reduce your chances of an injury spoiling your holiday The liThe holiday season is very busy and can be stressful for families said Cyndi Bemis Violence and Injury Prevention Program In our attempt to get everything done we sometimes dont don't pay enough attention to injury tion For example young children love loveto to help out in the kitchen making holiday treats But each year data show that nearly children are seen in hospital emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency rooms for burns bums and scalds Many of these injuries happen in the kitchen and most are preventable Emergency rooms stay busy during during during dur dur- ing the winter months treating people people people peo peo- who have fallen off ladders and roofs while doing their outdoor dec dec- orating In addition in 2002 more than 2100 skiers and boarders were injured on the slopes and treated in Utah emergency rooms The following reminders will help keep you and your family safe inside and out this holiday season Around the House Have a fire extinguisher close to the kitchen Cooking mishaps are the leading cause of Utah house fires Get your chimney cleaned and furnace inspected to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning Leaking and poorly maintained gas appliances contribute to one in 10 residential fires Never use your oven or a charcoal charcoal charcoal char char- coal or gas barbecue to heat your home Never use a barbecue of any kind for cooking indoors Closely supervise children in the kitchen at all times Never hold a child while you are cooking cooling Put pans on back burners and turn handles toward the back backof backof backof of the stove Never let children children children chil chil- dren under age 10 remove hot foods from a microwave oven Place hot foods away from the edges of counters and tables Dont Don't use tablecloths Curious children tend to pull on them spilling hot foods and liquids onto themselves Keep poinsettias and mistletoe out of reach they can make children children children chil chil- dren and animals sick Place candles in a candle jar or oron oron oron on surfaces that wont won't burn Put them out before leaving home or going to bed Never use lit candles on a Christmas tree Dont Don't let a fresh tree get dry check the water every day Keep candy nuts and other small food items away from young children children children chil chil- dren to prevent choking Be e extra I car careful ful when h hanging ing holiday lights Put Put PULP up lights before before the snow falls 3 P 9 f get s slippery Gifts Choose appropriate age-appropriate gifts without small parts for young chil chil- dren If you buy a child a bike scooter manual or electric skateboard inline skates or skate shoes buy a helmet too and insist it be worn at atall atall atall all times Bike helmets are also a great way to make sledding and tubing safer If you buy skis or snowboards buy a certified helmet made especially especially especially espe espe- for snow sports If you buy a snowmobile or buy helmets too and insist they be worn on every ride Enroll all users riders in an safety class Call the Utah State Parks and Recreation Education office at 1 RIDE or visit for class times and locations For more safety information for this or any time of year visit the Violence and Injury Web site at Prevention l l The missi mission n of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the publics public's health through preventing preventing preventing prevent prevent- ing avoidable illness injury disability disability disability ity and premature death assuring access to affordable quality health healthcare healthcare healthcare care and promoting healthy life lifestyles sty lese J xo I |