Home and Street Safety

1. Teacher Workshop Home and Street Safety

2. Introduction • Home and street safety affects the lives of children all over the US • “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported that unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among youths” (Telljohann, Symons, and Pateman, 2009, p. 220)¹ • Common causes of unintentional injuries include electricity, fires, falls, drowning, road traffic, poisoning, and stranger danger

3. Let’s Discuss • Who taught you how to cross the street properly? • Have you or anyone you know been encountered by a stranger, and what happened? • Do you remember a time in your life when you thought you or someone you were with ingested a poison? • Have you ever been injured from a fall, and what were you doing when you fell?

4. Definition of Unintentional Injury • “Accidental circumstance in which injury was not anticipated” (Webb, Module 11) • “Injuries that occur without specific intent of harm” (Telljohann, Symons, and Pateman, 2009, p. 220)¹ • These types of injuries are preventable

5. Why Include this Topic in the Classroom? • Parents often lack skills to teach children prevention of unintentional injuries • Education should include academics and life skills • Pertinent for children to lead long and healthy lives • These skills are also applicable in classroom settings - field trips - classroom etiquette - lunchtime/recess

6. Why is this Important to Teachers? • Children lacking these skills can lead to more unintentional injuries in the classroom • These injuries lead to higher absence rates in the classroom • Teaching these skills results in safer children which leads to safer adults and overall safer communities

7. Topics to be Covered • Street Safety • Stranger Danger • Poison Safety • Electricity • Falls

8. Street Safety

9. What Teachers Should be Able to Do: • List the 5 appropriate steps to crossing the street safely • Distinguish between a safe and non safe route to walk to school when given 2 scenarios • Identify and describe the purpose of a stop sign, crosswalk sign, and pedestrian street light

10. Terms to Know • Traffic Lights & Stop Signs: Tell cars when to stop and go • Crosswalk Signal: Tells walkers when to stop and go • Crosswalk: A safe place for people to cross the street (when no cars are coming) • Crossing Guard: A safe adult that helps people cross the street

11. Street Signs and Signals • Red ALWAYS means stop: • Red stop sign • Red Light • Red Hand for crossing signal

12. Before Crossing the Street • Stop at the curb of the sidewalk • Press the cross walk button • Wait for walking sign to appear(white man) • Look left, right, left • Make sure no cars are coming from any direction (NHTSA, 2009)

13. While Crossing the Street • Cross inside the crosswalk (white lines) • Walk, do not run • Pay full attention (avoid texting or playing) (NHTSA, 2009)

14. Tips For Teachers • Teach students to recognize stop signs, crossing signals, and safe crossing areas • Encourage your students to practice crossing an actual street with supervision • Allow time for questions or clarification

15. Stranger Danger

16. What Teachers Should be Able to Do: 1. Define the term stranger2. Recite the 4 steps children should take if approached by a stranger

17. Terms to know According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a stranger is “a person or thing that is unknown or with whom one is unacquainted.”¹

18. Abduction Statistics • Elementary school children abductions • Strangers are responsible for 1/2 of all abductions • Relatives, neighbors, family friends, and adult acquaintances are responsible for the rest • Girls are at least 3 times more likely to be abducted and murdered than boys • Offenders are usually male, who select female victims • South Carolina Abduction Investigation¹ • 40% occurred on school grounds by a stranger • A majority occurred around 5pm, right after school hours

19. Stranger Danger • Abduction Motives¹ • Short-term: sexual molestation • Long-term: sexual gratification, retribution financial gain, desire to kill, and maternal desire

20. How can teachers help? • Teachers CAN help prevent child abductions! • Keep an eye on all of your students at all times • Make sure the adult picking up the child from school is the child’s legal guardian or is an adult that the legal guardian has given permission to • Teach your students preventative skills!

21. What can children do? Four Simple Rules Children Should Follow When a Stranger Approaches: • Ignore • Say “NO” when prompted • Immediately walk or run away if stranger persists • Immediately tell an adult about the encounter

22. Tips for Teachers • Outside • Adults should ALWAYS know where their child is going • Enforce the buddy system • Know your surroundings • Walk in common, lit areas • Don’t walk at night, if possible

23. Tips for Children • At home • Children should NEVER answer doors • Children should NEVER answer phones • When children are home alone, ALL windows and doors should be closed and locked • Important phone numbers to know: • Legal guardian(s) • Police (911)

24. Poison Safety

25. What Teachers Should be Able to Do: • Name 3 common terms that are used as identifiers on poisonous substances • Differentiate between safe and non safe storage places for poisonous substances when shown examples • Recite the poison control hotline phone number

