Child Safety and Protection Month: Is Your Child Safe?
November is Child Safety and Protection Month. We all want to protect our children. But, the world can be a scary place. We don’t have control over every situation that our children encounter. Unintentional injuries, or accidents, are the leading cause of death to children. Taking safety measures can help reduce the number of unintentional injuries and deaths. In honor of Child Safety and Protection Month, Kane & Silverman encourages you to take precautions to keep children safe. Talk to them about potential dangers and teach them what to do in case of an emergency.
Child Car Safety
Auto accidents account for the largest number of unintentional deaths to children. Even if we drive safely, we can’t always protect ourselves and our passengers from the negligent actions of other drivers. However, we can take steps to reduce the risk of serious injury or death to child passengers if a car crash does happen.
Child Car Safety Tips:
- Car seats exist for a reason. They are there to keep children safe in the event of an accident. But many people fail to make sure that their child’s car seat is installed properly. Checking that children are properly secured in their car seat can save a life.
- It is crucial to be aware of car seat recalls. If your child’s car seat is defective, get it fixed immediately.
- Follow laws regarding child passenger safety. Use the correct car seat for your child’s size, make sure older kids are wearing their seatbelt, and don’t let children sit in the front seat until they are 13.
Playgrounds are made for children. But between the equipment and the number of kids running around, there is a risk for injury. There are more than 200,000 playground-related injuries to children each year. About 45% of these injuries are severe and include fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations. Most playground injuries occur at schools and daycare centers. If your child gets injured on a dangerous playground at a public place, childcare center, or school, you may have a premises liability case.
Playground Safety Tips:
- Watch that your child is using the equipment properly. Things like walking on a slide or climbing on top of the monkey bars present fall risks.
- Make sure the equipment is age appropriate for your child. Younger kids should have a separate play area than older kids.
- Look for hazards. If you see rusted or broken equipment, report it and don’t let your child play in that area.
- Choose to go to playgrounds with softer, impact-absorbing surface materials. Surfaces like sand, rubber, mulch, and wood chips are safer than concrete and dirt.
Child Product Safety
Some products, including toys, clothes, and cribs, are made specifically for child use. Children’s products are required to follow certain laws to be deemed safe. When these products are dangerous or defective, they present an injury risk. If your child was injured by a defective product, you may have a product liability case.
Child Product Safety Tips:
- Be aware of recalls. If a product that your child uses has been recalled, replace it immediately. This includes toys, cribs, strollers, and more.
- Make sure that children have access to toys or other objects that are safe for their age. Follow the age determination guidelines for toys.
- Keep choking hazards away from children. Young children should not play with toys that have small parts or pieces that could break off. Children, particularly those under the age of five, will put anything in their mouth. Be sure to keep small items like coins and marbles out of their reach.
When we think of drowning, we mainly think of a swimming pool, lake, or ocean. But drowning can occur in a small kiddie pool or even a bathtub if the child is young enough. In fact, 76% of child drowning deaths involve children younger than age five. Each year, 390 deaths and 4,900 injuries to children ages 14 and younger are caused by drowning.
Swimming Safety Tips:
- Never leave children unattended. Whether it is a baby in a bathtub or school-aged children in a backyard swimming pool, always supervise them. Give them your undivided attention when they are near water.
- Safekids.org recommends having a “water watcher” when there are several children and adults present. Designate an adult to be a water watcher for a certain period of time and when this time expires, designate another adult to take over.
- Learn CPR. It will be useful in case of an emergency.
- Learn how to swim and make sure children know how to swim.
- Teach children to never swim without an adult present.
- Fence in your pool. A child may wander off and fall into the pool, so having a fence around it helps reduce this risk.
9 out of 10 poisonings occur at home, with most poisonings involving children ages five and under. Children are curious and may get into things they aren’t supposed to. When you take precautions, the risk of a child finding poisonous substances decreases.
Poison Control Tips:
- Follow label and doctor instructions when giving your child medicine.
- Store all medications and cleaning supplies out of children’s sight and reach.
- Use child safety locks on cabinets.
- Have the Poison Control Center’s phone number readily available. (1-800-222-1222)
Child Injury Lawyer
In the unfortunate event that your child was injured in a situation due to negligence, you need a caring and skilled child injury lawyer. Contact a personal injury attorney at Kane & Silverman in Philadelphia, PA and Marlton, NJ for a free evaluation.