It's the start of a brand new year, when many Canadians make their New Year's resolutions: often to get fit, lose weight or stop smoking. These are all admirable goals that will improve your health.
But have you considered making a resolution to reduce your risk of injury throughout the year?
You may not know that injury is the leading
cause of death for Canadians between the ages of one and 44.The good news
is that most injuries are predictable and preventable.
To help you all year long, here is a seasonal look at everyday injury risks and the best ways to reduce the chances of being hurt. You can prevent injuries to yourself, and to those you love.
You may be pulling the toboggans and ice skates out of storage, or maybe the skis, snowboards and snowmobiles.
Such everyday activities as walking and driving can become more treacherous in the snow and ice.
Here's how to handle some common winter risks:
Wear the gear.
Helmets will protect your head from injury, whether you're skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling or tobogganing.
Prevent frostbite or hypothermia by dressing in layers, beginning with a snug, inner layer, under a loose, warm insulating layer and finishing with a waterproof, windproof layer.
Snowmobilers who plan to drive over ice should wear buoyant snowmobile suits.1
It is very important for snowmobilers to learn how to measure ice thickness and determine whether or not it is safe to travel.
Get set for winter driving.
Install your winter tires before the snow flies and store a well-stocked emergency kit in your trunk. Ensure your windshields are defrosted and clear your entire vehicle of snow and ice before setting off.
Snow or ice that flies off your roof while you're driving can injure someone or impair the vision of the driver behind you, by blocking their windshield.
Take care when walking on ice.
Baby boomers end up in the emergency room most often for falls on ice but it's seniors who account for the longest hospital stays after a fall on ice. Be sure to clean snow and ice from your walkways and sidewalks and apply sand or salt. Get a good pair of boots with thick, non-slip soles.
Seniors may find that ice grippers for their boots and an ice pick on their canes can help them grip hard–packed snow and ice — be sure to remove the grippers before walking on smooth surfaces.
The snow and ice are melting and the trees and flowers are beginning to bud.
Your family may be spending more time outside – strolling near waterways that are no longer solidly frozen, pulling out the bicycles, skateboards and in-line skates from the shed, and firing up the lawnmower for the first time.
Here are some key things to remember as you greet spring's arrival:
Watch for flowing water.
During spring runoff, the water in creeks and rivers can be fast moving and extremely cold and the banks of these waterways may be soft and unstable.
Cold water is especially hazardous, even for good swimmers, and can kill within minutes.
In the spring and throughout the year, if you are near water, always supervise young children closely.
Wear a helmet when on wheels.
Whether riding a bicycle, scooter, inline skates or a skateboard, wearing a helmet is a proven way to prevent head injuries.
Ensure the helmet you or your children use is certified for that activity. Replace your bike helmet after a crash.
While children may have the motor skills to ride a bicycle by five or six years of age, they're not ready to ride on their own on the road for several more years.
Children's abilities to handle traffic safety risks usually develop gradually between the ages of 10 and 14.
Use caution around lawnmowers.
Lawnmower injuries are common and can be extremely serious – either to the person mowing the lawn or to bystanders, often children.
Ensure children are not present when you are mowing the lawn. Always turn the mower off and unplug it before adjusting or cleaning it.
Mow the lawn only when dry and check for debris before you start.
School's out and the children are excited about summer vacation.
Canadians are dusting off barbecues, public parks beckon and the race to the nearest cooling lake or municipal pool is on.
Keep these tips in mind during these all-too-short lazy, hazy days of summer:
Protect yourself from the sun.
Enjoy the sun, but be sure to cover up
during the mid-day hours when the sun's ultraviolet rays are strongest. Wear sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen with a minimum sun-protection factor of 15. Keep babies, with their highly sensitive skin, covered and out of the sun as much as possible.
Pay attention to safety on, or near water.
Boaters should always wear, not just carry, personal flotation devices (PFDs). Alcohol and boating don't mix: leave the drinking until you're back on dry land.
Ensure your children learn to swim. Fence pools around all four sides and install self-closing, self-latching gates.
Prevent fires while camping.
Most camping injuries are related to campfires.
Have a bucket of water close to the fire pit at all times. Before you go to bed, repeatedly douse the fire with water until the ashes no longer smoke or hiss. Then cover them with sand or soil.
Barbecue safely.
Inspect and clean your gas barbecue before using it. Check for leaks and replace worn parts. Barbecue outside, and only in a well-ventilated area away from windows and doors. Store propane cylinders outdoors, in an upright position.
Children are headed back to school, and the roads and sidewalks are dotted with school buses and extra pedestrians.
The shorter, cooler days heralding fall are back. Here's what to think about this season:
Teach children to cross the street safely.
In general, children under nine years should be accompanied by caregivers when crossing the street.
Teach your children to cross at corners, to look left, right then left again and to look drivers in the eye before crossing.
Transport Canada outlines 10 tips for school bus safety, including teaching children to stay away from the danger zones at the front, sides and back of the bus.
Prevent playground injuries.
September is the peak month for playground injuries, most of which happen at school.
Caregivers should supervise and ensure children understand how to play safely.
Check that equipment is in good repair and age-appropriate for the children playing on it. Proper ground cover can help prevent injury in case of a fall – such as a 15-30 cm layer of soft sand, pea gravel or wood chips.
Reduce the risks of sports injury.
Back to school means children and youth are joining school sports teams and undertaking new activities.
Participants should wear protective equipment appropriate to the sport or activity, get proper training and instruction and learn and practice basic skills before increasing intensity and difficulty levels.
Avoid ladder injuries.
Ladder injuries peak in the fall and can be extremely serious, even fatal.
Place the ladder on level ground and open it completely, making sure all locks are engaged. Wear slip-resistant shoes and ensure your hands and feet are dry before climbing.
Avoid power lines. Move the ladder to avoid over-reaching and stand at, or below the highest safe standing level (second rung from the top for a step-ladder; fourth rung from the top for an extension ladder).
In the house
Prevent fires.
Ensure you have working smoke alarms on each floor of your home and outside sleeping areas, along with carbon monoxide detectors. Test monthly and change the batteries twice yearly. Stand by your pan – cooking fires commonly start when people are cooking with oil and leave the kitchen. Ensure candles are out of reach of children and pets and are placed where they can't be knocked over.
Use sturdy holders and always extinguish candles before leaving a room.
Childproof your home.
Store cleaning products and medicines in their original containers, and out of reach of children. Teach older children product safety symbols. Install anti-scald devices at the tap to prevent scalds.
Keep hot beverages covered and hot stove elements out of reach of young children. Window blind cords should be secured away from the reach of young children, and cut so they can't form a loop. Always remain with infants and very young children while you bathe them – drowning can happen within seconds.
Make homes fall-proof for seniors.
One in three seniors falls at least once each year.
Install grab bars by the toilet and bath, and handrails along both sides of stairs. Ensure that seniors have good lighting in the house and a clear, well-lit path between the bedroom and bathroom.
In the car
Drive sober.
Make sure you've got a designated driver or a safe way to get home from an outing.
If possible, walk, use public transit or take a cab.
Use the right child car seats.
It is extremely important to choose the right car seat for the height and weight of your child.
Once children weigh more than 18 kilograms (40 pounds), they are ready to move to a booster seat until they fit comfortably into a seatbelt alone, usually at about age eight or nine.
Take the Safe Kids Canada test to see if your children are ready to move out of their booster seats.
1Drownings and Other Water-Related Injuries in Ca nada: Ten Years of Research, Module 2 Ice & Cold Water,
Canadian Red Cross. 2006, page 17
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