26. Preparation: Collect 20 household products and classroom items (i.e. cleaning sprays, glue, water, etc.) to serve as examples and non-examples of potential hazardous items when ingested Disperse these items in groups on tables around the room Have audience walk around the room and note the items that they think are (potentially) poisonous Hold a discussion on the items after everyone has gotten a chance to walk around the room Let audience know that even though some products may not seem to serve potential harm, when anything is ingested at a large quantity, that substance is hazardous to your health Poison Activity

27. What is a Poison? • According to the CDC a poison is any substance that is harmful to the body when taken or used inappropriately • “Any substance can be poisonous if too much is ingested” (CDC, 2009) ¹

28. Poisons! • 130 children in America under the age of 14 are poisoned each year. (Mychildsafety.net, 2008)¹ • Take the time to educate students on what substances are poisonous . • Store poisonous substances in safe places that are unreachable to children. • Know how to react in a poison ingestion situation.

29. Poisonous Labels • Common terms on poisonous substances: • CAUTION • WARNING • POISON • DANGER • KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN

30. Common Poisonous Items • Medications • Cleaning Supplies • Pesticides • Fuel • Lawn and Garden Fertilizers • Cosmetics and Personal Care Items • Plants and Berries

31. Storing Toxic Items • Keep items in high storage areas that are out of reach • Lock cabinets with child safe locks • Keep medications in original containers with child safe caps properly tightened

32. Storing Toxins, Continued • Keep cleaning items in their original containers with proper labeling • Instruct children of off limit areas that contain poisonous substances

33. Unsafe Storage Areas • Any place within a child’s reach • Drawers and cabinets that cannot be locked • Purses and bags • Cars • Closets • Garages

34. In Case of Poisoning • If child is unresponsive, having difficulty breathing, vomiting, or having seizures call 911 • If the child is not reacting to the poison, call the Poison Hotline for further guidance • 1-800-222-1222

35. Calling Poison Control • Know the child’s age and weight • Have the bottle or label of the item ingested • Know the approximate time and amount of product ingestion • Know the address of where you and the child are • Remain calm!!

36. Electrical Safety

37. What Teachers Should be Able to Do: 1. List 3 possible electrical dangers within the home and classroom 2. Recite the 4 appropriate steps of what to do if a child is electrocuted

38. Why Teach Electrical Safety? According to CPSC (1991-2001): • 24,000+ children under 10 years old were treated in ERs for incidents related to electrical receptacles • (About 7 children per day.) • 89% are under 6 years old

39. Typical Location of Incidents Image found at: http ://www.childoutletsafety.org/datastatistics.html

40. Electrical Safety • What is an electric shock? An electric shock happens when a person touches an electrical energy source. Electrical current flowing through a part of the body will cause a shock. • What is electrocution? Electrocution is death caused by electric shock. (Electrical Safety Council, 2009)

41. Possible Effects of an Electric Shock • Increased blood pressure • Faster pulse rate • Difficulty breathing • Loss of consciousness • Heart attack • Burns • Death

42. Possible Electrical Dangers in the Home and Classroom • Outlets • Exposed wires and cords • Plugs • Light bulbs • Appliances near sinks and liquids • Computer equipment

43. Preventing Electrical Injuries • Install outlet safety plugs • Turn off and unplug electrical devices that are not in use • Keep appliances away from water • Check electrical cords for fraying

44. In Case of Electric Shock • DO NOT touch the person receiving the electric shock until the electricity is switched off and you are sure it is safe to do so • If you touch them, you could get an electric shock or be electrocuted yourself (Electrical Safety Council, 2009)

45. In Case of Electric Shock • If the person is conscious and seems unharmed: - He/she should be told to rest - If in doubt call a doctor • If the person is unconscious: - Open the airway and check breathing - Resuscitate if necessary - Place injured person in recovery position - DIAL 911!

46. Falls

47. What Teachers Should be Able to Do: 1. Detect all fall hazards within an image when presented with a scenario

48. What Are Falls? • “Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury for children” (Britton, 2005, p. 33)¹ • Falls can be categorized as follows: 1. “Falls while walking or running 2. Falls from heights 3. Falls while participating in recreational activities 4. Falls during competitive sports activities” (Britton, 2005, p. 33)¹

49. Fall Prevention • Prevention Strategies: • Keep walkways and ground areas clear of objects • Don’t run around in enclosed spaces • Avoid climbing of crawling onto object’s past one’s own height • Avoid running up and down stairs • Keep floors dry of any liquids and spills

50. In the Event of a Fall • What to do if fall injury occurs: • Should be able to assess severity of the injury • Call for proper help (parent, school nurse, or ambulance)